Technics 1200s--Chatting With DJ Nicci C
September 06, 2007
Chicago-based DJ Nicci C hosts an online show Nic@Nine on Myspace every Wednesday and Friday nights at 9 p.m. Her focus is Latin music and the aim is to promote up and coming artists as well has have remixes from hot DJs from around the globe.
Nicci C started spinning in much the same way many DJs do--at friends' parties and houses.
"I love music--its huge in my family, and I was looking to make my way," she says. "One thing lead to another and since at the time there were only a couple females doing it , it helped me get gigs. My focus is old skool house music with latin beats."
She is also a proponent of turntables and says it is more than just sound--it is look and vibe.
"Some events want that look--you spinning you know?" says C "Personally I enjoy it-- I LOVE VINYL. As far as drawbacks of vinyl, the beats of both records need to be heard as one so its all in the technique and balance and if you don't master that the end product is going to be...well, not good..it takes skill...perhaps that's why not as many do it today as they did 20 years ago."
She is partial to Technics 1200 turntables.
These are, of course, the turntables (first released in 1972 and intended for the home stereo) that DJs everywhere revere. There have been numerous versions of 1200s including the SL-1200MK2. If you talk to DJs one thing you always hear about these tables is "they don't break."
You can also control the pitch and have a magnetic direct drive. You can scratch like a mother on these.
You can find out the whole history of the 1200 at SL-1200.com. [5].It is a comprehensive history. For more on where to find parts for the turntables go to 1200s.com [6].
When it comes to DJ software you cannot have much of a conversation with Nicci C--She doesn't use any.
"I prefer doing without," she says "To me if it ain't broke don't try to fix it."
Upcoming plans include working on a show for her sister, a fashion designer, and is in talks about having an big event with DJs, poets, designers and others.
Link to interview with GearWire.com
http://www.gearwire.com/djniccic-turntables.html
DJ Nicci C on Myspace.com/livewithnicci
Showing posts with label latina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label latina. Show all posts
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Latina Producers
Latina Producers
As the years go by and our population grows, more and more opportunities become available for Latinas, and many of them are in, YES, the entertainment industry! Most likely when the word “producer” is mentioned, what comes to mind is a dumpy, balding, smoking cigar-chomping man cutting deals in a cluttered office. But a voracious appetite for television programming and innovative films, coupled with an increasing Latino population in the United States, has opened a once closed door to ambitious and talented Latinas with an eye on calling the shots behind the scenes. Meet Barbara Martinez-Jitner, Kathryn Galán, Nely Galán, Shawna Baca, and Corina Bartra, rising stars in the film, television and music field. This Latinas are a perfect example of why a growing number of Latinas are scoring success in Hollywood and elsewhere in the entertainment industry, a demanding profession that not long ago was male domain.
“There are a lot of Latinas who are producers today, and the reason is simple,” says Barbara Martinez-Jitner, one of the top Latinas in the film industry. “Latinas are producers in the home, we run everything. It wasn’t Cortez who conquered the New World, it was Malinche,” she emphasizes referring to the native woman who was the conquistador’s mistress and confidant. “It’s the women who make things happen!” Martinez-Jitner proudly says to have learned her producing techniques from her grandmother, who was a farm worker. “She miraculously raised eight kids,” she says. “If she could do that, I think I can produce a movie!”
Martinez-Jitners’ career is a clear representation of climbing up the ladder—her resumé includes acting, writing and directing as well as producing. On the 1999 film Selena, based on the life story of the slain Tejano pop singer, she worked with famed director and producer Gregory Nava, whose critically acclaimed feature films include El Norte and Mi Familia. Within a few years, she was establishing herself in the industry as a writer and producer of American Family, the first Latino drama with a Latino-theme broadcast nationwide on television. Nominated for the Golden Globe and Emmy awards for her work on American Family, Martinez-Jitner is now poised to garner even greater fame.
Her current project is Bordertown, a feature film starring Jennifer Lopez, based on the ongoing and tragic story of murdered Mexican women in Ciudad Juárez. To research the story, she risked her own life and went undercover, posing as a worker in a maquiladora (factory) to gain firsthand knowledge of the reality that has led to the unsolved murders of over 400 young women in recent years. “In that society,” she charges, “the people who are working in those factories, their lives mean nothing. You can murder one of those women, and there are no repercussions.” In the film, which debuted at the Berlin Film Festival in February and is scheduled for release worldwide later this year, Lopez portrays a newspaper reporter who courts danger while investigating the crimes.
Driven by a passion to explore themes that have captured their imagination, Latina producers are an increasingly important presence in the motion picture and television industries. Some have risen to the top by virtue of the fame they’ve garnered and the power they command as successful actresses. Salma Hayek, for instance, has put her producer’s stamp on two recent productions—the 2002 film Frida, a portrait of legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, and Ugly Betty, ABC’s hit TV series starring Golden Globe award-winner America Ferrera. Eva Longoria, known as the most beguiling of ABC’s Desperate Housewives, has also logged producer’s credits for the 2004 film Carlita’s Secret and the 2006 ALMA Awards broadcast. But for the vast majority of Latina producers, the road to success has come through hard work away from the glare of the spotlight.
Kathryn Galán, an experienced producer whose credits include films such as French Kiss and Becoming Colette, has a unique perspective on the profession as an executive director of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP). She speaks from hard-earned experience when she says, “being a producer is very challenging, but when it works, it is the most rewarding.”
Galán’s organization serves as a focal point for Latinos working in the film and television industry and throughout these years, Galán has seen commendable progress. “Over a dozen Latino and Latina-made or focused documentaries have received national broadcasts in the past couple of years,” she says. “Programs like The George Lopez Show and Ugly Betty, not to mention Resurrection Blvd, American Family and Welcome to Tucson have had runs that build audiences, make money and advance careers. More Latinas, for instance, are considering film school and attending professional development programs that advance their projects and relationships.”
One executive whose career personifies the success that Latinas are currently enjoying as producers is Nely Galán. For over a decade, her Galan Entertainment firm has been a force in developing new programming in both English and Spanish for networks such as HBO, NBC, Televisa, Telemundo and Fox, for which she produced the hit series The Swan. Galán’s record of success has made her one of the most influential Latina executives in the entertainment field and a role model for those aspiring to follow in her footsteps as a successful producer. “I think this is a great time to be Latina in this business,” Galán says. “We have a unique voice that represents many millions of people and companies want to reach us.”
In her history-making trek to the top of her profession, Galán learned quickly that the road to success was fraught with both obstacles and opportunities. “Being Latina has been very helpful to me in being a producer in the mainstream; it gave me a differentiating proposition,” she recalls. “I was different than everyone else, but it has been more difficult to be a Latina producer working in the Latin market within the U.S. and Latin America, where they have a harder time accepting women in this role. However, what has been difficult is just the choice of deciding to be a producer—it is not an easy career for anyone. It is similar to being a real estate developer.”
For Galán, being in the entertainment industry is a high risk but rewarding business. “You spend a lot of time putting projects together on your own time that don’t amount to anything,” she says. “Many of the people in it are rich to begin with, so they have the advantage and the staying power. However, when it all works it’s amazing. I feel like I get to be an investment banker, a real estate developer, a marketing guru and a creative idea person all in one career. It’s never boring.”
Fledgling Latina producers who hope to replicate Galán’s record of success know they face an uphill climb, but, driven by strong personal interests, they forge ahead, paying their dues and waiting for recognition to follow.
Shawna Baca was a stage actress before she became interested in filmmaking and producing. She quickly attracted attention, winning praise for her short film 3:52, featuring America Ferrera. “It’s important that we tell our stories,” Baca states emphatically. “Part of the reason acting was such a turn off was due to the roles that were out there for women, especially minority women. We seem so behind the times. I felt a strong desire to work on films that showcased Latinos in a positive light. With independent films growing in popularity, it was time to jump into the game.”
Today, Baca is working on a documentary that explores a theme that is close to her heart, especially to her descent. “My mother’s side of the family is Pasqua Yaqui, Apache and Mexican,” she explains. “My father’s side is Spanish. My grandmother, who is full-blooded Indian, half Yaqui (Mexican Indian) and half Apache (American Indian) always took me to Native American Pow-Wows since I was little. I’ve come to know the community well. When a Danish producer friend of mine expressed an interest in me taking her to a Pow-Wow, she was blown away by the beauty of the tradition.” Ever since, Baca explains to partnered up with her producer friend to make a documentary that explores the modern traditions of Native Americans and show how Pow-Wows honor their tradition and keep them alive.
Barbara Martinez-Jitner
Kathryn Galán, executive director of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP)
Nely Galán, producer of The Swan
Corina Bartra, producer, composer and singer.
Shawna Baca, actress and independent filmmaker
It’s not only in film and television that Latinas are making headway as producers, in the equally competitive music industry, Latina artists who assume the producer’s role in managing their careers have to consider every detail, from raising funds to marketing. Composer and singer Corina Bartra, whose latest album is Bambu Sun on her own Blue Spiral label, works tirelessly to get her concepts from the studio to the marketplace. “The most challenging thing as a producer is to come up with the money to do the project and organize it,” she explains. “You have to pick the material, musicians, and studio, and you have to organize rehearsals, get art work for the CD cover, and many other things. For me, music goes beyond being just an entertainment form. And, ultimately, the greatest challenge facing independent producers is finding ways of marketing the recording. This requires all of your skills, and some luck.”
The good news is that, as NALIP’s executive director Galán sees it, “Hollywood is a pretty color-blind business. Good executives with taste, experience and relationships can become successful producers.” What stands out to Galán is that Latinas have only begun to make big inroads as producers. “Latinas are wildly underrepresented in the executive and decision-making ranks of Hollywood,” she observes. “And those working in independent film do not yet have wide rolodexes full of equity investors such as doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs who are willing to take a gamble on talented young Latina filmmakers. We are making progress, but these are barriers that impede success.”
Baca, for one, is up for the challenge. “This is a great time to be a producer in the entertainment industry,” she says. “With the demand for Latino projects and the success rate of independent filmmaking, this is a good time to tell our stories from our perspectives and environments. I have a voice today that my great-grandmother didn’t have, nor did my grandmother or my mother. We face the challenges of being a minority and Latina. But I’m not going to stop, and that’s what makes it unique.”
As the years go by and our population grows, more and more opportunities become available for Latinas, and many of them are in, YES, the entertainment industry! Most likely when the word “producer” is mentioned, what comes to mind is a dumpy, balding, smoking cigar-chomping man cutting deals in a cluttered office. But a voracious appetite for television programming and innovative films, coupled with an increasing Latino population in the United States, has opened a once closed door to ambitious and talented Latinas with an eye on calling the shots behind the scenes. Meet Barbara Martinez-Jitner, Kathryn Galán, Nely Galán, Shawna Baca, and Corina Bartra, rising stars in the film, television and music field. This Latinas are a perfect example of why a growing number of Latinas are scoring success in Hollywood and elsewhere in the entertainment industry, a demanding profession that not long ago was male domain.
“There are a lot of Latinas who are producers today, and the reason is simple,” says Barbara Martinez-Jitner, one of the top Latinas in the film industry. “Latinas are producers in the home, we run everything. It wasn’t Cortez who conquered the New World, it was Malinche,” she emphasizes referring to the native woman who was the conquistador’s mistress and confidant. “It’s the women who make things happen!” Martinez-Jitner proudly says to have learned her producing techniques from her grandmother, who was a farm worker. “She miraculously raised eight kids,” she says. “If she could do that, I think I can produce a movie!”
Martinez-Jitners’ career is a clear representation of climbing up the ladder—her resumé includes acting, writing and directing as well as producing. On the 1999 film Selena, based on the life story of the slain Tejano pop singer, she worked with famed director and producer Gregory Nava, whose critically acclaimed feature films include El Norte and Mi Familia. Within a few years, she was establishing herself in the industry as a writer and producer of American Family, the first Latino drama with a Latino-theme broadcast nationwide on television. Nominated for the Golden Globe and Emmy awards for her work on American Family, Martinez-Jitner is now poised to garner even greater fame.
Her current project is Bordertown, a feature film starring Jennifer Lopez, based on the ongoing and tragic story of murdered Mexican women in Ciudad Juárez. To research the story, she risked her own life and went undercover, posing as a worker in a maquiladora (factory) to gain firsthand knowledge of the reality that has led to the unsolved murders of over 400 young women in recent years. “In that society,” she charges, “the people who are working in those factories, their lives mean nothing. You can murder one of those women, and there are no repercussions.” In the film, which debuted at the Berlin Film Festival in February and is scheduled for release worldwide later this year, Lopez portrays a newspaper reporter who courts danger while investigating the crimes.
Driven by a passion to explore themes that have captured their imagination, Latina producers are an increasingly important presence in the motion picture and television industries. Some have risen to the top by virtue of the fame they’ve garnered and the power they command as successful actresses. Salma Hayek, for instance, has put her producer’s stamp on two recent productions—the 2002 film Frida, a portrait of legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, and Ugly Betty, ABC’s hit TV series starring Golden Globe award-winner America Ferrera. Eva Longoria, known as the most beguiling of ABC’s Desperate Housewives, has also logged producer’s credits for the 2004 film Carlita’s Secret and the 2006 ALMA Awards broadcast. But for the vast majority of Latina producers, the road to success has come through hard work away from the glare of the spotlight.
Kathryn Galán, an experienced producer whose credits include films such as French Kiss and Becoming Colette, has a unique perspective on the profession as an executive director of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP). She speaks from hard-earned experience when she says, “being a producer is very challenging, but when it works, it is the most rewarding.”
Galán’s organization serves as a focal point for Latinos working in the film and television industry and throughout these years, Galán has seen commendable progress. “Over a dozen Latino and Latina-made or focused documentaries have received national broadcasts in the past couple of years,” she says. “Programs like The George Lopez Show and Ugly Betty, not to mention Resurrection Blvd, American Family and Welcome to Tucson have had runs that build audiences, make money and advance careers. More Latinas, for instance, are considering film school and attending professional development programs that advance their projects and relationships.”
One executive whose career personifies the success that Latinas are currently enjoying as producers is Nely Galán. For over a decade, her Galan Entertainment firm has been a force in developing new programming in both English and Spanish for networks such as HBO, NBC, Televisa, Telemundo and Fox, for which she produced the hit series The Swan. Galán’s record of success has made her one of the most influential Latina executives in the entertainment field and a role model for those aspiring to follow in her footsteps as a successful producer. “I think this is a great time to be Latina in this business,” Galán says. “We have a unique voice that represents many millions of people and companies want to reach us.”
In her history-making trek to the top of her profession, Galán learned quickly that the road to success was fraught with both obstacles and opportunities. “Being Latina has been very helpful to me in being a producer in the mainstream; it gave me a differentiating proposition,” she recalls. “I was different than everyone else, but it has been more difficult to be a Latina producer working in the Latin market within the U.S. and Latin America, where they have a harder time accepting women in this role. However, what has been difficult is just the choice of deciding to be a producer—it is not an easy career for anyone. It is similar to being a real estate developer.”
For Galán, being in the entertainment industry is a high risk but rewarding business. “You spend a lot of time putting projects together on your own time that don’t amount to anything,” she says. “Many of the people in it are rich to begin with, so they have the advantage and the staying power. However, when it all works it’s amazing. I feel like I get to be an investment banker, a real estate developer, a marketing guru and a creative idea person all in one career. It’s never boring.”
Fledgling Latina producers who hope to replicate Galán’s record of success know they face an uphill climb, but, driven by strong personal interests, they forge ahead, paying their dues and waiting for recognition to follow.
Shawna Baca was a stage actress before she became interested in filmmaking and producing. She quickly attracted attention, winning praise for her short film 3:52, featuring America Ferrera. “It’s important that we tell our stories,” Baca states emphatically. “Part of the reason acting was such a turn off was due to the roles that were out there for women, especially minority women. We seem so behind the times. I felt a strong desire to work on films that showcased Latinos in a positive light. With independent films growing in popularity, it was time to jump into the game.”
Today, Baca is working on a documentary that explores a theme that is close to her heart, especially to her descent. “My mother’s side of the family is Pasqua Yaqui, Apache and Mexican,” she explains. “My father’s side is Spanish. My grandmother, who is full-blooded Indian, half Yaqui (Mexican Indian) and half Apache (American Indian) always took me to Native American Pow-Wows since I was little. I’ve come to know the community well. When a Danish producer friend of mine expressed an interest in me taking her to a Pow-Wow, she was blown away by the beauty of the tradition.” Ever since, Baca explains to partnered up with her producer friend to make a documentary that explores the modern traditions of Native Americans and show how Pow-Wows honor their tradition and keep them alive.
Barbara Martinez-Jitner
Kathryn Galán, executive director of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP)
Nely Galán, producer of The Swan
Corina Bartra, producer, composer and singer.
Shawna Baca, actress and independent filmmaker
It’s not only in film and television that Latinas are making headway as producers, in the equally competitive music industry, Latina artists who assume the producer’s role in managing their careers have to consider every detail, from raising funds to marketing. Composer and singer Corina Bartra, whose latest album is Bambu Sun on her own Blue Spiral label, works tirelessly to get her concepts from the studio to the marketplace. “The most challenging thing as a producer is to come up with the money to do the project and organize it,” she explains. “You have to pick the material, musicians, and studio, and you have to organize rehearsals, get art work for the CD cover, and many other things. For me, music goes beyond being just an entertainment form. And, ultimately, the greatest challenge facing independent producers is finding ways of marketing the recording. This requires all of your skills, and some luck.”
The good news is that, as NALIP’s executive director Galán sees it, “Hollywood is a pretty color-blind business. Good executives with taste, experience and relationships can become successful producers.” What stands out to Galán is that Latinas have only begun to make big inroads as producers. “Latinas are wildly underrepresented in the executive and decision-making ranks of Hollywood,” she observes. “And those working in independent film do not yet have wide rolodexes full of equity investors such as doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs who are willing to take a gamble on talented young Latina filmmakers. We are making progress, but these are barriers that impede success.”
Baca, for one, is up for the challenge. “This is a great time to be a producer in the entertainment industry,” she says. “With the demand for Latino projects and the success rate of independent filmmaking, this is a good time to tell our stories from our perspectives and environments. I have a voice today that my great-grandmother didn’t have, nor did my grandmother or my mother. We face the challenges of being a minority and Latina. But I’m not going to stop, and that’s what makes it unique.”
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
What do you want your life to be?
I don't want to get all mushy on everyone, its a good question though.
What do you want YOUR life to be?
Do you want your life to be different?
I'm 34, not married , rent an apartment and have no children. To some it may look as though the sound of sad violin playing should be in the background.
I don't think so!
Don't feel sorry for this chica, I'm happy....could always get better...I could strike it rich!!! LOL
I have great friends...my family is there for me, I love to have fun!
Now, as for the question. Well, I do know that I want to live a healthy and happy life, someday have children (yeah,yeah,yeah...I still have time) , I'd like to run my own business and traveling sounds good....oh wait, thats not really answering the question...those are just wants and goals.
Oh ok, What do I want MY life to be?
...I want it to be filled with as much love and joy as I can possibly muster, I want my life to have some meaning.
I want to be able to say that I made a contribution to this planet.
What do you want your life to be?
What do you want YOUR life to be?
Do you want your life to be different?
I'm 34, not married , rent an apartment and have no children. To some it may look as though the sound of sad violin playing should be in the background.
I don't think so!
Don't feel sorry for this chica, I'm happy....could always get better...I could strike it rich!!! LOL
I have great friends...my family is there for me, I love to have fun!
Now, as for the question. Well, I do know that I want to live a healthy and happy life, someday have children (yeah,yeah,yeah...I still have time) , I'd like to run my own business and traveling sounds good....oh wait, thats not really answering the question...those are just wants and goals.
Oh ok, What do I want MY life to be?
...I want it to be filled with as much love and joy as I can possibly muster, I want my life to have some meaning.
I want to be able to say that I made a contribution to this planet.
What do you want your life to be?
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Just thinking ...............Life.
It's been a busy week, but I'm getting a chance to relax later so its all good.
There is still a lot to do today.
Ok...perhaps a little relaxation now.....AAAAAAAAAAAH....
....I just took 15 minutes to step away from it all and relax. Life is so short. It doesn't hurt to take a moment to appreciate it. Doesn't hurt at all. A moment to look at how far you've come and where you're heading.
I feel great.
I sat at my desk in my office at home and gazed out the window. The afternoon light is fading just a little .I watched a little girl run down the street to get some helado de coco and run back into the house laughing because she was in her pajamas in public. I listened to the sound of my grandfathers voice as he sang along to some salsa music playing on TV in the livingroom. I enjoyed the taste of my tea as I sipped it from my favorite cup.
I'm happy. I have good friends and a loving family, my ventures are starting to reap some rewards, life is good. I know, spend wisely, invest well. I am.
My friends and family, I'm so grateful for them, for everything.
**If you're reading this right now, take a moment to appreciate what you have.
My cup of tea is empty now. Time to get back to work.
There is still a lot to do today.
Ok...perhaps a little relaxation now.....AAAAAAAAAAAH....
....I just took 15 minutes to step away from it all and relax. Life is so short. It doesn't hurt to take a moment to appreciate it. Doesn't hurt at all. A moment to look at how far you've come and where you're heading.
I feel great.
I sat at my desk in my office at home and gazed out the window. The afternoon light is fading just a little .I watched a little girl run down the street to get some helado de coco and run back into the house laughing because she was in her pajamas in public. I listened to the sound of my grandfathers voice as he sang along to some salsa music playing on TV in the livingroom. I enjoyed the taste of my tea as I sipped it from my favorite cup.
I'm happy. I have good friends and a loving family, my ventures are starting to reap some rewards, life is good. I know, spend wisely, invest well. I am.
My friends and family, I'm so grateful for them, for everything.
**If you're reading this right now, take a moment to appreciate what you have.
My cup of tea is empty now. Time to get back to work.
Think on this if you will.....
How can you be you and get what you want in life?
Being you….. isn't always as easy as it should be. People always say "just be yourself" but in Many instances, as you get older and your thoughts, ideas and preferences get more polarized, that isn't as easy as it sounds! You can't just do or say anything in life , so I think that phrase is overrated and overused! LOL...um...just like ...LOL ...
We often have to make concessions, and sacrifices for who or what we know or think is right or what we "think" is who/where we want to be. But when is it too much and when do we begin to sacrifice what makes you, "you"?
Self-awareness is a never-ending journey and you can get caught up in a tailspin of being something other than "you". I ,personally, am still evolving and still learning new things about myself and have gotten caught in that tailspin before. I use to try to in some way (self-talk, meditation, talking to friends) trying to get a better handle on being who I am and compromising for my overall happiness. So how can you get what you want and be yourself when the two ideas are not in sync? You have to understand what you need at the core of who you are. And if that means giving up other ideas of what society thinks you should be doing and who you should be maybe that is the right road for you…maybe not. Only you can decide that foryourself.
But one thing I have learned is that you can't hide from yourself…. You can but not (as I often say) without consequences and repercussions.
And you probably won't end up being the "happiest" that you would have been had you just waited and evaluated the situation before acting on something . You can lie to everyone around you (maybe even convinced yourself that this is what you want), but deep down, in the depths of your heart and mind….. you are there and there is where you will find …. you and you know the truth.
There have been times in my life where I knew that I should not have done certain things, made certain moves, had WARNING BELLS going off and felt a little "off" about something…but kept on full-steam ahead and came to regret it.
Now, I try to be as true to myself as I can. Life is too short not to be. Your life is not textbook and I am coming to realize that there are no set guidelines on "when such-and-such" should be accomplished or successes attained. Societal "norms" often make this harder to see…...
I believe that as we get older we seek different things and out of those "different needs" sometimes comes "giving up this…to get that". I get it. I do. I simply believe that you should not have to change the whole of who you are or what you like or what you are ready for at a certain point in your life…unless you are really ready to embrace (not just accept) the changes that you are making if you are not making them whole heartedly.
Are we always happy? They say happiness is a choice. Do we make certain sacrifices in life? Yes. Are sacrifices a part of life? Yes. But the thing to remember is…..In the words of an old song by Teddy Pendergrass you can't hide from yourself…. No matter where you go… there you are.
Think about it.
Being you….. isn't always as easy as it should be. People always say "just be yourself" but in Many instances, as you get older and your thoughts, ideas and preferences get more polarized, that isn't as easy as it sounds! You can't just do or say anything in life , so I think that phrase is overrated and overused! LOL...um...just like ...LOL ...
We often have to make concessions, and sacrifices for who or what we know or think is right or what we "think" is who/where we want to be. But when is it too much and when do we begin to sacrifice what makes you, "you"?
Self-awareness is a never-ending journey and you can get caught up in a tailspin of being something other than "you". I ,personally, am still evolving and still learning new things about myself and have gotten caught in that tailspin before. I use to try to in some way (self-talk, meditation, talking to friends) trying to get a better handle on being who I am and compromising for my overall happiness. So how can you get what you want and be yourself when the two ideas are not in sync? You have to understand what you need at the core of who you are. And if that means giving up other ideas of what society thinks you should be doing and who you should be maybe that is the right road for you…maybe not. Only you can decide that foryourself.
But one thing I have learned is that you can't hide from yourself…. You can but not (as I often say) without consequences and repercussions.
And you probably won't end up being the "happiest" that you would have been had you just waited and evaluated the situation before acting on something . You can lie to everyone around you (maybe even convinced yourself that this is what you want), but deep down, in the depths of your heart and mind….. you are there and there is where you will find …. you and you know the truth.
There have been times in my life where I knew that I should not have done certain things, made certain moves, had WARNING BELLS going off and felt a little "off" about something…but kept on full-steam ahead and came to regret it.
Now, I try to be as true to myself as I can. Life is too short not to be. Your life is not textbook and I am coming to realize that there are no set guidelines on "when such-and-such" should be accomplished or successes attained. Societal "norms" often make this harder to see…...
I believe that as we get older we seek different things and out of those "different needs" sometimes comes "giving up this…to get that". I get it. I do. I simply believe that you should not have to change the whole of who you are or what you like or what you are ready for at a certain point in your life…unless you are really ready to embrace (not just accept) the changes that you are making if you are not making them whole heartedly.
Are we always happy? They say happiness is a choice. Do we make certain sacrifices in life? Yes. Are sacrifices a part of life? Yes. But the thing to remember is…..In the words of an old song by Teddy Pendergrass you can't hide from yourself…. No matter where you go… there you are.
Think about it.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
I get high on Life ... by DJ Nicci C
I get high on LIFE!
Why? ...its safer..last longer ...and no deadly side affects!...I love it!!!
Years ago as a young woman entering this world on her own I pondered on a lot of things..like, why did people drink themselves drunk to feel good , use other alternatives to get high.
Just don't get it, I thank God for looking out for me though, I too could have easily fallen into the abyss of "synthetic highs syndrome", I enjoy life...I enjoy feeling good about life, waking up knowing I have another day to accomplish my goals, see my friends and family, dance to Celia Cruz, look at a sunrise, smell the flowers...life is good!...Why would I want to alter that? Why would anyone?
Unfortunately a lot of that distructive lifestyle is still in the Latino communities as well as other minority communities.
You're probably wondering why I am talking on this. Well, just pondering ...with all the news and chaos in the world its easy to see why so many fall into that hole, not the best choice to follow that road of course, yet, is it really that chaotic that one cannot keep their heads on straight? Sure we have the war, crimes, drugs,etc. However,I decided long ago that whatever tries to penetrate my "happy world" I keep out, enough in to see whats going on , enough out to not absorb the damage, intiendes?
I'd rather get high on life than get high on anything else....I want that clarity to truly feel the good that life really does have to offer.
I also say this because it is our responsibility to look out for one another, to help rise our Latino sisters and brothers, oru communities.
We have been associated with drugs, violence, young parents having children, lack of enough college graduates for far too long. We need to start making strides to better prepare ourselves to reaching higher, start reacher higher, in education, health, success, and money.
...certainly there are many who do have the degrees and waited to have children, not enough though. We need to increase those successes, and this doesnt mean that those who had children young have no future, the future is still yours. This doesn't mean that those who left high school 5 or more years ago cannot change their life around and return to school and get a college degree.
If your in a gang, just know that your life will not reach its potential living that life of crime and disrespect to yourself and others. There are organizations and places you can seek out to get your life on track again, don't become another statistic or young grave. You too deserve a more positive life filled with joy and happiness, great accomplishments and lots of love. The love recieve from your fellow gang "family" may be love, however, the life that comes along with it is very negative.
We are making strides in this country, in this world. We need to continue on and make more strides. Go ahead, take one class at a college, get into that mental mode of learning and growing, you dont have to take huge steps, just make sure you are taking steps in the right direction, you are so worth it.
Make today the day you turn your life around.
For more on Latino issues check out my show Nic at Nine.
Nic at Nine, featuring radio personality DJ Nicci C , is an online radio show that airs right on myspace.com/livewithnicci every Wednesday and Friday nights at 9pm central. The show airs up and coming musical artist from all over the world, her Listen Up! segments are mostly dedicated to Latino issues that affects its communities. Get LIVE interviews and the latest info on local and national events. The sounds of Alternative music to Reggaeton. See why so many are tuning in every week to listen to DJ Nicci C.
Written by: DJ Nicci C
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