Mexico City, December 14, 2022.— Juan Pablo Neira, a famous magician, illusionist, renowned speaker, and specialist in corporate presentations in Latin America, visited our universityfor an event hosted by Panamericana Graduate Studies, where he spoke to students about magic and how it can be applied to different areas of life.
Juan Pablo Neira
Taking the floor, Dr. Santiago García Álvarez, rector of the Mexico campus of the Universidad Panamericana , said: “The entire graduate school experience is enriched, complemented, and enhanced by the many activities that take place around it.” Following this reflection, he described the experience of pursuing a graduate degree and then introduced Neira’s lecture.
The Power of Magic
At the start of his presentation, Neira outlined a theory that states that to imagine, you must take on four fundamental roles: the explorer, who explores new challenges; the artist, who sketches ideas on the canvas; the judge, who evaluates ideas to determine which ones can move forward; and, finally, the warrior, who defends his ideas.
He then spoke about how important the arrival of magic in his life had been and the things he discovered through it: “First, magic is a game that plays out in your imagination; second, I found that we all possess our own magic and have the right to believe in our own dreams; third, I discovered that magic is the power we have to transform.”
Speaking further about magic, he added: “That fantastic word, that fantastic philosophy, that fantastic possibility for life”; he then mentioned the five fundamental elements that define it: motivation, attitude, people, innovation, and action.
Regarding motivation, he said, “For me, motivation is starting your engine.” After offering this definition, he explained to the audience that starting this engine requires the right attitude, and that what drives that attitude is people: “People are the reason for our existence.” He also noted that we must constantly innovate, as this is important for thinking and acting well.
The Importance of Believing
According to Neira, the most important aspect of the conference was making it clear to attendees how important it is to believe: “To create something new, you have to believe—believe in yourself, in your team, and believe in order to create.”
Finally, he offered five pieces of advice to the audience: “The first piece of advice is to think big; the second is to define your act and turn it into an experience; the third is to build trust—make your audience part of the act; the fourth is to execute with innovation — there’s always a better way to do things; my final piece of advice is to find your secret—what’s your magic?”
