Motivational Speakers San Antonio

12/10/2024

“Let’s face it; space is a risky business. I always considered every launch a barely controlled explosion.” — Aaron Cohen, NASA.It was 28 degrees on that fat...

12/09/2024

With 72,000 thoughts a day, it’s a given that most of these thoughts are not always pleasant. Take every thought captive. You don’t need to think about what you think about.

12/06/2024

Have you ever wondered why people get over the loss of a loved one, job, or tragedy faster than you do? My best college course was a class in Gerontology. We examined the five stages of grief (Kubler-Ross model). I learned a lot from that course and over the years I have found what helps me not just with tragedy but with any bump in the road. Of course, my faith and prayer help but I use what I call a "grief clock."

When I try to rush the grief process it only prolongs it. The calendar is your friend, do not rush it. Each day gets a little better. Sure there can be regression and some days are worse than others but let time be your friend. Focus on gratefulness and name the things or people in your life who are still here. We cannot change the past and we do not know the future—focus only on the present. Let the Grief Clock work for you.

10/14/2024

Do you ever complain? I don't mean just out loud but silently, too. I know I do. Lately, it has been about traffic and crazy drivers. Complaining (especially about things that are out of our control leads to anxiety. It is also contagious. Want to know a quick fix? It's being grateful. Next time you feel yourself complaining, name a few things you are grateful for. You cannot complain and acknowledge what you are grateful for at the same time. It is a positive and a negative which are opposite like a magnet. Try this next time you become frustrated.

09/23/2024

Success or failure? Depends on perception.
I drove to Leadville Colorado and made It to 13760 ft of the highest mountain in Colorado (Mt Fuji is 12388). Got 02? Started in the dark through about 3 miles of forest. Spooky and alone in the woods with no bear spray. There is a lot of uphill elevation and I read about people quitting once they get to the treeline and looking up at the mountain.
Made lots of noise and came out of the tree line at sunrise. That 3 miles was a hike and fake news to compare to what was ahead. It was all up from there steep, but class 1 moving. I had bottled 02 but never used it (Pros and Cons using it). Best I can describe it is struggling to breathe with every movement. When resting at high altitude you should not feel this way unless you are suffering from
accute mountain sickness. The remedy is to move lower immediately.
I met some neat people going up. It got to the point I was taking rest breaks every 15 yards or so. I felt I had acclimatized before but guess not enough. There are two false
Summits on Elbert and I was just below the first one at 13760. I sat there and prayed and talked to some going up. One young girl I met before was coming down and she said she tapped out for the second time just 0.2 miles to go. She had stashed her backpack at the tree line and was only carrying a small bottle.
I sat there and it was a coin toss. I knew if I made it to the summit I would be returning to the TH at night. Out there it’s completely black no light pollution at night. My perception then and there was failure but someone made it clear to me later I had set my personal PR. Once again a different perception from
another human. My only competition is myself. I met a fellow believer otw down and that trip down was no picnic like I imagined. He had seen me earlier and told me flat out, I had made the right call. I knew I had made the right decision. I thank God for His Grace. So many things can go wrong on any mountain. My fear of heights was still there but nothing like Guadalupe Peak.
Today both shoulders are raw from backpack straps. I carried lots of water but never used it all. I am breathing at 10000 feet like back in Texas now since I went up and came back down to sleep at a lower elevation.

Trivia: The song Rocky Mountain High by John Denver was never about drugs. It actually was not played by some radio stations. It was about John and some friends camping out in the Rockies. The fire in the sky chorus was a meteor shower seen in dark skies. There is something magical about high altitude and mountains

09/15/2024

Back in Indianapolis for Cresline’s annual meeting—an interactive talk on perception and how it affects our decision-making. Mind-blowing mentalism magic and content. Let the mind games begin!

08/31/2024

I made the summit of Texas's highest peak but it was the hardest challenge of my life. This is not a class 1climb! I had all but quit because of dehydration. I brought 4 liters of water and electrolytes and still not enough. Families were being rescued this week and another guy was also having severe cramps following me. We had agreed to notify the park rangers of whoever made it down first. Aside from one couple going up to the campgrounds —I was the last climber left on the mountain. God came through lots of prayer. I never knew I would be scrambling to the top on all fours—so many cliffs and edges. One seasoned climber said this climb was harder than Mt Elbert in Colorado. The photo below is just one ledge of the climb. I have a severe fear of heights (acrophobia). I gave up but I didn’t. I was stuck on a ledge with cramps so bad I couldn’t get up. As I sat there on that ledge I had 3 fears running through my mind.

1) Fear of Death

2) Fear of heights (ie death)

3) Fear of failure

I had decided to go down as soon as I could safely stand up.

As I was looking down the slope for a way down, I see a nice couple (from Dallas) climbing up.

They sat beside me and first told me to turn around then said “but you are so close.”

That did it.

Only ten climbers all day and most of the day I was alone. When I arrived at 0630 there was only one car in the parking lot. Uncanny for a week before a holiday.

Never stop challenging yourself. You only have one life on this blue rock. We were not born to just stay in one rut. I’m still not over my fear of heights but the more one is exposed

To a fear—the less it has a stronghold on us. God orders our steps—we need to do the walk. Pushing through life’s obstacles is seldom easy. Just enjoy the journey. Thank you Jesus. Psalms 32:10

Takeaways:

1) Don’t let others set

limitations for you. We all have a mountain.

2) Fear is an emotion and emotional decisions are mostly unreliable.

PS: Check out the DPS rescue video from here. Being sick or injured in the wilderness is no joke.

08/28/2024

It is said the mind always gives in before the body wears out. Emotional decisions are unreliable. Keep pushing before closing that door. Learn more at your next annual meeting.

08/23/2024

Perception of Reality is an illusion—Albert Einstein

08/23/2024

08/18/2024

Think about what you think about. What do you think about? Humans have about 70,000 thoughts per day and make 35,000 decisions. Are your thoughts positive or negative? If most of your thoughts are negative it does not have to be this way. Take every thought captive (Apostle Paul). Is it gratifying or demeaning, positive or negative? Do you ever wonder why a thought comes out of nowhere for no unknown reason? The subconscious stores all these along with every experience. You do not have to be negative, you choose to be. Replace each negative thought with a positive one. Mind the perception gap each day by being alert to your thoughts! Learn more at your next annual meeting. 😎

07/25/2024

Go

07/19/2024

For years as a magician, I would see this posted but it seemed to mean if you believe the illusion is real, it is real. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying perception of reality (and time) is an illusion. We can never truly make another person believe anything because we are not them therefore we do not have their perception. If you are an atheist, I cannot make you believe there is a God but that does not mean He does not exist, only He can make you believe (if you believe the Bible is real). (Acts 13:48).

This applies to politics, food, sports, spouses, children, etc. For those in your camp who share your beliefs, you never have to convince them. We associate with those who believe what we do and distance ourselves from the rest. Read the quote below again and think about what it means to you.

07/15/2024

Your Next Event Part 1

As a meeting and event planner, you have so much on your plate. Having worked with event planners for over 20 years, I have learned some simple techniques that may seem obvious on the surface but are often neglected. It does not matter if you are a veteran meeting planner or just a rookie, these techniques from a mentalist point of view will help you keep your present clients and help gain future ones just from word of mouth.

The first and most important rule is to know your audience. Even if your client has been with you for many years, this event is brand new and things change. Sometimes what you don't know about someone tells you everything! Dig, dig, dig then dig some more. Know the company and what its mission is. Is it sales, marketing, or IT? As a speaker on perception, I can normally read a person in less than 10 seconds once I meet them. Not, meeting them I have to apply perception techniques. We are all born with this ability. Focus only on the client and the ones attending the conference including the CEO. I do this whether I am hired as a mentalist entertainer or speaker, it is 100 percent about them and not me. Stay tuned for part 2.

07/10/2024

You focus and watch the magic of understanding happen!

07/05/2024

Well, it's Friday, do you feel motivated? It is human nature to want something. The problem is once we get it, that "want" eventually wears off, and it's on to the next fix. Being driven is different because motivation is based on emotions. Being driven applies to goals and lasts.

06/28/2024

I discovered from taking off from running my situational awareness has weakened. I used to know when a car was coming up from behind me even without hearing it. Even at night I just knew when danger was lurking in the shadows. You know this perception from being in a parking lot where you know when someone is behind you etc. We are all born with this perception but like anything else, you need to use it to strengthen it. When I was a police officer, this perception surely saved my life without my knowing it. Police officers call it “blue sense”. Spiderman calls it “spidey senses.” Next time you are out, train yourself by just honing into this intuition we all have been given. See you on the trails!

06/21/2024

I started out delivering newspapers when I was 12. My first real job journey began the next year at age 13 when I rode my bicycle to a restaurant named Shoney's. I walked in and asked the cashier to see the manager. Mr. Davis walked to the front entrance and I immediately asked him if he needed any help. He looked at me for a second and all he said was "come back next summer." The following summer at age 14 I did go back and once again asked for the manager, Mr. Davis. I told him "I was here last summer and you said I should return now." He brought me outside to a tool shed and handed me a sickle which does what a w**d eater does but is 100 times harder. It was like 1000 degrees and I felt like I was on Karate Kid 1. Long story less boring, I did what he told me and the following day he had me outside again working. After two days he brought me inside for more testing and finally, I was working busing tables in nice air conditioning.

This is not meant to be a walk to school in 5 feet of snow story. The point is

I was motivated but motivation never lasts because it is emotion-based. I wanted to give up the first day. Sure I needed the money but it was more than that. The only kids I knew working at age 14 were working in to***co fields. I wanted something different, something unique. It's not because I was better it was because I was driven. I was being driven to do what I was determined to do. I believe God puts a desire in all of us. You can call it goals but I think it is more than that. Sometimes we achieve what we desire easily and other times it's a mountain climb. If you are stuck in a rut, take a breath and just be still amidst all the chaos. If you have faith, pray, if not concentrate on what you truly want to do, what you enjoy doing, and if you have to work harder than anyone else, do it. Remember, if it's meant for you, the desire will not go away.

06/20/2024

What are you dreading doing today? Come on, we all have "chores" that we have to get done. You know it's true and you can fake happiness all you want but there are just some things we hate doing. Whether is mowing the lawn, going to the dentist, present employment, etc. Welcome to Chores Perception. It is not just accepting and moving on but completely focusing on the task and nothing else. You see the conscious mind can only focus on one thing at a time while the subconscious is always ready to act, good or bad. It's the habit robot portion of the mind. Today, focus on the one thing you have to get done and only that thing and watch the magic happen! Learn more at your next Texas conference. 😎

06/19/2024

What happens when you are in a room when a negative person walks in? All the energy is sucked out. Everything is energy. Light attracts light and negative people attract negative people (energy). Negative thoughts are stored in your subconscious. There is a perception gap that you always need to monitor.

The way to overcome this bad habit is to replace the negative with positive. When you find yourself with a negative thought and speak, change it to a positive one even if you do not believe it! That's right—your subconscious has no edit switch and doesn't know the difference between a positive and negative. Learn more at your next conference.

06/14/2024

“As in water, a face reflects a face, so is the heart of a man to a man” (Proverbs 27:19) Have you ever wondered why when smile amongst strangers, the majority smile back? Think of a yawn, you yawn another person yawns. It is called social mirroring and I have used this same principle in magic and mentalism. This can even work subconsciously! You are thinking, I am not a magician so why do I need to know this? Well if you are never around any people, you don't. However, if you want to use this principle to move a person where you want them to go psychologically, it's real magic.

This can be used as verbal or nonverbal communication. Combine the two and you have a one-two punch. Next time you want someone to agree with your point of view, subtly nod your head after (yes) after making a statement. For example, "It's a nice day today isn't it?" This is just one example, body language can also be used as social mirroring. Stay tuned for more mentalism secrets.

06/13/2024

Perception! "A leading study by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer took groups of men in their 70s and 80s and encouraged them to perceive themselves as being 20 years younger. After only 5 days, these men showed several physical changes associated with age reversal." Deepak Chopra
We are what we focus on!

06/11/2024

The greatest fear is the fear of failure. It's not a question of if but when.

06/10/2024

Have you often wondered why time seems to pass you by—especially as you get older? This is because your brain takes fewer pictures each day you are alive. Our minds seem to focus more and more on the past also. When we do that, we miss the present entirely in which it becomes the past. It is a vicious cycle over and over until we begin by focusing on the very moment.
It seems so simple, does it not? That is because it is. The problem is your mind will not do this automatically. It is constantly racing back and forth from the past to the future which usually causes frustration and anxiety. It is the what if game of the future and the why did I of the past. Focused perception is the medicine and doing it constantly and consistently is the remedy.

06/07/2024

Looking for a job or career? You better read this! Very interesting article. Looking back, I am very thankful I have worked in the government and military. Now I am doing what I want to do which is business speaking to share what I have learned in a changing world.

The initial social contract that created loyalty was broken by the employers, not employees.

06/06/2024

The mighty F word. Jeff Bezos says "I have made millions from my failures." The subconscious stores everything. If you think you are going to fail, guess what? Yup, you will. Positive words (even if you don't believe them) will set the wheels in motion.

06/05/2024

How to present a Keynote Speech or Presentation

You have probably at least once in your life been asked to give a speech or a talk. It may have been in high school, club, or work. One of the biggest fears in life is public speaking. I truly know that feeling. I will talk about that a little later. For now, this is just a short guideline of how to go about a keynote presentation.

Okay, first of all, there are no rules for presenting a keynote. You can read tons of books and go out and bomb anyway. There are no guarantees and I certainly know about bombing. I bombed a lot and even wrote a little book about my transitions from magician to speaker. 😬

Once you know you will be standing and presenting in front of classmates, coworkers, or clients you need to start preparing immediately. Sit down and start writing. An outline is best (I now just use a script because I use props and my talks are interactive). I do not speak from the script; it is only there in case I forget something.

Start first with the main idea. Everything centers around this main topic. Imagine an umbrella and the main idea at the top. It doesn’t matter how your outline will look as long as you have a way of listing the main idea and what supports it underneath. Say for instance your topic is cars. Just like writing a short narrative, you will have the introduction, body, and conclusion. For the introduction or opening, I like to open with a joke or a little story. A joke doesn’t have to relate to the topic but a little story does. Don’t hesitate to add notes to your outline. It doesn’t have to be your final. I think you get the idea.

Once your outline is done you will need to practice, practice, practice. Some say not to practice in front of a mirror because you won't be doing that in real-time. It may sound silly but you can place stuffed animals on a couch and speak to them. Make eye contact and move to another critter every 2-3 seconds. Don’t practice the entire speech at once but break it into segments.

Okay, what are the things that keep the audience attentive? Stories, stories, and more stories. If you are a good storyteller, you will be a natural. If not, don’t worry. Just practice as you talk to your friends. Anyone can tell a story but to make it interesting, make it short and try to add some humor if you can whether the story is somber or not.

Once you get near the end, let the audience know that you are almost finished. You may say in conclusion or lastly etc. All that is left is your standing ovation. Okay maybe not but it will so be refreshing to be done and let the adrenaline rush subside.

Well, that is about it. Just get out and do it! You will be nervous, all are. Don’t try to contain it, use it by channeling it into your enthusiasm and you will be fine! See you on the stages!



Giani Cano

Magician to Speaker: How I Did It

06/04/2024

It's sad how animals have to set an example now.

Send a message to learn more

06/04/2024

The word 'time" is the most commonly used word in English. Do you ever feel you don’t have enough time? The more advanced our technology becomes, the less time we have. Everyone is rushed today because time is relative. We have been given time so everything doesn’t happen at once. Everyone experiences time differently depending on where their focus is.

Take the International Space Station for example. Astronauts age slower on the space station than we do on Earth. This is called time dilation. Without movement, there is no time. They are traveling at 5 miles/second.

Want to have more time? Live every moment in the present. When you intensely focus in the present, your brain slows down your perception of time. Albert Einstein said our perception of time is an illusion. Einstein compared it like this: spending time with a pretty girl for one hour seems like a minute, whereas putting your hand on a hot stove for one minute seems like an hour.

Try living every moment in the present (zero time). Your mind will shift constantly to the past and future. Bring your mind back into the present and wait for the real magic to kick in.

06/03/2024

"Memory is short-lived, and many of us just aren’t that engaged in the everyday things we’re doing, so if you slow down, engage more in the moment, and look back on everything deeply later, you may find time lasting longer."
Santosh Kesari

06/03/2024

A Hebrew, a Christian, and a Muslim walk into a bar. We have all heard jokes like this─some offensive some just playful.

Lately, Allah has put in my path several Muslim believers. Now you probably stopped at the word Allah and immediately had an emotional response. I bet you immediately only associated the word with the Muslim faith. Did you know Arabic Christians also refer to Allah as God? It means God. Words that trigger emotions trigger chemical processes in the brain to be disturbed.



The Muslims I had contact with were students, athletes, and even royalty. Being a Calvinist, I had many heated debates, even arguments with Christians as well as atheists. Instead of trying to convert (you can’t) or argue, why don’t you discuss the commonalities and move on? This applies to any subject. But since we are on religion─ let’s start with what a Muslim and Christian have in common:

1) There is only one God.

2) Jesus (Yeshua) is returning and it won't be pretty.

3) There are moral absolutes and a price to pay when we violate them.

Takeaway: Remember to listen to another’s point of view before injecting yours.

If I offended anyone who doesn’t believe in a creator, well then, all one can do is pray. I respect your unbelief as well. 😎

06/01/2024

I use different examples of how people perceive problems through their eyes only during my decision-making perception presentations. What do you see when you look at this drawing? By the way, this drawing is over 100 years old and has stumped psychologists worldwide.

Do you see a young flamboyant woman? or

Do you see an elderly woman?

Every person sees the world differently. Human perception can be an asset or a problem. Preconceived bias, failed and flawed concepts, and negative thoughts are stored in the subconscious and unless we mind the perception gap constantly, we will continue to make the same mistakes over and over.

05/31/2024

Giani Cano-Keynote-Corporate Meeting. Content plus fun makes better learning.


www.VegasMagicLive.com

05/31/2024

Perception of Reality is an Illusion—Albert Einstein.

05/29/2024

When is the Best Time to Make a Decision?
The greatest gift you have been given in this life is the ability to make a decision. You make 35000 decisions every day, 200 on food alone. Some are life-threatening decisions. Some can lead to financial ruin or marrying the wrong person.
Have you ever thought about the best time to make a decision?
After working the graveyard shift for 24 years as a police officer I can tell you it's not on that shift. Try handling a major crime scene at 3 a.m. and do it with little sleep.
The answer is the morning. No matter what your hours are the brain is sharpest in the morning. Even if you are a night person, it makes no difference.
Results of just one study made by Inc.com:
1. In the morning, all players made slower and more accurate decisions.
2. By midday, all players hit a plateau.
3. In the evening, all players made faster and more risky decisions.
One simple takeaway:
Need to schedule a meeting, do it in the morning.

04/22/2024

Enter these doors to unlock your mind.

04/18/2024

Good morning New Jersey!

04/17/2024

My ride is here. Only in New Jersey. 😀

04/17/2024

Finally made it to New York. Speaking at the NJ-GMIS conference tomorrow. Let the games begin.

04/03/2024

Teaching Psychology today.