One word 2009-09-26
I’m curious, if you summarize everything you believe into one word, what is it?
For me, it’s love.
Please share your thoughts here in my blog. I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say!
Niko
The Crazy Ones 2009-09-23
Have you seen the Apple computer commercial, "The Crazy Ones"? Very moving. My favorite commercial of all time.
Are you one of the crazy ones?? Join us here…
www.thecrazyones.me
"Here’s to The Crazy Ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." ~ words of the commercial
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They imagine. They believe. They see. They invent. They create. They explore. They inspire. Yes, they are crazy – how else could they stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
They are so visionary that they are blind to impossibilities. They see so many solutions that they do not believe in limitations. They have “Yes” faces and “Can do” attitudes. History has shown us that the crazy ones believe so strongly in something not yet tangible that they are even willing to sacrifice their own life to see it come to pass.
What is that I ask? It’s rooted in the human spirit and it’s so deep that it’s beyond words. It’s like love. You cannot define it or contain it or quench it.
I identify with "the crazy ones", they are the ones that move me, the ones that leave an impression on me, they are my heroes. I aspire to be as them, crazy enough to believe that I can change the world.
Are you one of the crazy ones?? Join us here…
www.thecrazyones.me
Niko
P.S. Feel free to copy, forward or quote anything I have written.
People in the video, in order of appearance – Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Branson, John Lennon (with Yoko Ono), R. Buckminster Fuller, Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Ted Turner, Maria Callas, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Martha Graham, Jim Henson (with Kermit the Frog), Frank Lloyd Wright and Pablo Picasso.
Which of my songs do I enjoy most? 2009-09-20
Someone wrote me today and asked, “Which of your songs do you enjoy most? Are there any that are more special because they have cost you more (emotionally) to compose them? Some that are more sentimental?
My reply:
Although I obviously feel connected to every song I’ve ever written, I am most drawn to my darker/melancholy material. Here’s a list of the songs that are deepest to me…
Shame
The Exodus
Angel Rising
The One
Put Away The Gun
The Special One
These songs can be downloaded for free here www.nikoonline.com/free-songs
For The Special One go here www.nikoonline.com/the-special-one
Leave your thoughts about which of my songs you enjoy most. I always enjoy reading what others think and feel.
Niko
Good Reminders! 2009-09-18
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of Cleveland, Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
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Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
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When in doubt, just take the next small step.
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Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
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Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
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Pay off your credit cards every month.
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You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
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Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
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It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
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Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
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When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
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Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
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It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
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Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
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If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
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Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
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Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
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Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
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Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
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It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
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When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
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Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
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Over prepare, then go with the flow.
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Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
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The most important sex organ is the brain.
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No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
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Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
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Always choose life.
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Forgive everyone of everything.
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What other people think of you is none of your business.
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Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
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However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
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Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
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Believe in miracles.
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God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
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Don’t audit life.. Show up and make the most of it now.
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Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
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Your children get only one childhood.
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All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
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Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
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If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
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Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
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The best is yet to come…
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No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
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Yield.
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Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”
Patrick
Patrick Wayne Swayze
(August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009)
(August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009)
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I always felt a connection with Patrick Swayze, perhaps part of it was that he was from Houston (very close to where I grew up). He died thsi week and I feel very sad. I won’t even begin to try to express all the thoughts and feelings I’m having. But I will say… May we enjoy each day for as special as it really is. May we live with no regrets. May we love, feel and give with all of our hearts. And may we be true to who we are and why we are here. Patrick, we will miss you, thank you for all that you gave to us, we will never forget you. Rest in peace.
I invite you to share your thoughts in honor of Patrick.
Niko
3 Principles To Live By 2009-09-07
I would like to ask you for your advice.
From your experience in life, share 3 principles you feel we should all live by.
Post them here in my blog so that others can see them and learn from them too!
Niko
Joy TV Commercial
Check out the TV commercial I did for “The Joy of Sedation Dentistry”! I get tackled by a football player! It was a fun day! : )
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Did the football player really tackle you?
A. Yes. : ) 7 times actually because we did 7 takes.
Q. Did it hurt?
A. Yeap! : ) Had some bruises.
Q. Who is he?
A. Anthony Herron. He played NFL (Pro football in the USA) for the Detroit Lions.
Q. Is Joy your song?
A. Yes.
Here are some fun photos from the set!
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Touch 2009-09-05
I have been thinking about touch and how it is the most valuable of all the human senses which can be given or received. Why? Because it cannot be duplicated. Sights and sounds can be sent across the internet. Sights, sounds, smells and tastes can be sent through the mail. But touch can only be experienced face to face. An affectionate kiss, the warmth of a hand, the comfort of a loving hug – these cannot be duplicated. It is one of the most sacred things we will ever experience in our life and it is as precious of a commodity as time. Touch is a gift that we too often withhold and too often shun. I will look for it with more awareness and I will give it more freely.
Other thoughts on this subject…
We live in a world where touch has become more and more rare. We’re afraid of people, germs, dirt, etc. It’s a world we’ve created for ourselves.
I was thinking, my grandfather and I have had hours and hours of talks (more in the last 10 years than before) but the amount of time we have touched is very limited…maybe 10 minutes worth of touching in the last 10 years if I total up all the hugs that occur when we meet up and all the moments when we get close for a photo. That’s absurd! It should not be like this! Even if it’s 30 minutes or if it’s one hour, one hour of touching across 10 years of time?? What lie did we buy into on that one?!?
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What if when we are together with our families we held hands more? What if we kissed each other on the cheek more often and not just out of habit but actually with feeling and meaning? What if we held each other in a hug for 1 minute solid instead of the usual quick 3 seconds? I think the reason we don’t is because of pride – fear (what they will think of us) and judgment (what we think of them).
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Today a friend told me “A few weeks ago I was at a friend’s house and we were working out. We were both sweaty and her daughter woke up and came in a saw me and ran up and gave me a huge hug. She did not even pay any attention to the sweat, she did what she felt in that moment. When and why do we lose that!?” We have become so afraid of what people think, it controls our actions. And we have all these cultural codes. All of this makes life more and more sterile and as a result we feel less and less alive, we slowly die inside, our once warm beating hearts become like dry cold stones.
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The good news is that we have the power to change things in our life and if we are breathing then we have the gift of touch. I plan to use that gift more often than ever before.
Please share your thoughts here in my blog, I always enjoy reading them! Also, feel free to copy, forward or quote anything I have written.
Niko
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