Energy In, Energy Out

I'm not a spiritual person. So this isn't woo-woo advice. 

But over the last year or so, it's something I've shared with many people (especially magicians I've worked with). 

Their minds are always blown - and they adopt this philosophy going forward.  

This is the secret... 

Energy In = Energy Out

This is one of the best lessons Brad Chrisitian has ever taught me. 

He didn't know how to define it exactly - but he always talked about energy. 

As a young buck, I ignored him. Energy is just a feeling, it's immeasurable... Or so I thought. 

However, he would never make decisions based off cost or time. That was a restrictive attitude that wasn't contributing the right "energy".  

• He would hire people based off energy, not skill. 
• He would book expensive locations because they were cool. Despite the cost. 
• He would order 3 things off the menu to try a little bit of all of them. 
• He'd gladly pay $10,000 to 'get the shot' that other people wouldn't bother to get. 

(Sidenote on that last reference: Peter McKinnon once asked Brad if he would pay for Pete & Madison to smash up a hotel room. That $10,000 was the 'fine' to film the Rounders trailer back in the day. Something that probably contributed to hundreds of thousands of dollars of deck sales - as well as Madison & Pete's hard work). 

Intentions Matter

This whole 'energy' thing can be distilled down to your intentions & attitude contributing to your outcome. Or as others call it... Luck. 

Last week, we flew to Ireland with the right energy and were shocked at how many great performances we got. 

The right energy means... 

• Being loose & not restrictive with your decisions. 
• Being willing to change your plans & roll with it. 
• Not letting a failure drag you down, or even trying to frantically correct it. 
• Having enthusiasm towards the adventure, regardless of the outcome. 

I have countless examples of penny-pinching and stressful situations that just got worse. The negative energy drags you down. 

Conversely, I have countless examples of saying yes to a crazy idea purely because it's cool - and ending up with a far more positive outcome. 

In NYC last year, before we filmed Unreal Card Magic, we said yes to the most expensive thing on the menu and a few cocktails each. Before any work had been done. We started that project (technically) with a loss. 

We lost hours of potential filming time & lost hundreds of dollars of future profit by being irresponsible. 

I said to Ben... "Energy in, energy out. If we start this trip with good intentions and a non-restrictive attitude, good things will come our way." 

And they did. 

We were rewarded with the opportunity to meet some great people, share some amazing magic & create a wild project that some customers are calling "life-changing".

A project we are all very proud of. 

When we flew back to NYC a few months later, we went back to that same restaurant. They saw the trailer on Kickstarter, remembered us, gave us free starters & a free dessert each. 

I could give COUNTLESS examples of this kind of care-free attitude and how it's resulted in crazy good luck.

This way of thinking just works

Again, this isn't an attempt at indoctrination into my new religion. Not one bit.

This is just a way of saying you get out what you're willing to put in - and when it all feels like it's going wrong, just say "f**k it." 

If you tense up, you'll chase things out of desperation and that will keep you on a downward spiral. Like ironically swimming deeper and deeper in search of the shore.

If you get loose - and open yourself up for opportunities, you'll be surprised at how many good things will happen to you. 

• Say yes to that detour, even if it makes you late. 
• Say yes to upgrading that rental car - if it looks cooler. 
• Say yes to the 5-course 'tasting menu' and slap it on a credit card - it just may be the highlight of your holiday. 

I used to be very black & white in my decision making until I tried this kind of thing for myself. So please let me know in the comments how it resonates with you, or if you try it, how it impacts your life.