Planes,Trains, and Automobiles

Oh what a beautiful MORNING, oh what a beautiful day!!!On the road on the road on the road. This will be  my week.

 I have three speaking engagements lined up back to back to back. Believe it or not, each one involves (in no specific order), riding on a train, a plane, and an automobile. No joke. Mississippi, Kentucky, and Louisiana, all southern States all with different audiences and different messages. It's times like these that I thank my lucky stars I'm alive and able to see a new day.

Which brings me to this thought. Do you know, that anything is possible if you believe it to be?  When you look in the mirror, I hope you see possibilities staring back at you. It is so much fun when you believe in yourself and know that you can write your own destiny. Never stop believing in yourself. You are your greatest investment. Now get out there and move mountains!!

Nicole

Honesty: It really is the best policy

When I was in middle school and high school all I wanted to be popular. Sometimes I found myself acting like another version of myself. A version I didn't really like, and neither did other people. I secretly was desperate to be cool.

Once I graduated and headed to college I was in for a huge surprise. I learned very quickly that I didn't have to try so hard. I realized I didn't really need to play a different version of myself. What I learned, was that I could just be me, be honest, and whatever people saw was what they saw. In other words, this was me, and if you like it GREAT, if not, no worries. We didn't need to hang out.

As time went by, it became easier and easier to be myself and love myself. Was I cool? Did I hang out with the popular kids? In a way, yes. Being honest with myself and other people made me feel good and I was my owe version of cool. The people I met and became friends with were people I wanted to be around and in my mind, they were really cool/popular.

Being the honest version of myself right off the bat was and sometimes still is, a little tough. Think about it, being honest when meeting a complete stranger can be a little nerve racking. I mean, in a way, you're being completely vulnerable, and as I said in a earlier post, that can be pretty scary.

Honesty is a double edged sword. It can be a good and bad thing. So let's focus on the good. Being honest can make things a little smoother. It can also give you a better piece of mind. Remember, not everyone you meet is going to like you, accidents are sometimes your fault, and, drumroll...for the mother load, YOU ARE NOT ALWAYS RIGHT. That's a hard one.

My point is, be you, love you, and be honest with yourself and the world around you. Because you know, honesty really is the best policy.

Nicole

I see it

Sometimes, its ok to let your imagination run free.

Nicole

SLEEP

It's obvious, last week was a bust for blogging anything. Last week I was in a short film that shot from sundown to sunup. Meaning, I had to stay up all night the day before shooting so I could sleep all day the next day in order to be alert that night. Little did I know, but those two days of staying up, completely messed with my sleep schedule for the rest of the week. It hasn't exactly been a walk in the park to get back on my regular routine either.

So friends, I apologize for my lack of posts last week, but now you know what was the cause. I'm not sure how these different individuals in the movie industry do it. I really don't know how anyone out there that works a sundown to sunup job does. Let me just say, I commend all of you. Job well done.

Today is Monday February 22. This marks the beginning of my regular sleep pattern coming back and also an unofficial "GREAT JOB DAY,'' to folks who work the all night shifts. Hats off to you! 

Nicole

Do a Grouch a Favor Day

I was having the hardest time trying to figure out what I was going to write today. Then just for grins, I searched online to see if there was any holiday that was celebrated on February 16. To my excitement, there is. So everyone out there, happy Do a Grouch a Favor Day.

Apparently, on February 16, we celebrate this day by doing something nice for someone to get them out of any funk they might be in.

According to http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun/do-a-grouch-a-favor-day  , here's how we celebrate:

How to Celebrate?

• If you see someone who is grumpy, do something nice for them. Something as simple as a cheerful greeting and a smile can make someone’s day.
• If you know of someone who is having a hard time, make their day by taking them out for lunch or treat them to their favorite dessert.
• Be cheerful, remember happiness is contagious and your cheer may just rub off.

Did You Know…

…that Sesame Street, a children's TV show, has a number of characters called the grouches? Grouches are always grouchy and unhappy and live where there is trash.

Spread some good vibes and pats on the back to those  that look like they're having a grumpy day. Be nice, and secretly send them grouch be gone thoughts. You may just be able to turn their frown upside down 😉

Nicole

Valentine's! ❤️❤️

Nicole

It's a sunny day ☀️

"Actions speak louder than words." 

"Don't give up so easily."

 " Learn from your mistakes."

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

 

Nicole

Music is a great cheerleader

Motivation Friday!

"You're a  shining star, no matter who you are

Shining bright to see what you can truly be
That you can truly be "

 Earth, Wind, and Fire

Drake



" Just hold on loosely
But don't let go
If you cling to tightly
You're gonna lose control "
38 Special


"For once, once in your life
Won't you do what feels right
Instead of waiting for the next big compromise "
Butch Walker And the Black Widows

"Even if it's all you know just keep your heart in
Anyway to keep it up just never let yourself down"
Blood Orange

"Anyone that needs what they want, and doesn't want what they need
I want nothing to do with
And to do what I want
And to do what I please
Is first on my to do list"
Gnarles Barkley

"I'm a shooting star leaping  through the sky
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity
I am a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva
I'm gonna go go go
There's no stopping me "
Queen

" Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until your dreams come true "
Aerosmith

Nicole

Attitude is everything

 I was on the phone with my aunt this morning and during our conversation we were discussing how throughout our life, we each go through ups and downs, highs and lows, and we also encounter situations we really don't want to be in. There are also major events that happen in our lives that will completely change us forever. Events that we can repress, and stay in a funk, or accept and let it be our drive. She then expressed to me how it's all about your attitude.

This I believe to be true. It's all about attitude. We have to make decisions in our life based on the choices we make. The good AND the bad. Trust me, I speak from experience (chuckle).

Here is a very important lesson. At the end of the day- get over yourself.

Look, throughout our time on this earth there will be a multitude of things we wish we could have done, had, or re-do. We all have things that are not perfect in our lives. 

Want not perfect? A bad idea I attempted then walked away from left me with a brain and spinal cord injury. Things will never be the same. My life is different now, and guess what? It's not the end of the world, and I've accepted it. I'm making the most of it instead of annoying people with my trials and tribulations.

STOP THE EXCUSES!

You make the choice to choose what your life looks like.  ATTITUDE is everything

Nicole

Right here right now.

 Let me throw a little music knowledge your way. In 1990 the group "Jesus Jones" came out with the song "Right Here, Right Now".  It's been 26 years since that song came out, during that time it has been used in commercials, video games, and played in gyms nation wide to help pump up clients. 

I love the chorus: 

I was alive and I waited, waited

I was alive and I waited for this

Right here, right now, there is no other place I wanna be

Right here, right now, watching the world wake up from history

A seven years later they came out with "The Next Big Thing". Different song, different lyrics, different chorus. 

Chorus:

I am waiting for the next big thing

Bring it on quick time to me

I tap my fingers to the same old thing

And dream of better things to see

I couldn't tell you what path it comes by

I couldn't tell you if it's plain to see

I couldn't tell you if it's gonna change the world

But I hope to hell it's gonna change me

Now, I don't think Jesus Jones won any grammies or huge billboard awards, but from their lyrics and music, they gave you a feeling that living for now and being alive was pretty awesome. At least, thats my interpretation.

The 90s definitely had their own unique sound when it came to music, but there are a few rare gems such as Jesus Jones to remind us it's all about what we do "Right here, and Right now."

Nicole

Birthday slacking

On Tuesday February 2, 2016, I celebrated my birthday. Woo hoo, another  year in this world!

No lie, I've slacked off a lot this week on this blog. My my mind has been on celebrations, work, and Mardi Gras! 

That's right, it Mardi Gras time everyone, and because it's Mardi Gras season, and I'm sure many of you have birthdays coming up, I give you this. Celebrate, yes. Absolutely celebrate, try not to let your celebration spill over into the "slacking mode". It's extremely easy to do, and when it does, enjoy, just don't allow yourself to get stuck there.

Happy Birthdays to all, Mardi Gras, and super bowl 2016!!!

Nicole

Vulnerable

It's extremely hard, extremely hard, to be vulnerable. Before my accident, I was someone who enjoyed their privacy. I didn't enjoy changing in front of anybody backstage when I was in a performance.

Unless I felt completely comfortable, I didn't enjoy people really getting to know me. Hiding it with jokes helps a lot. Ironically, I also crave attention. In my own way, secretly, I was a bit of a private person. Basically, I preferred to give/let  you know just enough of who I was,  and that was it.

When I fell, all the vulnerability and privacy I possessed were extremely compromised. Since I wasn't able to move a muscle in that hospital bed, I would have multiple nurses that I've never met before, have to undress me, give me a shower, see parts of my body that I kept unseen to the rest of the world. I was now in a position where I was extremely vulnerable.

Do you know that we are  in control of our own emotions? Some don't have as much control, but whatever circumstances you find yourself in, for the most part , we as human beings are in control of our own emotions . We decide if were are going to let something make us happy, sad, mad, excited, etc.

The feeling of someone, a complete stranger , being in complete control of bathing me, dressing me, feeding me, seeing all of me, well...it isn't the best. I was vulnerable and felt completely powerless. Until I made the decision for myself not to let something like this get me down. I was now in a position where I was exposed to the world, and I could embrace my situation, my vulnerability,  or feel sad and mad about it.

I'd say I lived in a negative thinking space for a little while and soon discovered I didn't want to be in there anymore. I'm vulnerable, so what? It's ok to let your guard down every once in awhile. It's ok to be vulnerable. We're humans, so we feel things. Vulnerability being one of them.

When I changed my outlook and thinking, I saw that things slowly began to progress. My thought was, I knew this wasn't forever, I knew I would need help from time to time. Things were different now. So, accepting it seemed like the right move.

I recommend accepting your vulnerability. Surprisingly, it's not as scary as I thought it be. Try it sometime.

Nicole