John Graham

Kids are really, really good at memory. Why? Because they use their imagination. I'm 38 years old, and my imagination is as good as any seven-year-old.

Kids are really, really good at memory. Why? Because they use their imagination. I'm 38 years old, and my imagination is as good as any seven-year-old.

I wasn't born with a gifted memory, photographic memory, anything like that. It was all learned. As a child, I was very, very shy, reserved, cautious. So I thought, I'm going to win Grandmaster of Memory. So I trained for like four months, signed up for my first competition. My heart is pounding out of my chest and I bombed. I completely bombed in that competition.

I wasn't born with a gifted memory, photographic memory, anything like that. It was all learned. As a child, I was very, very shy, reserved, cautious. So I thought, I'm going to win Grandmaster of Memory. So I trained for like four months, signed up for my first competition. My heart is pounding out of my chest and I bombed. I completely bombed in that competition.

Every moment of your life that you've ever pushed away, that you couldn't handle, it's still inside of you. It's suppressed. I was having panic attacks every single day, multiple times a day. That's when I learned it was an emotional root issue.

Every moment of your life that you've ever pushed away, that you couldn't handle, it's still inside of you. It's suppressed. I was having panic attacks every single day, multiple times a day. That's when I learned it was an emotional root issue.

So how can I go in front of 400 million people and memorize 700 different things without collapsing to the ground? It's because...

So how can I go in front of 400 million people and memorize 700 different things without collapsing to the ground? It's because...

Yeah, I was working a boring cubicle job in Denver for a bankruptcy office. I mean, how much more boring can you get, right? And I read an article about this book called Moonwalking with Einstein. And the subtitle is what grabbed me. It's called The Art and Science of Remembering Everything. So it was a book. It was a moment that grabbed my soul. Like it was a divine moment.

Yeah, I was working a boring cubicle job in Denver for a bankruptcy office. I mean, how much more boring can you get, right? And I read an article about this book called Moonwalking with Einstein. And the subtitle is what grabbed me. It's called The Art and Science of Remembering Everything. So it was a book. It was a moment that grabbed my soul. Like it was a divine moment.

I went to Barnes & Noble. I bought the book. I read the book. So I was 27 years old at the time. I wasn't born with a gifted memory, photographic memory, anything like that. It was all learned. I took this book, I learned some techniques that involve visualization, imagination, connections, linking, making stories. And I just went all out and I started learning like this was real.

I went to Barnes & Noble. I bought the book. I read the book. So I was 27 years old at the time. I wasn't born with a gifted memory, photographic memory, anything like that. It was all learned. I took this book, I learned some techniques that involve visualization, imagination, connections, linking, making stories. And I just went all out and I started learning like this was real.

Like people could literally memorize decks of cards. Within seconds, I ultimately was able to memorize a deck of cards in 21 and a half seconds, like 52 cards in order, just to show you what's possible, right? So I just took the book and ran with it. And then years later, I became three-time champ, grandmaster of memory, international performer, all from that, just learning how to do it on my own.

Like people could literally memorize decks of cards. Within seconds, I ultimately was able to memorize a deck of cards in 21 and a half seconds, like 52 cards in order, just to show you what's possible, right? So I just took the book and ran with it. And then years later, I became three-time champ, grandmaster of memory, international performer, all from that, just learning how to do it on my own.

I wanted to be somebody. I wanted to be someone that everyone looked up to. And this was sort of an avenue for me. I thought, wow, I could be like a grandmaster. People will be in awe at what I do. I mean, it's funny because that's what happens now, right? People are in awe. It's not my motivation now, but yeah, it's, I shattered my belief that I had a bad memory when I read that book.

I wanted to be somebody. I wanted to be someone that everyone looked up to. And this was sort of an avenue for me. I thought, wow, I could be like a grandmaster. People will be in awe at what I do. I mean, it's funny because that's what happens now, right? People are in awe. It's not my motivation now, but yeah, it's, I shattered my belief that I had a bad memory when I read that book.

Because it is. It's just that it's a belief, right? We know how powerful beliefs are. But many of us don't know the alternative. We're not shown an embodiment of a person or someone who does that to know that it's possible. That's why this day and age is so powerful because we can pull up YouTube or this podcast and see, oh my gosh, that's possible. And that opens so many doors.

Because it is. It's just that it's a belief, right? We know how powerful beliefs are. But many of us don't know the alternative. We're not shown an embodiment of a person or someone who does that to know that it's possible. That's why this day and age is so powerful because we can pull up YouTube or this podcast and see, oh my gosh, that's possible. And that opens so many doors.

So we're in a very... wonderful time. And that's what happened to me. That book just shattered everything that I knew. I thought photographic memory was a thing. I thought, you know, eidetic memory was a thing. It's not. It's largely a myth, believe it or not. It's on TV. We watch too much TV and movies to be convinced of all these things, right? So I learned what the mind wants.

So we're in a very... wonderful time. And that's what happened to me. That book just shattered everything that I knew. I thought photographic memory was a thing. I thought, you know, eidetic memory was a thing. It's not. It's largely a myth, believe it or not. It's on TV. We watch too much TV and movies to be convinced of all these things, right? So I learned what the mind wants.