Tony Clark

Archive for the ‘magic thoughts’ Category

Hi All,

Yes it’s been a few weeks. Thankfully things are really busy. Just the way I like it. If I could multiply myself into four more people, it would be phenomenal! Until then, I’ll keep having fun and doing all I can do. So to get back on track, I will return to the “Magic Book of Life” Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Also I have some advice on not being out numbered by Unnecessary props on stage. Have fun and thanks for all your comments!

 

Faith in Yourself is a State of Mind That You Can Create by Autosuggestion

All through the ages, religious leaders have admonished people to “have faith”. They say to have faith is this, that, and the other dogma or creed, but they have failed to tell people how to have faith. They have not stated that “faith is a state of mind that may be induced by self-suggestion.”
In Language that anyone can understand, this book explains the principle through which faith in your ability to accomplish a goal may be developed where it does not already exist. Before we begin, you should be reminded again that: Faith is the “external elixir” that life, power and action to the impulse of thought. The foregoing sentence is worth reading a second time, and a third, and a fourth. It is worth reading aloud!

Faith is the starting point of all accumulation of riches. Faith is the basis of all “miracles” and of all mysteries that cannot be analyzed by the rules of science.

Faith is the only known antidote for failure.

Faith is the element that, when mixed with desire, gives you direct communication with infinite intelligence.

Faith is the element that transforms the ordinary vibration of thought, created by the human mind, into the spiritual equivalent.

Faith is the only way the Force of Infinite Intelligence can be harnessed and used.

 

The Magic of Self-Suggestion

It is a fact that you will come to believe whatever you repeat to yourself, whether the statement is true or false. If you repeat a lie over and over, you will eventually accept that lie as truth. Moreover, you will believe it to be the truth. You are what you are because of the dominating thoughts that you permit to occupy your mind. Thoughts that you deliberately place in your own mind, and encourage with sympathy, and with which you mix any one or more of the emotions, constitute the motivation forces that direct and control you every movement, act, and deed.

The following sentence is a very significant statement of truth: Thoughts that are mixed with any of the feelings of emotion become like a magnetic force, which attracts other similar or related thoughts.

A thought that is “magnetized” with one of the emotions may be compared to a seed. When it is planted in fertile soil, it germinates, grows, and multiplies itself over and over again. What was originally one small seed becomes countless millions of seeds of the same kind.

The human mind is constantly attracting vibrations that are in sync with whatever dominates the mind. Any thought, idea, plan or purpose that you hold in you mind attracts a host of it’s relatives. Add these “relatives” to its own force, and it grows until it becomes the prime motivator of the person in whose mind it has been housed.

 

Tony’s thoughts:

Wow how powerful this section is! We need to remember that our minds do have the strength and control to do what ever it takes. It applies to every aspect of our lives. And for those magicians out there, it’s a great lesson on how to improve our acts as well. If you keep repeating the same mistakes over and over, then you know what’s going to happen when you perform. That’s why I always say that it’s not Practice that makes you perfect, it’s Perfect Practice that does it.

Don’t let Unnecessary props out number you!!!

I was just reminded of this last week when I saw an act on stage. Sadly it was a “pro” act making the big mistake of being out numbered by Unnecessary props. Let me give you a visual example of what I saw and then I will explain the many reasons this is a mistake. And I will give some ways to avoid these mistakes.

On stage right there was a light colored stool. On stage left there was another light colored stool. Behind the Stage right stool there was a chair with a leather doctor’s bag on it and center stage there was a table with a drape around it. So we have, 2 stools, one chair, a leather doctors bag, and a table with a drape center stage. Can you imagine what this looks like! If you said Yard Sale you are correct! I was baffled.

Here’s why you don’t want to have anything like this on stage. First of all you get lost among the props. Secondly you are taking away any surprise of what’s to come. Thirdly it takes a long time to set the stage.

No don’t get me wrong, it’s OK to use props, just don’t have them all out on stage at the same time.

Have them brought out to you as needed. This will make the show more interesting. I always say that the key is to add new information as your act moves along to keep the audience interested and engaged. What better way to do that then to have props brought out and then removed as needed.

Also you need to ask yourself if the props are actually needed? Do you really need 2 stools on stage? Can the people just stand instead? Think about the real life circumstances of a show. Most of the time you don’t even have a curtain to set up behind so setting up a ton of props is a challenge. Remember don’t give it all away up front. Meaning don’t let the audience know what you’re going to do before you do it. Introduce things as you need them and the audience will be interested to see that they are and what they do.

Remember to never stop dreaming because everything starts with a dream.

All your dreams in life can come true, just as long as you don’t oversleep!  – Tony Clark

 

 

 

Hi Friends,

I’ve been traveling like crazy so I apologize for not posting my blog last week. I picked an especially good excerpt from Think and Grow Rich for this week’s blog. I see the challenge that’s out there right now. I know this blog will help keep everyone moving ahead and thinking of fresh new ideas that people want and need. Enjoy!

The Power of Dreams

If you are in this race for riches, you should be encouraged by the following truth: The world in which we live is demanding new ideas, new ways of doing things, new leaders, new inventions, and new methods, styles, versions, and variations of everything all of the time. Behind all this demand for new and better things, there is one quality that you must possess to win, and that is the definiteness of purpose- the knowledge of what you want, and a burning desire to possess it. If you truly desire riches, remember that the real leaders of the world have always been people who harnessed, and put into practical use, the intangible, unseen forces of opportunity. Leaders are the people who convert those opportunities into cities, skyscrapers, factories, transportation, entertainment, and every form of convenience that make things easier, faster, better, or just make life more pleasant.

If planning to acquire your share of riches, don’t let anyone put you down for being a dreamer. To win big stakes in this challenging world, you must catch the spirit of the great pioneers, whose dreams have given to civilization all that it has of value. It is that spirit which serves as the life-blood of our own country- your opportunity and mine, to develop and market our talents.

A burning desire to be and to do is the starting point from which the dreamer must take off. Dreams are not born of indifference, laziness, or lack of ambition.

If the thing you wish to do is right, and you believe in it, go ahead and do it. Never mind what “they” say if you meet with temporary defeat. “They” do not know that every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success.

Marconi dreamed of a system for sending sound from one place to another without the use of wires. It may interest you to know that Marconi’s “friends” had him taken into custody, and examined in a psychiatric hospital, when he announced he had discovered a principle by which he could send messages through the air. Evidence that he did not dream in vain may be found in every radio, (and television set, cellular phone, communications satellite, and every other “wireless” device) in the world.

Fortunately, the dreamers of today fare better. Today your world is filled with an abundance of opportunity that the dreamer of the past never knew.

Tony’ thoughts:

Wow, isn’t this perfect for today’s tough times! I love people like Marconi. It is a great reminder that if we come up with an idea, it makes sense that other people will not understand it or believe in it. If they did, they would have come up with the idea themselves. Henry Ford went through the same thing as well as most inventors. When ever you do something new, you will undoubtably get many people telling you why it won’t work or why no one will care for it. How would “they” know? They never did anything like what you’re doing. It’s like walking up to a homeless person on the street and asking them their advice on how to become successful. Not the best person to ask. So surround yourself with people that have an open mind. People that don’t have to know what your doing but are open to new ideas and can give constructive help.

I would highly recommend taking the paragraph about Marconi and posting it to your mirror so you can start your day off with this great example of believing in yourself and staying the course. Giving up  is easy everyone does it.

I also love the the title of this section I selected – The Power of Dreams.

Because I truly believe:  “Everything starts with a dream and all your dreams in life can come true – just as long as you don’t oversleep” – Tony Clark

Please share this will all your family and friends. And please share your experiences with me. Thanks! God Bless and keep on keeping on…

Shortcuts to Success #4

Well here we are in 2012. Time to get to work and make things happen. Even though times are challenging for a lot of people right now, there are still opportunities out there. I want this blog to be a positive stimulator for you.
This week I’ll be taking excerpts from the all time greatest success book: “Think & Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. There is an enormous amount of information in this book. I will be taking several pieces each week and bringing them to you. This is a must must read for anyone in any career. I wish it was mandatory reading for every high school student. It would make a huge difference in the world. I know it has helped me tremendously and I know it will do the same for you. I’ve also included one of my favorite stories from the book. Enjoy!

Thoughts are Things

Truly, “thoughts are things”. And powerful things, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire for their translation into riches, or other material objects.

Psychologists have correctly said, “When one is truly ready for a thing, it puts in its appearance.”

Three Feet From Gold
One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when you are overtaken by temporary defeat. Every person is guilty of this mistake at one time or another.

During the gold-rush days, an uncle of my friend R.U. Darby was caught by the “gold fever” and he went west to Colorado to dig and grow rich. He had never heard that more gold has been mined from the thoughts of men than has ever been taken from the earth.
After weeks of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery of the shining ore. He needed machinery to bring the ore to the surface. Quietly he covered up the mine and returned to his home in Williamsburg, Maryland. He told his relatives and a few neighbors about the strike. They got together money for the machinery and had it shipped.  R.U. Darby decided to join his uncle, and they went back to work the mine.
The first car of ore was mined and shipped to a smelter. The returns proved they had one of the richest mines in Colorado. A few more cars of that ore would clear their debts. Then would come the big killing in profits.
Down went the drills. Up went the hopes of Darby and Uncle. Then something happened. The vein of gold ore disappeared! They had come to the end of the rainbow, and the pot of gold was no longer there. They drilled on , desperately trying to pick up the vein again – all to no avail.
They sold the machinery to a junkman for a few hundred dollars, and took the train back home. The junkman called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little calculating. The engineer advised that the project had failed because the owners were not familiar with the “fault lines.” His calculations showed that the vein would be found just three feet from where the Darbys had stopped drilling. And that is exactly where it was found!
The junkman took millions of dollars in ore from the mine because he knew enough to seek expert counsel before giving up.

Tony’s Thoughts:
I love this story because it illustrates to very important points we all need to keep in mind as we push ahead in our careers. First, keep going even when we encounter temporary adversity and, seek out expert advise. This is the biggest downfall in magicians today. For some reason they don’t see the value of hiring a director or consultant to push there act or show to the next level. Like in this story, they’ll spend a lot of money on “machinery/props” put don’t put a dime into a consultant or director. On a weekly basis I see videos of acts that are Three Feet from Gold! It is a real shame. If they only knew or read this book. They’re so close but yet so far. Please share this with everyone you know. Good magic is good for all magicians. Thanks and talk to you soon! Remember…

 

Everything starts with dreams, and all your dreams can come true, just as long as you don’t oversleep – Tony Clark

Shortcuts to Success #2
Again I chose an excerpt from the book: “A Whack on the side of the Head.” By Roger Von Oech.
Staying creative in the entertainment business is vital. So, I wanted to give you a little extra push to get you into the New Year. Enjoy!
…By changing perspective and playing with our knowledge, we can make the ordinary extraordinary. In this way, wine presses squeeze out information, string is transformed into nanoseconds, labor grievances become symphonies, and bicycle seats turn into bulls’ heads. The Nobel prize winning physician Albert Szent-Gyorgyi put it well when he said:
“Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.”
Thus, to be more creative, all we need to do is “look at the same thing as everyone else,” and then “think something different.” Human beings have been using their imaginations in this way since the beginning.
-The first person to look at an oyster and think “food” did this.
-So did the first person to look at sheep intestines and think “guitar strings.”
-And the first person to look at bacterial mold and think “antibiotics.”
-And the first person to look at the Internet search queries and think “advertising medium.”
Do you have this creative power?
Well, if you’ve ever used a pen as a weapon, or a potato as a radio antenna, or a t-shirt as a tourniquet, or dried leaves as toilet paper, or a phone book as a booster seat, then the answer is a resounding “Yes!”
Tony’s thoughts:  I love this section because it really makes us realize we are all capable of being creative. I think of creativity like a muscle. You have to use it or loose it. Personally I find when I start creating ideas for others, it also stimulates ideas for myself. It’s like getting jump started if you will. Another great way to stimulate creativity is having deadlines. I get really jazzed on a set of a TV show or Movie when I have to come up with ideas on the spot to make the scene work for the director. I believe the adrenaline rush of the urgency raises our minds and energy to a higher level. The mind is filled with more information than we’ll ever need. So all we need to do is stimulate it out of our little heads. Another thing that works for me is driving long distances like going from my home in Los Angels to Las Vegas or to Lake Tahoe. Since I’ve done these drives many many times, my subconscious mind is relaxed and I find that my creative thoughts start flowing more than when I’m in my busy office or around people. Meditation is also a good way to stimulate creativity. Reading books like “A Whack on the side of the Head” or any other positive books is a great way to stimulate the creative juices.
On a recent radio program I heard that Steven Spielberg likes to watch several old films to get him into the “creative zone”. Music also is a great stimulant for creativity. So figure out what gets you into the “Creative Zone.”  Then start using it as often as possible and you’ll get better at it. Like anything else especially in the magic or entertainment business or any other business for that matter, the more you do something the better you get at it. Who knows, you may even come up with an idea that will save lives or make millions of dollars! It’s been known to happen! Why not you!
Have a great Holiday and talk with you next week!
“Remember everything starts with a dream. And all your dreams can come true, just as long as you don’t oversleep.” – Tony Clark

Keep magic clubs alive!

Just returned from a lecture tour in the east coast. It’s always a learning experience doing lectures in different parts of the country and world. The thing that amazes me the most is that at the end of the lecture, I open the floor to questions about anything from the business of magic to specific things I covered in the lecture. It’s rare to have more than one or two questions. I believe it’s because there are not many young magicians in the clubs. Most are older and attend the lecture for the entertainment value and that’s fine BUT it concerns me because without new young magicians, how can our art keep growing? There needs to be a conscious effort to attract new members and keep them. Here are some ideas:

-Be sure to have activities at every meeting. Either a lecture by a pro or one of the members as well as perform a trick night. The main thing is to have activities that are fun and helpful. Make sure you have a schedule of upcoming activities so members have something to look forward to.

-Open house: Choose a meeting night to invite young magicians to sit in on a meeting to see what it’s like. If there is a SYM in the area or a boys & Girls club invite them. The main thing is to get youngsters interested in magic.

-Membership Drive shows: Set up shows at local libraries or schools and hand out information about your club. If you can get at least a few new members a year, it will keep the clubs going.

-Publicity campaign: Now with social networking the high cost of advertising is no longer a problem. At the very least make sure your club has a Website and Facebook page that people can find and go to.

A final note: Be a giver not a taker. Some people go to clubs to see what they can get out of it. It’s better to think of what you can do to help rather than what you will get. Always taking drains the well. And giving always ends up coming back to you one way or another.

So let’s keep magic alive by bringing in new blood!

Tony Clark - www.tonyclarkmagic.com

 

 

Making sure that we as magicians keep doing great shows so people want to see more. This will have a snow ball effect.

The opposite is also true, bad news travels fast so please do your best all the time.