New Year, Changed Man!

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Emile Ennis Jr. in Goals, Holidays, Hosting, Inspiration, Los Angeles, Motivation, Show | 1 Comment

Happy New Year? Well, it depends on who you ask. Some would say nothing will change and the same cycle of boredom and unhappiness will continue on into 2013. The same drama will continue to disrupt their lives. There will continue to be missed opportunities and lack of success because the universe is against them. LEAVE THAT MENTALITY BEHIND! 2012 was my life-changing year because it was during 2012 that I realized my full potential, accepted my authentic self, and accepted the fact that the only person holding me back was me. Instead of listing all the personal accomplishments from this past year, I’d rather inspire you with some lessons I learned that will continue to impact me for years to come. Many of them will tie together, but each one is equally important on it’s own.

1). LIVE YOUR LIFE AUTHENTICALLY.

2). STOP CARING ABOUT WHAT OTHER’S THINK.

3). DON’T LET FEAR CONTROL YOU.

4). CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY AND EMBRACE IT.

5). SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO MAKE YOU BETTER.

Life is a series of lessons and choices. In the last couple of months I made quite a few choices. I chose to stop focusing on the negative and worrying about “what if”. I chose to be happy and go confidently in the direction of my dreams. I chose to let and keep certain people in my life, but let go of others. I chose to not let others control how I live my life because my happiness should never be dependent upon someone else.

Back in October, I wrote a post on Facebook that was one of the most authentic things I’ve ever written:

“Don’t know who this is for, but I just had to say what’s on my mind. It took me a while to realize how unhappy you can be when you are not being truly authentic. Many people are terrified of what others think and say about them and choose to hide certain parts of who they are out of FEAR. Because of this they pretend and even strive to be the person that others want them to be instead of who they truly are.

Why would you want to surround yourself with people who can’t love you for you? Suppressing parts of yourself to appease people who don’t have to live your life is dumb. You can’t continue to let others dictate who you should be, how you should act, what path you should take, who you should love, or how you should live YOUR life. Being inauthentic with yourself and others only leads to false happiness. On the flip side, why not give people a chance to get to know the real you?

I’ve struggled with being myself for years. Growing up as a preacher’s kid, there was a lot of pressure and expectations from family, the congregation, and friends that a lot of kids didn’t have to deal with. There was also a fear of being judged for some reason even though I was raised to believe that only God can judge me. It wasn’t until this summer that I truly realized how that still affects me today.

For those who have been following my web series, Chasing L.A. (http://youtube.com/chasingla), you see that I’m no longer afraid to open up and be myself in front of the camera (still opening up). That’s not easy for me. I had to learn how to let people in and not be afraid of judgment. When I began hosting at AfterBuzz and later enrolled in hosting classes with Maureen Browne, I was shy and timid. Those who truly know me, know that I’m exactly opposite. However, when put in situations where I had to be myself with strangers, I was afraid to let loose and let people get to know the real me. I was lacking confidence because I wasn’t comfortable being authentic. That’s what happens when you hide behind a facade for so long.

Long story short, BE YOURSELF. Hopefully somebody gets something from this. I’m thankful for the growth that I’ve experienced so far this year and for the people who have encouraged me to be Emile Ennis Jr.

In that post I was vulnerable and exposed a part of myself that was hidden because of fear. It was through this post that I found freedom. The freedom to let people in and get to know the real me. The freedom to embrace a part of myself that I was afraid people wouldn’t accept or understand. The freedom to welcome the thought that I CAN be happy being me regardless of what I’ve been told. I’m reminded of a quote that’s widely attributed to Dr. Seuss that I think we should all follow:

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

In 2013, please remove all the negative energy from your life and focus on the positive things that are happening. Remain hopeful that good things are going to happen for you and don’t give up on your dreams. Never be afraid to be yourself and most importantly, enjoy your life. Worrying and stressing accomplishes absolutely nothing. Be proactive and change your life.

For those that missed it, tune into the latest episode of Chasing L.A., “Happy New Year!”. You can watch it by clicking here, or viewing below. As always thanks for your support. Keep chasing your dreams, and I’ll keep chasing mine.

Merry Christmas from Chasing L.A.!

Posted on December 25, 2012 by Emile Ennis Jr. in Goals, Holidays, Hosting, Inspiration, Los Angeles, Motivation, Show, Singing, Updates | Leave a comment

We made it to Christmas! Remember a couple of years ago when people were actually worried that the world was going to end before Christmas 2012? Well they were completely wrong, and we are now able to celebrate Christmas peacefully this year.

It’s been a great holiday season filled with endless Christmas music, beautiful decorations, Christmas carolers, crazy last-minute shoppers and tons of annoying advertisements. However, even though my Christmas is filled with joy, there are many in Newtown, CT and around the world who are heartbroken this Christmas because of the loss of a loved one. Let us not complain today, but be thankful for the family and friends that we still have in our lives. Even though the holiday season is ending, let’s try to remain joyful in the new year.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas wherever you are! Be sure to check out the latest episode of Chasing L.A. by clicking here, or by watching below! Thanks for all your support. Keep chasing your dreams and I’ll keep chasing mine.

Rejection Is A *****!

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Emile Ennis Jr. in Goals, Holidays, Inspiration, Los Angeles, Motivation, Show, Singing, Updates | Leave a comment

Fill in whatever five-letter word you think is appropriate for that sentence, but just know that it doesn’t have to be a curse word. One of my favorite quotes of all-time says,

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” – Paulo Coelho

We all have fears, but until we acknowledge our fear and conquer it, it will continue to control us. Fear causes us to set limitations on what we can accomplish in our short lives. Don’t waste time wondering what could’ve happened if you just tried.

As an aspiring host, I’ve spent a lot of time in front of the camera, but for whatever reason I’ve always been terrified to approach strangers for interviews or even casual conversation. My main fears are that they will judge me or flat-out reject me. This could be from being picked on when I was younger, lack of confidence in my abilities, or just the fear of leaving my comfort zone. When I was taking hosting classes (hope to take more soon), interviewing was always my weak point because I over-think and then start to doubt my abilities. Never again will fear stop me from being and doing the best I can.

This past weekend was absolutely amazing. I hit the streets of Hollywood and conquered my fear! It was great practice and turned into an amazing episode of Chasing L.A. So without further adieu, please watch Episode 17, “Interviewing in Hollywood”! You can watch it by clicking here or watching below. As always, thanks for all your support and please like, comment, and share with family and friends. It’s so important that you share if you like it. Keep chasing your dreams, and I’ll keep chasing mine. Visit http://www.youtube.com/chasingla for more videos.

Chasing L.A. | Episode 16

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Emile Ennis Jr. in Goals, Holidays, Hosting, Inspiration, Los Angeles, Motivation, Show, Singing, Updates | Leave a comment

Greetings to one and all. Hello to those big and small. Good day to everyone across the land. The holiday season has really kicked in.

Ok, that was kind of random, but I’m bored at work and figured a little humor couldn’t hurt. Remember, it doesn’t matter if the joke is actually funny, just laugh really hard until others join in. That works right? Anyway, hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Another week has gone by, and another episode of Chasing L.A. has been released. This episode shows some of what happened in my exciting life this weekend including celebrating Hanukkah with Genna. Check it out by clicking here or down below, and be sure to like, comment, subscribe, and share with others. As always, thanks for the support! Keep chasing your dreams, and I’ll keep chasing mine.

It’s Christmastime!

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Emile Ennis Jr. in Goals, Holidays, Hosting, Inspiration, Los Angeles, Motivation, Show, Singing, Updates | Leave a comment

Hey y’all! IT’S FINALLY HERE. It’s that time of year where there is continuos Christmas music playing. It’s that time of year where beautiful decorations are all around. It’s that time of the year where children’s eyes light up because they know that Santa Claus is coming to town. It’s my absolute favorite time of the year! I’ve always loved Christmas and the holiday season in general, but it’s changed so much since my younger years. Everything is so commercialized these days that it almost ruins the holiday season. KEYWORD: ALMOST. Anyway, there will be lots of fun videos coming this month. I guarantee it! Click here or watch below to see the first of my holiday videos. Keep chasing your dreams and I’ll keep chasing mine.