I don’t know what has been going on with me lately but I can hardly sleep anymore! I get up atleast 3 times a night and I’m exhausted by morning time! I go to bed really early maybe that’s why and then when I awake and look at the clock, it’s only like 2am or so, OMG! It makes me mad but I can’t seem to figure out why this keeps happening. I know that my mind is always spinning and I have a million projects going on in my brain but last night the tv was blaring when it woke me up and I looked and saw actor and writer Billy Bob Thornton on my tv screen talking about his life on OWN’s Master Class. After laying there and listening to his story, I found out that he had a lot of similarities in his life just like me. I was very intrigued indeed and watched the whole thing!
I didn’t know too much about Billy Bob Thornton other than he starred in Monster’s Ball with Halle Berry and that he was married to Angelina Jolie, other than that, I really was not that interested in him. Once he started talking about his childhood and how his dad was abusive and his struggles with dead end jobs, friendships and the passing of his brother, it made me think about the things that had happened to me when I was young.
I always say that I didn’t have the best childhood, I didn’t come from a two parent household and we moved A LOT! I saw a lot of very dysfunctional things growing up and I was a nervous child! I hardly had any friends either that I could turn to. The ones I did have were soon gone because my mom kept moving us. It was hard changing schools, making new friends, trying to fit in etc. I hardly talked when I was young because I was shy but boy have I made up for that lil phase in my life lol.
When I think about how Billy Bob talked about the struggles that he went through, hating those jobs, I too wondered why I had to go through so many things. But ALL that I endured made me the person that I am today. Although I hated the situation that I was in, it made me think about how all of that made me adapt to certain situations, figure things out, learn to speak up and more!
I hated being a squatter living in an abandoned house with no running water, electricity etc but now I make sure that my bills are paid on time, sometimes months in advance. I learned to budget and SAVE.I became very frugal. I teach these same skills to my kids now!
When I worked at those jobs I hated, it taught me how to deal with different people and personalities and how to turn things around for the good. That’s why I am very comfortable in any setting, interviewing people, walking into any social setting, networking and not being nervous, making people want to learn who I am and more!
When I saw what my mom was going through with bad relationships and choices she mad, it taught me how to lay down a positive foundation for my own family. I’m the total opposite of my mom and very hands-on with my kids. I sacrificed my own career for my kids sake, so that they could have a mom and dad there for them. My kids are my everything. I also made sure to have a very safe and sound environment for them.
Watching my mom growing up also made me realize what kind of man I wanted to marry and know early on what I would and would not tolerate. That experience as a young girl also taught me to speak my mind, stand up for myself and make people respect me, my morals and values.
Billy Bob also talked about having big dreams. He surrounded his self in the environment he needed to be in. He was a waiter in Hollywood and worked at big Hollywood parties and that got his foot in the door! He listened and learned from some heavy hitters and eventually went on to write and star in his now famous and iconic films like, Sling Blade and so many more movies! I did just that too! I didn’t know what I was going to do when my husband and I decided to move to Atlanta but I knew I wanted to be in entertainment! I volunteered and worked for free for years and those dues are finally paying off!
I appreciated Billy Bob’s interview and learning about him and it made me respect him even more. He’s a very humble and laid back kinda guy, I like that. I’m pretty much the same way. At home I’m quiet, I read a lot and don’t really care about what’s going on in the streets until I need to lol. Check out this clip where he chats about struggling and moving out to Hollywood! xoxo
I enjoyed watching this last night. I love his laid-back attitude!
The same exact thing happened to me last night and I shared with several friends today about how much more I like him to even though I do own the film Sling Blade as one of my favorites. I got on the internet tonight to try to watch the whole interview in it’s entirety with my business partner but so far can only find clips. Guess I’ll have to wait to dvr it when it plays again on the OWN Channel. 0;)
@Cindy Jagoda – The movie Sling Blade is classic…I can watch it over and over…LOL!