Denise’s Reviews > Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It > Status Update

In Chapter 10, Nick talks about his grandpa on his mom's side and how he was an inspiration to him. Just by reading those pages, you can tell the special bond he had with his grandpa who recently passed away. Nick encourages forgiveness and gratitude in this chapter and to never allow your past affect your future. Also, Nick doesn't want anyone to limit themselves with their own labels.

cont. "When bad things happen in one aspect of your life, wehater it's your relationship, or your job, or an illness, or even the loss of someone you love, the best thing to do is to find a more positive focus for at least part of your day." p. 182

cont. I hate to think of all the people who took advantage of him and his money during such a weak point in Nick's life. He tells of how he had to change his focus to get out of his downward spiral and how he had to earn people's respect all over again.

In Chapter 9, I liked how Nick pointed out that it's never over and to not give up. He gives examples on how his partying lifestyle affected his work with BSB. At one point, he thought he wanted to quit the group, which was another truly sad moment for me. I'm so glad he realized that would have been a colossal mistake. He mentioned how he was giving money away, which didn't surprise me because of his kind heart.

cont. A quote that resonated with me was "Unless you've been through a serious illness or had someone close to you spend weeks in the hospital, you probably haven't thought about what it's like to lose your health." p. 165

In Chapter 8, Nick talks about how he went to the doctor after he had symptoms due to his alcohol and drug use. It was heartbreaking to read that he believed he was dying. After he explains his diagnosis, he talks about how he changed his diet and stopped his bad behavior.

cont. "Better days will come if you hang in there, stay positive, and focus on being and doing your best." p. 153 Nick also brings up a good point in this chapter. Why aren't we treating ourselves like we treat our friends? Why do we constantly criticize ourselves and give ourselves a hard time?

cont. "We all have things that happened to us, but they don't have to stay with us and weigh us down for the rest of our lives. We can focus instead on moving ahead based on what is good and what makes us better." p. 152

cont. "I want to be a loving, nurturing husband and father who encourages his children to seek knowledge and to love themselves."

In Chapter 7, Nick talks about how there are many things in life that we can't control, but how we can control our response to them. He talks about the House of Carters TV show and how he realized he has to lead by example for his brother and sisters. He encourages everyone to focus on similarities and shared goals of those in your life. There are some good quotes in this chapter.