- [Ciara] I don't think any person that wants to win
likes failing.
Or, likes having those moments.
But, those moments to me, happen for a reason.
They happen to make you better and stronger.
What good is having success, on, you know, in your work,
but not being able to share it with someone?
Or, like, that's not living, to me.
There's something negative,
try to find something positive to counter-act it.
Like, always try to find, look on the brighter side
of things.
- She's an American singer, song-writer
and actress.
Her debut album, "Goodies," was certified
triple platinum.
She's currently an analyst on the TV program,
"Inside the NBA."
She's Ciara, and here's my take
on her top ten rules for success.
Rule number one is my personal favorite,
and I'd love to know which one you guys like the best.
And as always, as you're watching,
if you hear something that really resonates with you,
please leave it in the comments below.
Put quotes around it, so other people can be inspired
as well.
And when you write it down, it's much more likely
to stick with you, as well.
Enjoy.
(inspiring, upbeat music)
- I hope to inspire others,
and for people to know that dreams are really real,
you know, I wasn't raised in this.
Every mistake, every performance I've done,
has pretty much happened in front of the world.
Or, like, I kid you not, I wasn't,
I didn't grow up doing singing in churches,
I didn't grow up doing anything,
but I had a dream, to do this.
And as soon as I put my mind to it, and said,
"This is what I want to do."
I wrote it down on paper,
and I kid you not, everything manifested.
Everything fell in place.
So, I feel like like,
my experience can encourage anybody to know that.
It don't matter what time,
you know, you can be later on in your time,
when you figure out what you want to do.
It's possible.
Things and people have as much power as you give them.
And, if I say it means something,
then it means something to me.
And if I say it doesn't, it doesn't.
So, I've chosen to say that,
when people say negative things,
and when people make up, you know...
- Make up stuff.
- Certain things, I'm like,
it doesn't mean anything to me, because I'm still standing
here, I'm still, you're still having something to say.
- Yep.
- So, if you have something to say, then that means
it matters.
So, whatever, and you know, it's so crazy,
I have to say, they do it to all of us.
- Yes.
- So, you know, you know, I see them doing this...
I'm like, they do this.
Like, this is just what, it's expected, you know.
And so, you just have to use it as motivation,
or, you know, or find a way to really not pay any attention,
because it's unnecessary energy and you lose,
you lose time, you know, trying to pay attention to it.
So I just try my best to really ignore it.
And, in life, and in any career,
you're going to have your journey.
You're going to have your ups and your downs.
And, you know, when it's rough, it's rough.
It's not, no, I don't think any person that wants to win
likes failing, or likes having those moments.
But, those moments, to me, happen for a reason.
They happen to make you better and stronger.
And, I say that, to say that, it does feel good
to receive love, because I know the passion
that I put into this project,
and I know my journey prior to this,
and it feels good, you know, I can't lie and say that
it doesn't.
- [Interviewer] But did you have a moment
that you thought was a failure,
that you were like, this wasn't what I wanted?
- [Ciara] Absolutely.
I mean, it was obvious, you know.
- You felt like you were cold.
- I felt like, you know, it wasn't working.
It's just that simple, but, it's all good, though.
- You're hot right now.
- Hot, she's hot up there.
- Hot right now, you're on fire, songs are great,
doing well, videos, everything, albums out.
Was there a moment where you're sitting at home, you're like
"Yo, I'm frozen."
(laughing)
- No, you know what it is...
- [Interviewer] I'm frigid.
- I think, you know what happens is, I don't even say,
the thing for me is, if something can be going wrong,
and I think I don't realize how crazy it is,
'cause I always keep thinking, and keep pushing forward,
so I don't really get a full idea of how bad it is,
but, you realize how tough it is,
when you're like, moving forward, and you look back.
And you're like, "Whoa, that was really crazy time."
Like...
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- Right, right, right.
- You know, so that's something,
that's how I am, because it's like,
you kind of have to keep,
you have to, when something does not feel right,
and it feels like it's not working,
you don't know how bad it is,
you cannot dwell on that.
'Cause that's how people, to me, lose their minds.
They go insane.
- [Interviewer] It's true.
- Absolutely.
- You know what I mean, like, I love what I do so much,
and I do want to be successful at it,
that it's like, I can't think, I cannot,
like, when moments like that happen, I cannot,
like, I got to keep pushing.
I just like, try to always push myself,
more than I push myself before.
And, you know, I wasn't trained with dancing,
or anything like that, so, I'm always trying
to learn as much as I can from my choreographer
and my dancers that I'm around,
I just try to have fun, though, you know.
I really love what I do,
and I think I'd be doing myself a terrible disservice
if I didn't push and try to reach for more.
And I'd be doing my fans a terrible disservice too,
so, that's my inspiration.
My fans, and just wanting to be as great as I possibly can.
I sacrifice pretty much all my time for my career,
you know, and you know,
there's got to be a balance to it.
You know, like, what good is having success
on, you know, in your work, but not being able
to share it with someone?
Or, like, that's not living, to me, like, it's having
career success is important, but having life success
is even more important to me.
Think about you, just be positive, man, like, even on
your worst days, try to find something positive out of them,
you know, and try to find a way to keep your head up,
you know, I was just saying to another young girl,
I was talking like how, you know, we go through a lot
as women, we go through a lot as people,
and, you know, there could be something like, the days
that seem like they're your darkest days,
but you have to know
there's a light at the end of the tunnel
and the way that you get closer to that light,
is simply by opening your eyes, looking in a positive
direction, pushing in a positive direction,
even when, like if, if there's something negative,
try to find something positive to counter-act it.
Like, always try to find, look on the brighter side
of things, and love yourself, you know.
Self-love is the best love you can give yourself.
And, when you do that, you'll bring in so many great things
you know, and you're bringing things
that you want to bring in.
- What has been your greatest challenge in your career?
- My greatest challenge in my career?
That's a good question.
I've had a few...
I think the challenge that you're always faced with,
that will never go away, is figuring out
what the next move is going to be.
You know, there's a saying,
"Make your next move your best move."
And so, you know, that's always a challenge,
to figure out, you know, the next step that you should take.
So, that's the constant challenge
that I think I'll forever be faced with,
but it's a good challenge, 'cause it really pushes you
to think, and create.
I have to say, I'm not going to lie, though,
self-love, I've been very fortunate
that self-love is just always been something
I've always known.
But I think it's also because of my mother and father,
like, my mother and father have been married for 30 years,
all I've seen is my dad love my mom one way,
all I've seen is my dad love me one way,
and I've also been, I'm an independent woman,
not over-independent, though, I don't want to be so
independent that it's like,
I don't need a man.
Like, I want a right, the right man in my life, but,
you know, I've just learned that, you know,
again, on my toughest days, when I try to find positive
within myself, positivity within myself,
and really think about loving myself,
that's always brought in good energy.
'Cuz you can't depend on someone else to make you happy.
- [Interviewer] Right.
- You don't ever want to do that, you know, so,
I've kind of always known things would be that way, but,
I have, the more that I get older,
the more that I really understand it,
and the more that I can really, really work on that.
You know, 'cause you're like, I'm just, like you said,
I'm very comfortable with myself.
And I feel like I'm going to only get more and more
comfortable, which can make me more powerful, too, so.
Don't over-think things, you know, life is,
I always said life is what you make it,
but now I really understand how life is truly
what you make it.
And, you know, you really just have to, like,
take every day one step at a time.
Like, stop worrying about tomorrow so much.
Just live in the moment, go one day at a time,
and literally, like, life will, it will shape itself out
for you.
And there's a lot of things...
- [Interviewer] A lot of things.
- That really don't matter, that you think matter.
(soulful hip-hop music)
Oh, that's a ballerina to you.
(laughing)
This life is really hard,
I've been doing this for, like, one week,
pretty much all my life.
(laughing)
All my dancing life.
(singing) We're runnin' it,
don't jump, don't stop, no,
we runnin' it.
(laughing)
Hi.
What's up, guys?
(hip-hop music)
The reason why I'm so excited about today's shoot,
is because, we get to challenge ourselves,
and, do, go in a place that we've never been before.
And, I think that it's great when you can
challenge yourself that way.
Try to push yourself into a different territory,
I think it's kind of cool, life,
you know what I mean, I connect to that place in my life.
- [Interviewer] Go get 'em.
- (singing) Is that your chick over there
giving me the ugly stare
the one with the silicon, and the Brazilian hair?
You ain't gon' respect me, no, no, no, 'ti I'm not there,
see, I got you comfortable, now you ain't really...
- Thank you guys so much for watching.
I made this video, because JN1 asked me to.
Also, if you want to nominate someone for the next
top ten video, please check the description
for a link to a video where you can vote for people,
and put in your suggestions as well.
I'd love to know, what did you take from this video,
what was the most important lesson that you learned,
that blew your mind, that you're going to immediately
apply to your life, or your business, somehow?
Please, leave it down the comments below,
I'm super curious to find out.
I also want to give a quick shout-out to Natalie Claire.
Natalie, thank you so much for picking up a copy
of my book, Your One Word, and posting it on Twitter,
I really appreciate the support,
and I hope you're enjoying the read.
So, thank you guys again for watching,
I believe in you, I hope you continue to believe in yourself
and whatever Your One Word is, much love,
I'll see you soon.
- I like, I like to stay happy.
And I like to live life light, and make the best of life.
And, I think that when you carry
a certain kind of energy,
or if you have a funky energy
that you hold on within yourself,
you just can't grow, and you can't really, like, move
how you need to.
So, for me, I just like to be happy and cool
with pretty much everybody.
- [Interviewer] Right.
- You know, and that's just pretty much it.
But I've always believed in myself.
You know, I've always been a big dreamer,
and, I can definitely say a lot of things
that I've dreamed of have come true,
and a lot of things that I've envisioned
have come true, so, yeah, I've always envisioned
all the cool things that are happening, happening.
And, it's happened, and then some.
So, that's cool.
(audience cheering and whooping)
(hip-hop music)
(audience cheering loudly)
(hip-hop music)