Seriously . . . . I'm Kidding

This book, being her third, takes place at a time in her life when SO MUCH has happened. She had gotten married to her wife, Portia De Rossi. She had gotten her own talk show, started a record label and had become a CoverGirl and had been the role of Dory in the animated film, Finding Nemo. After experiencing so much, she has a lot to share. So, here she is, the wonderful Ellen Degeneres.

The first story is Ellen's HILARIOUSLY telling of how she became and was an OFFICIAL spokeswoman for CoverGirl cosmetics. Beauty is something on the inside and being comfortable in your own skin. She was the first openly gay CoverGirl. Age, itself, is something w/ NO absolute control. You are who you are w/ NO NEED to lie. Embrace who you are.

When it comes to STUFF, Ellen is a complete opposite of a pack rat. EVERYTHING has its place & order. Do I really need it or can I let it go? An inherited trait Ellen got from her mother, Betty. Betty "I Am Downsizing" Degeneres. Including packing what you don't even use. Justifying what you need to hang on to, unless for sentimental value. Ellen does the same. Same thing for hoarding certain things. It's one thing to have a few of the same, but different when you hoard them. Dial down a few of them or find a way to minimize. LET GO & DECLUTTER! It's cathartic & freeing.

Exploring and taking care of yourself and body is one of the MOST IMPORTANT things you could do once you hit a certain age. When we're young, there is that sense of wonder? Everything is new & exciting. As we age, that wonderment disappears. Becoming jaded along the way. Desensensitized media doesn't help. Exposing the innocent to too much way too early. Holding on to the innocence before it's gone. Hold on to the beauty of/in life. When you fail or fall, you see the proper prospective on success. When Ellen found out her sitcom was cancelled, she got back on the horse. She kept going. Appreciating her success even more after taking a risk coming out on the show. Stay in the present.
                                                 Ellen's coming out episode in the 1990s

In August 2005, Finding Nemo had come out. Ellen's talk show started in September. (9-8-2005) Ellen had finished hosting the Oscars on 2-24-2007. Still in shock after HOSTING the ICONIC Academy Awards. Ellen was married to actress Portia De Rossi on August 16, 2008. On January 26, 2010, Ellen was hired as a judge on the reality singing show American Idol. 3 months later, she started a record label. In September, Ellen made her Broadway debut in a New York play called Promises, Promises w/ Kristin Chenoweth & Sean Hayes. Geneology is IMPORTANT. KNOWING where we come from explains SO MUCH of who we are.

Why does everyone try to "Keep Up With The Joneses?" Aren't who we are good & well enough? Why do people have a sense of entitlement and a act of "better than"? Why spend so much more time trying to fit in when you make an HONEST statement by standing out? For someone like me, if someone tells me I'm weird or not in a certain way, I just respond with a thank you. I earned it. When life has you feeling stressed or a new awakening, try freeing yourself by releasing your stress elsewhere; yoga, reading, cooking; something that puts you/gets you centered and stress free. Find a way to stretch your mind & body. When Ellen first agreed to do American Idol, she thought it was going to be ALOT of fun. After reality set in, her schedule got crazy. Pressure started building. Different than what she expected. When it comes to schedule, Ellen would do her show, it would air the next day. With Idol, it was LIVE! To accomodate scheduling conflicts,  her talk show filming would be moved up ending a half-hour earlier, jump in her car and head to Idol. Sometimes stressful getting there on time, but always getting there. Changing things around to meet schedule conflicts.

The HARDEST part of doing Idol was that Ellen felt like she was critiqing and judging people. She didn't like to be a position to JUDGE others. Hurting others in the process. While she was GRATEFUL for the Idol opportunity, it was best for her to move on. Now she has her own record label where she can discover and mature new talents and it feels GREAT! She is STILL a HUGE fan of the show.

What needs to happen in the world

Whatever happened to common courtesy, social graceness & politeness? An example is a dinner scheduled and planned for a certain time and guests show up 2 hours past the start time. Ettiquette would say to show up early to help out or on time. 10-15 minute late grace period but THAT'S IT! ALOT of people DON'T Care about common courtesy anymore.  I can PERSONALLY UNDERSTAND & SYMPATHIZE! When someone says "I'll be there in a minute", then show up 1 HOUR later expecting the same service. Too bad; you can go without your want. Other people have things they may need to get done. You showing up NOW puts EVERYTHING else of mine having to be done is now pushbacked. Because of you.  How rude is it when you're talking to someone on the phone and you can tell they're not paying ANY attention to what you're saying? People tend to act like they didn't know what you're doing in the background when you can HEAR it. The point is that POLITENESS has been forgotten in society today. Whatever happened to the neighborhood/society graceness as what you would see in The Andy Griffith Show? Whatever happened to being there IN your neighborhood? Social politeness. The graceness from the 1950s. 

                                                              Ellen's dancing skills

Labeling can be VERY DANGEROUS! They lead to stereotypes which is COMPLETELY UNFAIR to those within generalization. There are ALOT of associations w/ being gay as well stereotypes. People have sweeping generalizations and have preconcieved notions of who you are or what you're supposed to be KNOW someone BEFORE you JUDGE!

Throughout Ellen's career, she has had to make HUGE impacts on her life. The material she had decided to do for her first appearence on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson led Johnny calling her over and THAT MOMENT changed EVERYTHING for her. Whenever she has to make an IMPORTANT decision, Ellen likes to make a list of pros/cons. The positives/negatives of a situation. A PROS & CONS LIST CAN BE THE BEST IN A/ANY SITUATION!

Do you ever notice w/ AS MUCH access there is in the world, we have become LAZY? The world of technology allowed that access. For example, being on a computer screen instead of SEEING the world. Driving to the end of the block instead of walking. Being on an electronic device and not SEEING THE WORLD! When did the world go from becoming intellectual to throwing it to the trash of REALITY tv? It's one thing to have your FAVORITE shows. But it's another to put reality tv "stars" ahead of leaders in the news. The point is to have your indulgences, but DON'T MAKE them YOUR WORLD. Be more active.
   
Ellen makes an EXCELLENT point. Today's technology is DESTROYING our social skills. (I COMPLETELY AGREE 100%) Technology also makes the English language seem like yesterday news. When communicating w/ others, NO ONE uses spelling or VOCABULARY! When sending a message to someone, it's shortened & expressed using the LEAST AMOUNT of language and letters as possible. YES, there are shortenings to certain words, but NOT the ENTIRE Webster's Dictionary. An ENTIRE message is sent w/ abbreviations & pictures. To me, when I recieve messages in those terms, whomever was the sender comes off COMPLETELY UNEDUCATED! What happened to the TRUE art of language & education? When you're CONSTANTLY on social media w/ others, there is NOTHING LEFT to catch up on when you see them LIVE!

Do you ever notice there are certain people who FIT w/ different age groups: 1 person is FIT for kids, 1 is fit with adults of mulit-ages. With Ellen, she is one FIT for ALL ages. The world in a way has 2 types of people. Ones who think and ones who don't. Deep thinkers question & ask. People seem to forget that for every action, there is a reaction. Why do people focus on having "the latest"? If you have a product of one substance, then another comes out of the exact same model w/ one extra useless bonus not used all the time; why throw away and spend MONEY on an expensive product just for 1 app? Talk about consumption. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S AROUND YOU!

 HONESTY is SO IMPORTANT and yet so hard to find in others. Lying is SO OFTEN in the world without KNOWLEDGE. Sometimes a lie that makes other people feel better isn't really wrong. Sometimes it's more appropriate. Hurt me with the truth. Don't comfort me with a lie.

Magic itself is something to be in awe. Never knowing what to expect w/ TRUE magic.

Ellen grew up admiring strong, funny women like ICONS Lucille Ball & Carol Burnett. Now that they've paved a way for women like Ellen to do what she does, she feels a responsibility to follow and have a positive influence on the younger generation. Using the platform available for the good of the world. Bringing about a positive influence on the world. Young girls/kids can do ANYTHING. A personal favorite anthem is Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves.

Find what you love and find a way to get paid for it. - Judge Greg Mathis

                   Eurythmics - Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves

One thing that makes Ellen happy is being around in NATURE! Have you ever been in nature and just thought? I don't mean of bills and money. I mean free thinking and expanding your mind. Being one in nature. Become one w/ your surroundings. Ellen can and loves sitting and staring at the pond in their life-size garden for hours admiring what it has to offer. Getting lost in the moment. If not at the pond, she's gardening. Ellen loves it. She finds it very theraputic.

Ellen also loves to play poker. One of her FAVORITE games. Las Vegas was one of her favorite cities. Slots can be fun. Roulette is fun as well as poker & craps.

For a BRIGHTER day, sleep is one of the MOST VITAL IMPORTANT things we need to stay happy & healthy.

You want to know how to become a billionaire:

1. Make a lot of money
2. Don't spend it

When it comes to vacation . . . . (Ellen describes it perfectly here.)
When it comes to dreams, they are to represent things going on in our subconsciousness. Whether it's love, family or more.

The title of this book says ALOT. Since Ellen is a comedian, people know she's kidding. When she's being SERIOUS, people still think the same. Do you ever notice people clarify their joke after their comment? If you have to say you're kidding, it might not be a joke. The title is also a reminder of the fact we conduct ourselves when we talk. Seriously . . . . I'm Kidding.