What’s is your full name?

Nicholas Ulysses Papasideris. Niko is simply the Greek nickname for Nicholas.

Where were you born?

Houston Texas! I came out with cowboy boots on and a rope in my hands. Just kidding! Actually, the typical “Texan” stereotype is not so accurate. Not everyone has boots and a cowboy hat. : ) But I will say this, I think there are more pickup trucks in Texas than there are in the whole world combined!!! Texans love their trucks!

What are some important childhood events?

Family. I was very loved by both of my parents and I am so grateful to have grown up in that kind of environment. I was protected, provided for and nurtured. And as an adult, I can see the fruit of all of this in my life.

Playing. My brother and I played outside all the time! I also used to play outside alone. I would sometimes go and have a picnic alone in our chicken coop with the chickens! : )

Responsibilities. I did many chores around the house and outside of the house and I also working at my parents restaurant.

Travel. My family went on summer vacations most every year. It really helps you see the world with a much broader view, especially travelling to other countries. My travels to Greece at 3 and 5 affected me in a very deep way, in ways that I would not come to understand until I was in my latter 20’s.

Spirituality. I was raised with a great spiritual awareness, with far more emphasis on spiritual things than earthly things. Faith hope and love were at the foundation of my upbringing and are the solid ground I stand on today.

What are some interesting facts about your life?

MUSIC

In September of 1989 at the age of fourteen, in a single afternoon everything changed! I was at a friend’s house and he was playing a popular love song on his keyboard, I asked if he could teach it to me. Within a couple of minutes I had it down and in that moment something unexplainable happened inside the depths of me – I immediately said "I can play! I can play!! I can play the piano!!!" From then on, I began practicing six and eight hours a day! All I wanted to do was play the keyboard! If I couldn’t play at least 6 hours a day then I would become very sad. When I was headed somewhere with my family, I would take my little keyboard and sit in the back of the car and practice, practice, practice…all day and into the late hours of the night I would practice! It was all I wanted – my passion, my love, my desire, my future! I didn’t care so much about girls or dating or parties or most of the things that my peers were into, everything other than music just seemed like a distraction. As the years went by, I began to sing and then singing became as important to me as playing the keyboard. Eventually I tapped deeper into my gift and began composing full songs. It’s been an amazing journey and I am blessed to be able to share my gift with the world! I give thanks and honor to God for my gift of music.

TRAVEL

I have always loved to travel! I have travelled to Europe much over the last 10 years with a emphasis on Greece. My father is from Greece and in 1998 I decided to get much more in touch with my roots. I am glad I did. It has opened up many more parts of myself and has helped me understand and see things about myself that I did not before. I have also lived on the Hawaiian island of Maui for 2 years and that too did change my life! It’s such a magical place, unlike any place I have ever been.

DIET

You are what you eat. Your body is the container of your soul and spirit so be sure to guard it well. Keep it healthy by getting good rest, by exercising and by eating healthy foods. When I was a teenager I said to myself "I will never be overweight!" and I have lived up to my promise. The key is just being conscious every day of what you put into your body. And drinking lots of water. 

Can you tell me one thing about yourself that others may not know?

In my lifetime, I want to live in many countries, maybe a dozen or more! I’d like to spend a year or two or three in each one. I love culture. I love seeing how other people think and live and eat and enjoy music and drive and communicate, etc. It helps me see everything with a much more open mind. It helps me think outside of boxes and certain cultural codes. Just when you thought there was only one way to do something, you go to another country and you realize that they do it totally different there. With so many things there is no wrong or right, it’s just personal preference.

What inspires your music?

Life!

Most of my songs are written out of experiences in life. It might be the laughter of a child, a friend in need, pleasant or painful memories, dreams, happiness, frustrations. Nature. I took a walk with my dog Magic and by the end of the road I had written a song for him, haha. Traveling, very much so. Being in other places far away stirs things up in me – the sights, the smells, the sounds of another culture and land. Sound inspires me. I will hear something like a car engine cranking up or the horn of a train or the wind blowing through the trees and it will actually inspire a melody or lyric or chord progression in me. Also, just sitting down at my piano inspires me. Most every time I sit to play, something fresh and new comes out. Sometimes it’s a song while other times it’s an idea or a melody that later becomes a song. Lastly, I must say that the hope of my music touching the world inspires me deeply. It is important that we as humans always have hope in our heart for through hope we find inspiration to fulfill our destinies.

What are some important adulthood events?

Having loved someone. It opened up so many parts of me that I had never seen!

Living in other places and spending time in other places that I was not familiar with. It has had immeasurable positive effects on my life.

Becoming friends with people in other countries. It has taught me much about love and patience and has also helped to broaden my perspective in so many ways.

Completing my album titled Love. It was a very long journey but I stayed committed and after 3 years it was finally complete.

Deciding to give my music away for free and then gaining fans around the world as a result of it.

Performing live in another country and having a group of people sing along with me because they knew my songs from the radio. A great feeling!

Owing my own business. It has been lots of hard work and many sleepless nights but it has taught me much about life and has brought a sense of accomplishment that is different than any other I’ve experienced.

What obstacles did you have to overcome?

I have overcome fear and doubt a thousand times! I have never let go of my hopes and dreams.

There have been several times when I have cried because things seemed to be too much to bear but after releasing those tears I whipped them from my face and carried on.

I have overcome the obstacle of having little resources (time and money) to accomplish great tasks. The key was persistence, dedication, coming up with creative solutions and having a willingness to sacrifice things I wanted in order to obtain things I needed (what you want and what you need are often times two different things).

I overcame the obstacle of not letting society and systems dictate to me who I am and why I am here. I dedicated years of my life to seeking and searching for those answers and I began to find them. They are inside of each and every one of us.

What is the greatest thing you have ever discovered in your life?

Love. If you have it then it doesn’t matter what you don’t have, if you don’t have it then it doesn’t matter what you do have.

Where can people learn more about you and your music?

www.nikoonline.com (Get 20 of my songs for free)

Niko

Share your thoughts here in my blog.

Niko

Health isn’t merely the absence of disease or symptoms; it is a higher state of consciousness that allows well-being, creativity, and joy to flow into our experience. We are healthy when we’re able to fully digest everything we take in, extracting what is nourishing and eliminating whatever doesn’t serve us. This includes our food, our relationships, our jobs, and all our life experiences. Illness, in contrast, develops when there is a disruption ― a blockage in the flow of energy and information. Symptoms and sickness are the body’s signal that we need to restore balance, eliminate whatever is causing the blockages, and reestablish the healthy flow of intelligence.
 
One of most powerful ways we can influence our health is through our choices and interpretations . . . the food we choose, the relationships we engage in, the sensory input we expose ourselves to, and the daily patterns and rhythms of our life.

Timeless Healing Principles

By listening to our body and honoring its needs, we nurture our innate healing ability and move closer to experiencing a state of perfect health…

   1. Take time each day to quiet your mind and meditate.
   2. Each day eat a healthy diet that includes a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.
   3. Engage in daily exercise that enhances flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular fitness.
   4. Follow a restful sleep routine.
   5. Let go of whatever isn’t serving you, including stored emotional pain.
   6. Cultivate loving relationships.
   7. Find your unique gifts and talents and use them to serve others.

As you nurture yourself and practice the tools of spiritual awakening, you will open your heart to ever expanding levels of fulfillment. Even when you are surrounded by chaos, face a health challenge, or find yourself on a financial “detour,” you will discover that you can transcend outworn assumptions and create a life filled with wellbeing, happiness, and love.
 
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Leave your thoughts here in my blog.

Share this with others you feel it can benefit.
 
Niko

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:   

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
   

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
   

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
   

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
   

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
   

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
   

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
    

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
    

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
    

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
    

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
    

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
    

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
    

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
    

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
    

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
    

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
    

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
    

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
    

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
    

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
    

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
    

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
    

27. Always choose life.
    

28. Forgive everyone of everything.
    

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
    

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
    

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
    

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
    

33. Believe in miracles.
    

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
    

35. Don’t audit life.. Show up and make the most of it now.
    

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
    

37. Your children get only one childhood.
    

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
    

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
    

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
    

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
    

42. The best is yet to come…
    

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
    

44. Yield.
    

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

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

What makes you feel dissatisfied, unhappy, irritated, annoyed or off-track if you are not doing it?

What do I hate NOT doing? These were some of my personal answers… 

I hate not working out / exercising.

To say I don’t have time to exercise is just stupid because the honest truth is that I don’t NOT have time to exercise. I say that because exercising is TOO important. If I lose my health then what good are so many other things? What good is a great job, a profitable company, a beautiful family – what good are these things to me if I am unhealthy and sick and if I die young simply because I did not take good care of myself. Exercise has so many benefits – energy, longevity, physical appearance, etc.

I hate not working on music.

When I get too busy with working and with “things” and do not work on music, it saddens my soul, it grieves my being. Conclusion? Don’t work on music and slowly become a miserable human being. Or, work on music and be a happy human being. Simple as that. Why is it so black and white for me? Because music is not just something I do, it’s who I am. That’s why. It is not a thing, it’s alive. For me, ignoring music is the equivalent of a man ignoring his wife that he loves with his blood. Why would a man ever do that? It can only be because he has believed a lie, he has somehow become terribly jaded. So, I have to protect myself from all the distractions/lies that take me away from my music that I love with my blood.

I hate not travelling.

When I don’t travel I feel like I’m missing out on one of the most important things in my life. Why? I feel the world in my being and have a need to be in the world. I’m not talking about taking a vacation. I’m talking about being in a place and really BEING THERE. Feeling the people, taking in the landscape, eating the food, listening to the music and  language, watching the way people drive and interact and think and speak and act. Soaking up the culture as a whole. I’m the kind of person who will visit one place and stay there for weeks and absorb everything I can. It’s a deep and intense experience for me. It always changes me. It’s broadens my perspective. It reveals mysteries to me. It inspires me – to write, to compose, to travel more, to open up my mind… to live, to love.

I hate not living closer to the people I love – family and friends.

The solution? I suppose it was mentioned in the previous paragraph, I need to travel more! : ) I need to go and see them all more often, meet up more often, create more memories with them, show them how much I love them, let them love me back.

I hate not living closer to water / being closer to water more often.

I live in mountainous area. And it’s beautiful but there is nothing to me like being near the ocean. It does something for me that I should not even try to explain. The solution? Well, I could move, sure, but I don’t feel that that is what I am suppose to do at this particular time in my life, so that means I need to…. you guessed it TRAVEL! : ) Boy, it seems that NOT travelling can  have a serious negative domino effect on my life. I better keep a very close on this or else I will one day find myself filled with regret. Nope, I’m not gonna let that happen, I bet you that!

I hate not writing. 

For this answer, I’m going to quote the man who asked me this question to start with, Derek Sivers, “There are so many things I’ve learned that I think would help other people. Things I wish someone had told me sooner. Things that have made my life better, brighter, or wiser. I want to tell everyone these things before I die, in a well-explained way so they’re not misunderstood, and easy to pass on to others. And more new ones are added every week. So I have to keep writing to get them all out. Any day I’m not writing, I’m falling further behind in this goal, which I makes me feel worse.”

The good news…

I’m working on changing all these things in my life. What good would it do me to think about them in such detail and write about them and then not have a plan in motion to change them? I have a plan and am carrying it out RIGHT NOW, not tomorrow, TODAY. Today is what I have, THIS moment.

Asking the double-negative seems to be a better indicator of what I really love doing, than asking it in the positive.

Now, I’m curious, tell me some of the things you hate not doing. Share your thoughts here in my blog, I always enjoy reading them!
 

Niko

P.S. Feel free to copy, forward or quote anything I have written. : )

"Hey Niko, let’s do something about domestic violence/abuse. Anything, please."

I decided to share my response in my blog…

Niko

Я не могу объяснить, как понять все вещи через любовь, это – просто кое-что, нужно полагать, чтобы начать видеть и испытывать его правду и красоту в их жизни. Она оправдана её детьми, так что пойдите теперь, и смешайтесь с ними в области, съешьте фрукты её дерева, и вы должны видеть. Через любовь я говорю вам, что я приехал, чтобы лучше понять зародыш, младенцев, детей, мужчин, женщин, культуру, язык, коммуникацию, перспективную, хорошую, злую, лёгкую, темноту, правду, ложь, ненависть, обман, время, место, богословие, создание, цель, искусство, музыку, пищу, науку, историю, будущее, боль, смерть, жизнь, дружба, медицина, здоровье, болезнь, бедность, процветание, брак, развод, технология, свобода, человеческие чувства, вода, огонь, животные, цветы, цвета, и настолько больше.

Я полагаю, что в пределах глубин любви, живой истины всего создания и всей вселенной – вылечивают для каждой болезни и болезни, отвечают на каждый вообразимый вопрос, представления в другие измерения, отсутствие чувства времени и. Любовь – самая мощная сила всех и не может быть измерена, поскольку она бесконечна и вечна. Любовь – вещество, которые освещают, и правда сделаны из, и от её счастливой матки рождаются все достоинства.

Я полагаю, что любовь – всё. … всё, на что мы действительно надеемся и надеемся стать, всё, что мы ищем в этой жизни. Многие преследуют власть и деньги и секс и красоту и принятие и признание и известность и знание …, но по правде говоря чем каждым человеком когда-либо жить был и будет искать всё время – любовь, просто любить. Нет ничего большего чем любовь. Любовь – самая сущность жизни, и любовь – самая причина для жизни. Если мы имеем всё, все же не имеют любви, мы не имеем ничего. Аналогично, если мы не имеем ничего, все же имеют любовь, мы имеем всё. Без любви, мы умираем.

Я не являюсь прекрасным, ни всезнающим, ни всевидящим, но любовь является, и её кровь теперь течет через мои вены – чистка моего сердца и мнения, преподавая мне правда, изменяя мои глаза, ведя мои руки, направляя мою дорожку, защищая мое будущее и судьбу. Теперь, всё, чему я верю, – любовь. Я нашел её, и я никогда не буду когда-либо позволять ей идти.

Любовь – универсальный подарок в пределах нас всех, и это – самый большой подарок всех! Теперь, это – до каждого из нас, чтобы позволить нашему потоку действий дальше от этого подарка, это – кое-что, что мы решаем сотни времен каждый день. Все действия мысли, слова, и дела падают в одну из двух категорий: любите или эгоизм. Продумайте это в течение года или два или десять, и вы закончитесь как я, нет никакого промежутка. В каждую отдельную секунду наших жизней мы имеем выбор, чтобы действовать в эгоизме или действовать влюбленные.

Если вы желаете быть, кто вы действительно являетесь и выполняете вашу цель для того, чтобы существовать тогда, я говорю вам моего друга, надеюсь любить, преследовать любовь со всем, что является в пределах вас, энергия всё для любви, и вы найдете то, что вы знаете, что вы искали всё время. Закройте много отвлечений этого мира, выключите весь шум, закройте ваши глаза и откройте ваше сердце, смотрите в пределах самых глубин того, что вы были, и вы найдете её там … говорите с нею, изучите её глаза, она ждала в течение этого момента вся ваша жизнь и вы тоже, не бойтесь касаться её лица, брать ее руку, и я обещаю Вам, что она будет нести вас в обещанную землю. ~ Нико

I’m writing to you this morning from the magical Hawaiian island of Maui! It was while living here that I discovered and unlocked so many amazing things – about myself, spirituality, people, friendships, music, nature…and sushi! I ate my first sushi here and have been hooked ever since! *smiling*

I came to Maui this week to rejuvenate my being and to overcome some challenges within myself. I found answers to some very important questions. I’d like to share some thoughts with you that may speak to you and encourage you…

Never lose your joy!

In all that you do – with family, friends, work, hobbies, etc., never lose your joy! If you lose your joy, then you’ll lose so much purpose and meaning in life. You’ll start to become unhappy, depressed and unpleasant to be around. Children laugh an average of 300 times a day, adults laugh an average of only 17. When and why do we become so inhibited along the journey of life?! In one of my songs, “My Son”, the verse goes, “Agility of a child, when didst thou flee? Hold me, fold me, unfold me! Jump in my soul and out of my bones! Innocence lost at such a foolish cost, may I once again feel you in my heart!” Seek to become childlike again! Have joy and laughter in your life, they are like medicine! I’ll post a separate blog entry after this one of an interesting article I recently read about the importance and benefits of laughter.

Don’t sweat the small stuff!

Life is filled with important things that truly need your attention, so don’t sweat the small stuff. You only have so much time and energy in each day, be wise and productive in how you spend it. Don’t waste your time with insignificant and meaningless things. For me, it’s something as simple as checking my email too many times each day. It’s being too much of a perfectionist about things that are not really that important. It’s worrying about things I have no control over. It’s trying to please everyone when in fact sometimes you’ve just got to do what you know you’ve got to do! It’s fearing being misunderstood and misjudged. It’s caring about what others think in situations where what others think doesn’t matter at all! It’s being upset about a mistake when in fact I should just smile at my mistake and learn from it. It’s have a check bounce. It’s having someone hack into my myspace account and send out advertisements for porn with my name signed at the bottom. It’s accidentally getting a scratch on a new guitar or a dent in my car, it doesn’t really matter because every material thing on this planet is eventually going to turn to dust anyway! It’s having a delayed flight or being stuck in traffic and being late for a meeting. It is what it is and it’s out of my control so I might as well relax and just BE! I should just enjoy the moment, turn on some music and chill or strategize a business plan or…I should do anything while sitting in that traffic except be upset and frustrated about it. There are plenty of other things in life for us to sweat about, so, don’t sweat the small stuff.

Let go.

Realize and accept that some things are out of your control. Just let go. Do your best, your absolute best, be prudent and then let go. Carrie Underwood released a song titled, “Jesus Take The Wheel”, it was a hit because people identified with the idea that sometimes you just have to let go and trust a higher power. Some people say trust God, some say Allah, other’s say The Universe, whatever your faith may be, we should all practice letting go. Let go of micro-managing things that do not need to be micro-managed. Let go of worrying about things which worry will do nothing to resolve. While growing up, my pastor told me many times that 99.9 percent of the things we worry about never happen, all these years later I can say that he is right! Let go of trying to figure everything out, there are parts of life that as a flower they just have to unfold on their own and in their own time. Let go of all the “dead weight” in your life. A hot air balloon cannot rise into the sky until the dead weight is removed, if you’re gonna rise then let go of all the bad relationships, all the bad habits, fear, anger, anxiety, etc., this is all dead weight in your life. Let go of an image of no value, know that you are beautiful and special and unique. Let go of all the lies you have been told – about yourself, about others (especially others with a different skin color or different culture), about the career path you are “supposed” to be on, about God. For example, I once saw God in quite a small box, I had to let go of some old mindsets to realize and experience a God so limitless and beautiful that words cannot begin to tell.

I would like to say that I have not mastered these things, quite to the contrary. Writing them out and sharing them with you will help me achieve them. I will read what I have written many time over the next few weeks and I will let these words provoke me – to grow, to mature, to be childlike, to be patient, to walk in love and freedom and peace. ~ Niko