Recently was up for an Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Program with a great team of production people for a show called Home Made Simple for OWN. It was truly an amazing experience. We did not win and it's natural to feel bad about it. But a funny and inspiring thing was happening to me while at the ceremony before and after they announced the winner in our category. Watching all the different award winners accept their Emmy I started to getting motivated.
Usually when I listen to accepting speeches I sort of tune out unless the person says something funny or really starts crying. But being in the audience and up for an award,  I found myself really listening to the speeches. Through all the normal
"I want to thank..." stuff I started to hear pure passion from the winners and recognized  that I am also that passionate about what I do. I felt a strong connection to each winner and totally inspired and motivated to continue to do great work.

Related link: Inspiring Documentaries

I am a very very competitive person, I want to win at everything I do and I am not going to lie about this, I wanted to win this thing but I can honestly say that it did not bother me that a show I had never heard of (Elbow Room) won. This surprised me a little bit, and I never thought I would say "It's an honor to just be nominated" but the truth is it is an honor to be nominated and turns out it is also very inspiring.

#HomeMadeSimple #own #emmyawards

One of the great things about working in production is that I get to travel to a lot of great places. I try and get as many pictures as I can.

I'm currently working at Hollywood Center Studios for a new pilot. The studio has such great history. I took these photos just after it rained today.
Mae West made movies here, I Love Lucy was shot here on stage 2 and so much more -  Check out this wikipedia page on the studio.

Truly a powerful moment in time when Anne Mahlum started "Back on My Feet" in Philadelphia. The program has helped close to 1,000 homeless get jobs, a place to live and has given them their health and self respect back to them.

When faced with a problem or a tough situation it is easy to complain, it's easy to rationalize why you can not deal with it.  I have found over the years that I tend to look at problems more as an opportunity to look at things a little differently, it seems to help me see problems as positive opportunities and inspires creative energy.

So what do you do when problems arise??  Do you brush them under the rug? Do you face them head on? Or do you sometimes feel like just giving up? We all have different responses to challenges in life. But what if you chose to view every problem as a positive opportunity? Sound crazy? Maybe so. In the moment, problems don’t feel good and most of us would prefer to avoid them whenever we can. So you may be asking yourself, “How do I possibly see them as a positive in my life?”

It seems to me that we have a choice when problems arise. Either be overwhelmed, complain and stay stagnate... OR you can change things, improve upon them, learn and grow. You can do something different because you realize what you’ve been doing isn’t working out.

A lot of times it really is how you respond to a challenge.  Personally I try hard to view my problems as an invitation for growth. it does not always work, and I still ignore problems with hopes that they will go away. But usually I will catch myself and do whatever it takes to change my point of view and my actions.

I was thinking about attitude and how important it is in ones life. Sounds simple and cliche and it might be but it is very true.

ATTITUDE ON LIFE
“I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.” - Charles R.

IMPACT OF ATTITUDE
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skills. It will make or break a company...a church, a synagogue, a home. The remarkable thing is I have a choice every day regarding the attitude I will embrace for that day.

I cannot change my past...I cannot change the fact that people will act a certain way. I cannot change the inevitable... The only thing I can do is play on the one string I have, and that is my attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...you are in charge of your attitude" Unkown

Two straight unbelievable comeback wins for the Lakers. I hope that Lakers fans and basketball fans realize when watching Kobe Bryant play that they are witnessing incredible basketball greatness. There has not been anything like Kobe since Michael Jordan. #KobeBryant #MichaelJordan

The Lakers move to 32-31 on the season after the comeback overtime 118-116 win over the Toronto Raptors.

Another amazing game by Kobe Bryant, scoring 30 of his 41-points after halftime and dishing out 12-assists. 24-points & 13-rebounds for Dwight Howard. Steve Nash adds 22-points.

With the win and the Jazz loss the Lakers make up ground in the playoff race for the second straight night:

Watching Michelle Jenneke pre-race dance has reminded me of the pure joy in athletics and of the joy that life's opportunities can bring. I may or may not physically break into a dance just before dinner or a morning workout but I will in my head. I love how Michelle effortlessly and with total joy prepares for her race, then is in the zone as she runs and right when it is over she breaks out into a big smile.  #inspired #run

Sometimes the biggest problem is in your head. You've got to believe. -
Jack Nicklaus

The man who wins, is the man who thinks he can. -Vince Lombardi

I don't want perfection, I want effort. -Unknown

A team will always appreciate a great individual if he's willing to sacrifice for the group. -Kareem Abdul Jabbar

There will always be someone that tells you that you can't do something. Your mission is to prove them wrong. - Unknown

It's what you get from games you lose that is extremely important. -Pat Riley

The man who wins, is the man who thinks he can. -Vince Lombard

It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up. -Vince Lombardi