This Saturday is special for two reasons:

First, I'm the headlining act at the Chicago Magic Lounge. (Tickets available here.)

And second, when I wake up on October 1st, I will have been alive for 30 years.

30. FREAKING. YEARS.

Age has always terrified me. The thought of getting older and not achieving my dreams keeps me up at night. There's always the faint ticking of my biological clock to keep me focused and working at a frantic pace.

Being alive for 30 years hasn't been easy. I've faced heartache and heartbreak, loss and uncertainty. But I've seen myself slowly grow into the person I've always wanted to be.

I see myself as many things...

I'm an artist. I don't particularly care for magic any more. Fooling people doesn't interest me. But I am fascinated in how I can use mind reading to connect with people and tell a story. Which means...

I'm a writer. I love telling stories, whether through words or onstage soliloquies or video. Everything I do revolves around story. My favorite story is the one where...

I'm a husband. My wife is a wonderful, enchanting woman who is constantly inspiring me to be a better man. She supports me in all I do and believes in me, even when I don't believe in myself. But that doesn't keep me from knowing deep down that...

I'm a dreamer. I have big, lofty goals and I'm not afraid to shout them from the rooftops. My goals haven't changed since I was very young. They've only been refined over time. My biggest dream is the one about how...

I'm more alive than ever.

I take the stage and a crowd silently waits in anticipation. My voice booms loudly over the crowd and people lean in to better understand me. The dream fades out as I share my deepest thoughts with the audience.

Then I wake up.

And I realize that's not a dream any more. It's really happening to me. I'm getting to do what I always wanted and I love every second of it.

With every ounce of my being...I'm alive.