Nothing seems very difficult to me anymore.
Once, I asked Eric DeCamps if a move was a knucklebuster.
He said, "Nothing is hard after you've practiced.
" That attitude is very important to accomplishing your goals.
Many people don't get where they want to because of self limiting beliefs.
For instance, I once had a teacher stand in front of the class and declare that some students are math/science people while others are english/history people.
She continued to explain the differences between left and right brain types.
Teachers aren't the only stupid ones.
I've heard parents say things to their kids like, "Don't worry, nobody in our family is good at math.
" There's a book I can't wait to get my hands on.
It's by Malcolm Gladwell and it's called Outliers.
I'll give you a full report on my blog after I read it.
However, there's one thing I heard him discuss in an interview.
He was talking about the cultural differences between America and India and how they relate to the math skills of students.
He said it was common to hear things like "Some people just aren't good at math," in the U.
S.
A.
Contrast this with India where parents are more likely to say, "To be better at math, you simply need to practice it more and work harder until you're good.
" Without doing a whole report on the book now, let me just mention that cultural differences also meant that pilots in India were the most unsafe! They've apparently cleaned up their acts, but read the book yourself, it's super interesting.
So, how does this relate to learning difficult sleight of hand? Take an inventory of self limiting beliefs that may be holding you back from being a better magician, a better performer, or even a better person.
For example, have you always wanted to do card manipulation or even basic palming but decided your hands were too small? Max Malini's hands were so small if you looked at them while he was holding out, you could see the edges protruding.
Yet, nobody caught him due to his brilliant and subtle use of misdirection.
Rene Lavand only has one hand, Meir Yedid is missing a finger, and many pro magicians are so horrifying to look at it's hard to imagine they're allowed to work in restaurants where people are trying to eat.
I don't know what your problem is, but you may actually find a way to make it work for you.
The above mentioned magicians certainly have (except for the horrifying ones).
When I first started performing straight stand-up comedy, I kept hearing it would take ten years to get good.
Gladwell talks about this in his book and sure enough he discovers that it takes almost everybody 10,000 hours to become proficient at something.
Incidentally, 10,000 hours equals four hours a day of practice for ten years.
With that fact in mind, let's return to Eric's statement, "Nothing is hard after you've practiced.
" The difference between mediocrity and excellence has more to do with the time you put in than almost anything else.
However, people won't put a lot of time into something unless they're really passionate about it.
Here's what I'd like for you to take away from this article today.
1.
Follow your passion so you'll be willing to put in the time needed to become excellent.
2.
Set your big goals and break them into smaller goals so you don't get overwhelmed.
Becoming a restaurant magician may seem like a lot of work but each individual step you take to get there isn't.
Work on doing a little bit consistently and you'll eventually reach your big goals.
3.
Don't be impatient.
It's going to take you 10,000 hours, there is no overnight success.
4.
Don't let self limiting beliefs stop you from following your passion.
If you dream of doing a beautiful second deal, put in the hours.
It will only be hard until you practice enough to make it easy.
In closing, the next time you see an effect that you know would be perfect for your repertoire, don't let the work get in the way.
For example, I never liked magic that turned into an arts and crafts project.
I felt I wasn't good at using glue, cutting straight lines, or any other related task.
As a matter of fact, when I was in high school I had an art requirement to fulfill.
I had the self limiting belief that I just couldn't draw.
It turned out, if I took my time, had some patience, and was willing to try more than a few times, I was able to draw quite well.
The same holds true for working on your act.
Are your hands small? Improve your misdirection.
Do you have a low speaking voice? Get a vocal coach.
Are you a fashion retard? Get help with a makeover.
Are you using stock lines instead of original comedy? Take a comedy writing class! Don't believe for one second that you're stuck with what you've got and that you can't be excellent at sleight of hand or any other aspect of being a professional magician.