Posts Tagged ‘bj harris’



Jul21

What are you scared of?

By Harris III | 2 Comments

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”   - Helen Keller

I love that everyone thinks it’s awesome that my wife, Kate, and I are “willing to go travel the world” and do missions work.  But so many times, the “I think that’s awesome” comments are followed by, “I could never do that.” And if you try to determine why they think that, it almost always boils down to comfort and security…

“It’s just too unsafe.” Baloney. (And that’s to put it nicely.)

The chances are good that READ ALL

Jul14

My Future Competition: Jordan the Great!

By Harris III | 8 Comments

Not long ago, I received a Facebook message from someone who had seen our show in Roanoke, VA, and had bought one of our magic sets.  It included a video that almost made me cry.  It’s pretty long, and you may not have time to watch Jordan’s entire show, but you HAVE to take 60 seconds out of your schedule to watch the first minute of this video.  I promise, you’ll smile.

It’s videos like this one that make me realize the value and importance of illusionism.TV.  Magic is awesome for kids, for so many reasons, and I can’t wait to see what kind of aspiring magicians are born out of such an exciting project!  If you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to take a look.  It’s child friendly, safe and secure, and your kids will love it! Check out the site, and learn magic tricks now: http://illusionism.TV

But first, you’ve gotta see this:   READ ALL

Jul12

What I’ve learned from Social Media (A “Free Show” Update)

By Harris III | No Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I made an urgent request for help.  We found ourselves in quite a pickle, after violence sprung up in Thailand, and our tour there got cancelled last second.  (Click here to read about that.)  So rather than sit around for a month or two, we decided to go out and use our talents, and serve anyone who was willing to let us show up and do what we do.

I’ve been blown away by how people responded so immediately!  Everyone started tweeting, re-tweeting, posting to Facebook, making calls and sending emails, and before you know it, we had plenty of opportunities and invitations to make a huge dent in our July & August schedule.  We’re even going to Nicaragua for a week…more on that in a later post.

There are still a few dates left, and we’re still making our “Free Show” offer available for July & August, so check out these dates, and get in touch if you’re willing to give us the opportunity to serve you!  (It’d also be a good time to consider one of ONLY 2 DATES LEFT during our 2010 Fall Tour, Mayhem & Misdirection.)

Honestly, I can’t believe what’s happening.   READ ALL

Jun23

Urgent Help Request #1: Free Shows

By Harris III | 5 Comments

Yesterday, I clearly explained a situation we now have on our hands due to a cancelled Summer tour.  If you missed it, I’d highly recommend you read that first, before reading this.  You can do that by clicking here.  For those of you who already know what’s going on, and came back here today to pitch in and help out, THANK YOU!!!  I’ll jump straight to the point…

For the next 30 days, I’m offering free shows! Is there a catch?  Of course!  Isn’t there always?  ;-)  Keep reading… READ ALL

Apr26

Muskegon, MI: A Series of Unfortunate Events, & How You Can Help

By Harris III | 2 Comments

Hi Friends,

We’ve loved seeing and meeting so many amazing people over the past month on our variety show tour, “Sens de Vie.”  We have one weekend left!  This weekend, (as you can see on our Tour Schedule), we’ll be in Crawfordsville, IN, Muskegon, MI, and Eldora, IA.  We can’t wait!  But we really, REALLY need your help…I have a HUGE request.   READ ALL

Apr14

What I think about other magicians…

By Harris III | 6 Comments

Not long after I first launched this blog, I shared my honest opinion about Criss Angel. People always ask me what I think about him, so I told them.  Since then, I’ve shared more than one of other opinions I have about a lot of things.  I’ve also learned a lot along the way, mainly that one’s opinion usually doesn’t matter, and that sometimes, sharing it doesn’t do much more than push people’s buttons.  I enjoy pushing people’s buttons, but pushing them for pushing’s sake…well, what’s the point in that?  That’s stupid.  And yes, I’ve already admitted that sometimes I’m stupid.

Though I’m not always good at it, I’m more interested in encouraging others to think, and motivated by the potential of influence or change. So here’s an opinion that will hopefully influence a few others to consider getting over themselves, and making a better attempt at being who they were actually created to be.

My opinion:  READ ALL

Apr8

My Failing Career, and the Illusion of Success

By Harris III | 12 Comments

What if I told you that I fail repeatedly?  I don’t mean in the whole “I’m an imperfect guy who messes up, just like everyone else, blah blah blah…” sort of way.  I mean literally, I’m currently a failure.  I know, after reading all of this, some of you would love to argue and debate about how “failure” isn’t the best word, or how in the process of failing “financially,” I’m actually winning spiritually.  I get that, and know what you mean, but let’s go back about 15 years, and I think you’ll get what I’m trying to say. Even if I fail at expressing and articulating it.  ;-)

When I was 9 years old, I got a magic set for Christmas from my grandmother.  Not at all what I asked for, but that’s what I got.  Turns out, it changed my life.  When I was 11, I got paid $25 to do my first “real” show.  By 14, I was traveling, performing for schools and churches, and even at all kinds of public and private parties and events. By 16, I got my first cruise ship gig, performing on a big boat back and forth from the Carribean.  By 18, I was making almost $200,000 a year.  By 25, I had made a million dollars in my lifetime.  And I had wasted every penny of it.   READ ALL

Mar23

Lives changed by magic…

By Harris III | 1 Comment

In this day and age, it’s rare to get mail from real people. And when you do, it’s even more rare that it’s hand-written.  Today, I cleaned off my desk, and rediscovered some hand-written letters that have come in. As I read through them, I was once again blown away that God actually uses something as crazy as simple magic tricks, performed by an incredibly imperfect guy like me, to actually impact people’s lives.  Here are a few excerpts from recent letters…

Recent Letters

In a child’s handwriting:

“Dear Mr. Harris, The story you told us about following your dream really inspired me.  I learned that I need to follow God with my dream.  God has given me the dream of being a doctor in poor countries in Africa.  The only problem is that I’ve been trying to follow it my own way, not God’s.  Your story taught me a big lesson that I will never forget.  Thank you!”

From a teenager:   READ ALL

Mar12

Ever been hit in the crotch with a Deck of Cards thrown at lightening speed? I have…

By Harris III | 2 Comments

Back in January, I performed for a group of about 5,000 teenagers at a conference called TCTC.  Let me simply say that in live performances, especially if performing for kids or teenagers, you never know what’s going to happen.  Enjoy one of the most painful moments I’ve ever experienced while performing live on stage…   READ ALL

Feb15

“We would do more events if…” Really??

By Harris III | 5 Comments

This past weekend, we had the honor of partnering with 88.3, a radio station based in Springfield, MO. They did a Valentine’s Day event for their listeners, and we had an absolute blast performing for a PACKED house.  It was a really, really fun event for us, and is probably the 4th or 5th radio station we’ve partnered with here in the U.S.

This morning, my assistant Beth got the following email in her inbox from Ben Birdsong, the Station Manager. It was completely unsolicited, and 100% unexpected:   READ ALL

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