How are we doing? Ready to expand your mind? Ready to unleash your inner greatness?
Take a seat. Hold your hands out, fingers spread. Interlace them tightly, thumbs crossed on top. Bring your hands up like a prayer and point your index fingers toward the sky. Separate them about an inch and imagine magnets pulling them together—closer, tighter—until they touch.
When they meet, keep them there. Focus on my voice. Then release and shake your hands out.
This isn’t about me. It’s about you. Your thoughts create your reality.
A study once claimed the odds of being born are one in 400 trillion. Later, researchers recalculated—it’s one in 10 to the 2.6 million. Essentially zero. Yet here you are, for a reason.
The Balloon Lottery
Let’s bring a few of you in. We’ll toss this balloon into the audience. If you catch it, stand and shout the day of your birthday.
29th… 7th… 30th… 16th… 4th… 22nd.
You on the 22nd—what’s your name? Amber? Come join me on stage.
Since this balloon left the stage, I haven’t touched it. It’s passed through random hands across the crowd. Before the show, I placed a folded piece of paper inside before inflating it.
Shake it—you can hear it moving inside. Take this pin and pop the balloon.
Inside is a lottery ticket. Read the numbers aloud: 4, 7, 16, 29, 30, and the Powerball—22.
Turn it over and read the note written on the back.
“Good luck, Amber.”
Hold it up for everyone to see. You never know—this might be your lucky day.
The Coin Game: Choices and Influence
Everyone, find a small object—something you can hide in your hand. A coin, key, or piece of paper works. Once you have it, stand up.
Hold your object behind your back in the “neutral” position—between both hands. When I say go, place it in the hand that feels right and bring both closed fists forward.
Go.
If I said “right” twice in my instructions, you probably chose your left hand. If your object is in your left hand, sit down.
For those still standing, take it behind your back, mix it up, and bring it forward again.
You’ve made it further than most. You’re proud—and maybe trying to be clever by keeping it in the same hand. If it’s in your right hand now, sit down.
Language influences decisions. Words shape choices. Those left standing are the hardest for me to influence. Let’s find our champion.
You—come on stage. What’s your name? Rachel.
Rachel, take this coin. Behind your back, choose a hand and bring both fists forward. Look me in the eye. I’ll ask, “Is it here?” You say no—twice.
Is it here? No.
Is it here? No.
That second “no” was too quick. You were covering the truth. It’s in your left hand.
Round two. Behind your back, choose again. Bring your hands forward. You went left the first time—play however you like.
Turn toward me. As a matter of personality, I think you switched. Open your right hand. Correct again.
Final round. Left, then right. I think you’ll go left again—but not because it’s obvious. Open your left hand. Three for three.
Give her a round of applause.
Rachel, since you came on stage, you made three distinct choices: left, right, left. Before the show began, I wrote a note. Read it aloud:
“You will go left, right, left.”
Exactly your choices.
Reading the Mind
Let’s use imagination. Picture yourself at home, reading your favorite magazine. See the cover—make it one that doesn’t exist. Turn to a random article, focus on a word that stands out, six or seven letters long. Have it? Raise your hand.
You—what’s your name? Jake. What word did you choose? Women.
That says a lot about what’s on your mind—strong, powerful women in the room. Thank you.
Next, toss the Frisbee. You—Joseph. Come on up.
You’ll help me with a thought experiment. Take one of these magazines—Consumer Reports, Time, or The Economist. Choose one. Time? Great.
Open to a random article. Avoid ads or images—find full paragraphs. Hold it close so I can’t see. Once you’ve found a page, glance at one interesting word. A big one. Got it?
Close the magazine and set it aside.
Even if someone looked over your shoulder, they’d never know your word. You caught the Frisbee at random. Let’s find the word in your mind.
Grab my wrist—firmly. Imagine your word written across a whiteboard. Follow my hand as if reading it. Don’t resist, just move with me.
It’s longer than five letters. You’re fighting me a bit, which tells me you’re guarding something. Let go. Face the back of the room. Don’t look at me.
The word starts with a… G?
No? Wait—your earlier word started with G. What’s the word from the magazine? First letter—U?
Interesting. I can feel it now. You looked at a word among thousands. You didn’t say it, just thought it.
What was the word?
Greatness.
He caught the Frisbee—and thought of “greatness.”
The Power of Connection
That’s synchronicity. Some moments are meant to happen.
Joseph, come back up. You said this was your fifth year at the Summit of Greatness and your dream was to stand on this stage.
Dream achieved.
Join me and Lewis on stage—let’s celebrate that connection.
Exploring the Mind
Let’s go deeper. Sit with your feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands in your lap. Turn your right hand palm up, your left palm down.
Imagine a heavy bowling ball in your right hand and a thousand helium balloons tied to your left. One hand sinks, the other lifts. Eyes closed. Breathe in as one rises, breathe out as the other falls.
If I tap you on the shoulder, open your eyes and stand.
Now—open your eyes. Some of you felt your hands move. That’s the mind’s power to influence the body.
Hypnosis Demonstration
What’s your name? John.
Look at your right hand. Focus on your palm. When your eyes blur, close them. Take a deep breath and sleep—deeper, deeper, fully relaxed. Stand steady but rooted.
From this relaxed state, your subconscious opens. Creativity, focus, clarity—all within reach. When I count to two, you’ll wake up feeling alert and refreshed.
One, two—eyes open.
That’s your mind’s power at work.
Shared Connection Experiment
Three volunteers, please. Close your eyes and face the back. If you feel a light tap, remember where.
Now open your eyes. Where did you feel the touch?
On your nose?
But I never moved from this spot.
Our minds are more connected than we realize.
Let’s test that again—Lewis, you’ll be the sender. Jay, the receiver.
Jay, roll this die a few times. Each time it lands differently. Now roll it under your hand so even you don’t know the number.
Lewis, close your eyes and put your fingers in your ears. Focus. Some people see answers. Some feel them.
You can open your eyes. What number did you sense?
Two.
Exactly right.
The Glass Walk
On America’s Got Talent, I proposed an act they called too dangerous for TV. I thought it would be perfect for the Summit of Greatness.
Volunteers, come up. Gloves on, glasses on. Examine the glass—it’s real, sharp, untumbled.
Lewis, test it. Real glass? Yes.
Before AGT, I battled Lyme disease for three years. Some days, I couldn’t get out of bed. I went from performing around the world to not being able to walk downstairs.
I learned the hard way: our work isn’t who we are. Our health comes first. And even when you feel broken, there’s a strength inside you greater than any obstacle.
That’s what this act represents.
I’ll lie face down on this bed of glass. Lewis, place one foot between my shoulder blades, one beside my head.
[Pause. The crowd reacts.]
That’s real glass. And I’m fine.
Because focus—pure focus—can change reality.
Closing Exercise
Sit comfortably, feet flat. Close your eyes.
Bring awareness to your face—your cheeks, forehead, eyelids—completely relaxed. Feel the calm move down your neck, shoulders, arms, chest, and legs.
Now recall a beautiful memory—a moment filled with joy and love. Feel it completely. See it, relive it, embody it.
When the feeling peaks, squeeze your thumbs inside your fists. Hold it.
Choose a single word to represent this feeling—your personal anchor. Say it silently. Squeeze your thumbs again. Each time you do, those feelings return instantly.
From now on, whenever you need calm, focus, or strength—close your eyes, squeeze your thumbs, say your word.
That’s your superpower.
Change your thoughts, and you change your life.
I’m Max Major.