Your Life BY REACHING OUT
“Fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.”
—Shirley McClaine
Power Your Life BY FINDING YOUR HAPPINESS
“Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get, you’ve got to make yourself.”
—Alice Walker
Power Your Life WITH A SENSE OF WONDER
“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
—Albert Einstein
Shine a Light on What Makes You Special
Actor, Producer, and Recording Artist
John Schneider
Whether you recognize him as Bo Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard or the infamous Jim Cryer from Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Have Nots, John Schneider has made name for himself, not just in television and movies, but in music as well. Over the last few years, he has been able to explore another arena, that of being a writer and producer, with his 2014 horror film Smothered getting rave reviews.
We talked about his career, his passion, and how he has stayed true to himself along the way.
CW. John, it is a true honor to speak with you for this. You have had such an amazing career in front of the camera and on stage. What has it been like for you to bring the characters you have to life?
JS. It’s been fantastic. I am so delighted to be have been around long enough to do what it is that I love and to have someone recognize my work.
I think that we all have different parts in us. As an actor, you have a chance to shine a light on a particular trait, and to have people respond to that is amazing.
CW. Did you always know that acting was the gift, that you were put here to do?
JS. Absolutely. I went from watching movies when I was very little to being in my first play when I was eight years old. I wanted to be on stage, wanted to be on camera … wanted to have people eat popcorn watching me, and I never really strayed from that.
We are designed to do something. I think what I see more times than not is probably what you were designed to do is not something others understand. Hopefully your friends and life don’t talk you out of it.
There is nothing more depressing to me than seeing someone who is not in pursuit of their dream. It’s better to be pursuing something that you’re passionate about than spending your life doing something that you’re not.
1.Have you, like John, realized early on that there was something that you wanted to do in your life? Have others supported you or discouraged you?
2.How can you hear and learn from the message that you were given something that was meant to be shared with others? What do you want to share with others?
Power Your Life BY DEVELOPING
YOUR OWN IDENTITY
“If we stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by who we are—we can all be freer.”
—Emma Watson
Power Your Life WITH CURIOSITY
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.”
—Albert Einstein
Power Your Life WITH CONFIDENCE
“If you’re presenting yourself with confidence, you can pull off pretty much anything.”
—Katy Perry
Power Your Life BY NOT FORCING IT
“If only we’d stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time.”
—Edith Wharton
Be Confident, Even on the Bad Days
Supermodel and Author Tess Holliday
Supermodel Tess Holiday first got on my radar because of her inspiring (and oftentimes funny) messages online, but when I discovered she was from my home state of Mississippi, I became even more intrigued with her, because she was yet another example of what was possible for anyone with a dream. I didn’t know much about her backstory, however, until she released her memoir in 2017, called The Not So Subtle Art of Being A Fat Girl. In it, she chronicles not just her success as a plus-size model, but lets the world into her struggles and challenges growing up in a book that is sure to inspire people around the world.
“Growing up down South, I resented it for a long time,” Tess told me during our conversation together after the book’s release. “I felt like people didn’t understand me. I never told anyone I was from Mississippi. I think I was angry for all of the wrong reasons.” Now she uses where she is from as a mirror for others. “Just because you have had a bad experience doesn’t mean that where you’re from is bad,” she shares.
“You can go anywhere in the world and feel bad. Traveling all over I see that I could have had it way worse. I’m really grateful for my experiences and the opportunity to look back on them.”
Discussing her no-nonsense approach to life, Tess says her honesty is part of what her fans expect from her. “My fans are from all walks of life, all over the world. Some don’t even know what I’m saying because of language barriers. They do understand that it’s hard to grow up in certain areas and be different. I know a lot of people identify with me because they feel alone.”
“Life can be hard, but if you have people who support and love you it can also be really great.”
She also realizes that just because she is so outspoken doesn’t mean everything is perfect. “I think it’s important to tell people that just because I wrote a book about confidence doesn’t mean that I always love myself and that I don’t have bad days. I try to be as honest as possible. I know what it’s like to not feel great all the time. I’m really glad to be on the other side and to understand that it’s ok to have those days. It doesn’t make me a bad person. It makes me human.”
And now that she has graced magazines and runways around the world, what does Tess want? Well, everything! “I’ve accomplished everything I set out to do, and now I find myself coming up with more dreams and seeing what’s next.” If the past is any indication, then the sky’s certainly the limit for her.
1.How
