by Jen Bricker
We started chatting, and he said, “This was totally meant to happen. This is a ‘God thing.’ You and Nick have got to meet.” I didn’t really know much about Nick, but I knew of him. Thanks to Raymund, a few weeks later Nick invited me to be his guest at a speech he was giving at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. When I entered the hotel, he was seated on the lobby couch, just chilling before this enormous event. I envy his coolness!
From the minute I met Nick, he was gracious, kind, warm, and an all-around awesome guy. Communication was very natural between us. We get each other on so many levels. Then he went into this huge conference space and introduced me to the crowd. I couldn’t believe it. I was so humbled and honored that he would take the time out of his speech to mention me! This was his day, his moment, and he wanted to share it. But that’s how Nick is—selflessly kind and generous with his life, his time, and his wisdom. We’ve since developed a great friendship, and he was even gracious enough to write the foreword for this book. He’s fully given his life to God for the true good of others. He’s a remarkable human being whom I am now proud to call a friend.
The Hero Inside
Sometimes you have to be your own hero. What I mean by this is that you have to fight for what you believe in and for what you want to happen. Don’t wait for a knight in shining armor to charge in and do it for you.
Maya Angelou, another one of my personal heroes, said, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” If you don’t like something in your life, then change it. If something is holding you back, then conquer it. If you’re unhappy, then do something to regain your joy. Trust me on this: Superman and Spidey may be otherwise occupied. Understand that your life is your own. It’s God’s gift to you. Be responsible for your choices, good and bad. It’s truly in your hands. You choose your behavior, and you choose how to handle the consequences. If you’re stuck, then get yourself unstuck. And before you use the word can’t, remember how I feel about that! You can and you should, and you owe it to yourself to live the happiest, fullest life possible. Is it easier to rely on others, to blame or hold them responsible for what’s wrong or missing in your life? Sure. Is it easier to make excuses and complain? Absolutely. But all of those things are cop-outs. You are responsible for what you do with your life. Will you be the person God wants you to be or a lesser version of yourself?
BELIEVE IT!
Everyone Is Equal in God’s Eyes
Before I moved to LA, I had never seen a homeless person before. I would pass by them on the street, never offering food or money, and often looking away. I assumed (as a lot of people do) that they were drug addicts or alcoholics and not worthy of my time or concern. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of volunteering on Skid Row, the most dangerous street in LA. I’ve served the homeless food and learned their names and their personal backgrounds and stories. What I know now is that everyone is a few bad decisions away from being homeless—it could be you; it could be me. When I see someone on the street, I not only offer them money but also treat them as a person. I remind myself not to judge too quickly or too harshly. What they do is between them and God, and how I act and react is between me and God. Remember that everyone is fighting a battle, whether or not it is visible to others. Be kind, be generous, be humble. Everyone is equal in God’s eyes and equally deserving of love and respect.
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
Endless Possibilities
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I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
—Psalm 32:8
All of my little escapades and each and every one of my triumphs have been the result of me pushing myself. If something makes me uncomfortable, that’s my signal that I need to do it. Comfortable is easy, comfortable is safe. But if I went through life simply content to be comfortable, I never would have found performing. I never would have seen the world. I never would have gotten so close to God. My life would be drab and colorless. I also never would have tried scuba diving!
Obviously, scuba is a lot easier if you have legs. And there’s a bit of training involved to prepare for diving. First, you have to sit at the bottom of a pool and complete a series of “exercises.” Sitting eight feet deep in a pool isn’t so bad when you know that if you panic you can always pop right up to the surface. But when you get more advanced, you have to sit on the ocean floor (a lot deeper!), and you can’t just shoot up to the surface (unless you want to bust an eardrum). Thinking about doing this didn’t bother me much. I’m strong, and I figured that even without legs I could easily paddle myself back up to the surface.
But then came the time to actually do the exercises. I was okay taking my regulator (the thing that gives you oxygen) out of my mouth. I was fine swimming with the huge tanks that are bigger than I am and being deep, deep down below the surface of the water. But what totally got me, what made me cringe and set my heart racing with panic, was having to let my mask fill up with water. I wanted so badly to breathe through my nose, but when water has filled your mask, you can’t.
When I first tried this at the bottom of a pool, it caught me off guard because it felt like I was choking. I freaked and shot straight up above the water to catch my breath. But as I advanced in my training, I had to do this same exercise at the bottom of the ocean. Like I said, when you’re thirty feet down, you can’t simply scramble to the top of the water to catch your breath. So I knew I had no option but to override my fear. My internal pep talk went something like this: Jen, you’re fine. The water hitting your nose sucks, so just don’t breathe in with your nose. Keep focused on breathing in and out, in and out with your mouth and your regulator. You know this skill; you’ve done it before; it’s fine. You’re safe, and the only way you’re not going to be safe is if you freak out.
I let the water rush into my mask, and as my brain was trying to talk the rest of my body out of panicking, I just sat there for a while being. Instead of fighting my fear, I gave in to it. I let it exist beside me until it no longer scared me.
This is how I handle most things that frighten me in life: I sit with them and make peace. For me, the much scarier thing is to be complacent. If you become too used to everything and nothing ever changes, how will you ever grow or evolve? I was comfortable in Orlando. When Nate suggested we move to LA, that water-in-the-mask feeling grabbed me. I didn’t know many people there and didn’t even have a church to go to, not to mention I wasn’t sure I could ever make a decent living with our act. But when God wants something for you, He’ll make it happen. Off I went.
For me, taking on a new challenge means putting my faith in God in a big way. Most of the time I feel like I’m a spectator of my own life, watching this crazy show play out. Or I’m gripping, white-knuckled, onto the front seat of a roller coaster, and I don’t know when it might speed up, go backward, corkscrew, or come to a screeching halt. That’s where faith comes in. Sometimes it’s absolutely terrifying. But God has never let me down, and He isn’t going to start anytime soon.
I have a mammoth wish list of things I want to do, places I want to see, tasks I want to accomplish—and I’m always adding to it. I never want to be “done.” I never want to get to a place where I’m stagnant or bored or stuck. I think every day is an opportunity to learn something new and move forward—even just an inch will do. Right now I’m determined to become fluent in Spanish. I have a huge passion and desire for all things Spanish. I like exercising my brain as much as I like exercising my body. Stop doing either and you lose your edge.
Writing this book was a huge new challenge for me. I had no idea where or how to begin, or the places it would lead me to. I prayed every time before I wrote, asking God for the words. I trusted that God would do most of the authoring, and He did. I feel His presence in every word. I suspected I’d learn a lot about writing and publishing but had no idea I’d learn so much about myself in the process. What people don’t tell you about writing is that it
’s a little like therapy. You have to dig deep and be 100 percent honest, not just with your readers, but with yourself. But now that I’ve done it, I want to do more. I feel like I have dozens more stories to tell, things happening to me and impacting me every day. When people ask me what I do, I have a long-winded answer: athlete, performer, writer, speaker. I hope to add skydiver to that résumé any day now, and only God knows what else!
The Choice Is Yours
We all have decisions to make every day. For example, will you choose to be happy (because I do think happiness is a choice) or sad? Will you choose to focus on the can’t or the can? Will you choose to be optimistic or pessimistic? Encouraging or discouraging? And the list goes on and on. What I’ve learned so far in my short time on earth is that the little choices we make—the small, the mundane, the minuscule ones—make the big ones possible. I don’t always wake up on the right side of the bed, and I don’t automatically ooze inspiration. I start every morning by reading the Bible and praying to get my mind and perspective straight and to ready myself for a day filled with choices. As my day progresses, am I going to let my circumstances get the best of me? Will I become a victim of my situation or my fears and anxieties? Or will I pray about them, give them to God, and let them go? First Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” One of the greatest gifts God gives us is free will—the ability to make our own decisions. But remember that He is all-knowing and all-seeing. When you make a choice, you have to live with it. Or, as my mom might say, “You made your bed. Now you have to lie in it.” Keeping this in mind makes figuring out the right choices so much easier for me. What would God want, expect, appreciate? He never forces us to love, obey, or respect Him. Again, that’s a choice.
I talk a lot about what’s possible, and I have a very simple answer for you: anything you think, feel, dream, or imagine. Why not? What’s standing in your way? If something is possible, then all it needs is a plan. If you have to get a little creative, then go for it. I put roller skates on my hands! I think possibilities should be as wide as the sky and as vast as the ocean. In my case, some are silly and frivolous (a girl can dream, can’t she?), while others are more serious and meaningful. But the point is that this list will continue to grow, and I’ll never stop adding to it.
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My VIPs
My Dad: Gerald Bricker
I remember Jen was a little bitty thing, and we were on a sandbar fishing. I turned around to see her wiggling and wiggling her little butt deep into the sand, burying herself in it. What was she up to? It took me a moment to realize she had hooked into a big fish and had reared back and was trying to reel it in. So I started laughing, and she got all mad at me. “What is so funny?” she demanded. I said, “Nothing,” and just watched her bring it on in. She didn’t need my help. Never did. Nothing was too fast or too big or too hard for her. I had a three-wheeler, and it was a fast one, and she would go mudding on it with friends. All I had to do was put a hand control on, and she took off like lightning. She would snowboard in the winter, just grabbing on with two hands and throwing herself forward down the hill. The only thing she struggled with—of all things—was reaching the light switches in our house. She’d be grabbing all kinds of stuff and stretching up high to reach them. So I rigged up sticks from old venetian blinds so she could just push or pull on them to turn on the lights. We were always telling her, “You can do anything you want to do.” We just had to figure it out and off she’d go.
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My Wish List . . . Right Now
I want a house with a trampoline and high ceilings for my aerial rigging so I can perform and train at home. I’d like this space to be a full aerial/acrobatic gym so other performers can also have a free, creative, and artistic place to train.
I would love to create a performing arts scholarship program in my hometown and provide a health and nutrition program for the community as well.
I want a movie screen in my backyard with a fire pit, couches, and pillows so my guests and I can lounge and enjoy an outdoor movie. White twinkling lights would be strung in the trees to give it a magical feel. And I definitely need a hot tub and several hammocks. Just sayin’ . . .
I’d like to perform with Carrie Underwood, Josh Groban, or Céline Dion—they would sing and I’d do an interpretive aerial routine. How powerful would that be? I’d also love to play the opening ceremony of the Olympics or the halftime show at the Super Bowl. The bigger the audience, the better.
I would like to have my own talk show and/or cohost a show or star in a sitcom dramedy where I play myself, kinda like Seinfeld! I think inspiring through art is one of the best ways to influence people, and you get to have fun while you’re at it.
I want to eat and perform my way through Italy and sail the Greek isles!
Once in my life, I want to take off for a month and roam Europe, soaking up the culture, sampling the cuisine, and visiting friends. I’d love to take one vacation with everyone—brothers, sisters, and Mom and Dad.
I want to perform with an orchestra and also at a huge Christian concert/event/gathering like Catalyst or the Harvest Crusades or Saddleback (Rick Warren’s church) or a Hillsong concert.
I want to perform on my fabric while Adele sings.
I want to wow the president and first lady at the White House and perform on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night talk show with my parents watching in the audience (they’re huge fans).
I’m looking forward to one day seeing a movie made about my life. I know God plans to touch many, many lives with the story He’s given me to share.
I want to be in one of Tyler Perry’s movies.
I would like to meet Garth Brooks, Oprah, Eva Mendes, George Foreman, and Steven Seagal, and have a nice long chat with each of them over a cup of tea! George and Steve: I’m also down for an arm wrestle!
I want to be a hot wife, mom, and grandma. I want my health and nutrition to always be a priority. I want to always stay in rockin’ shape for myself and for my husband to keep the fire burning well into my golden years!
I want to be on the cover of Shape, Fit, or Women’s Health, and have an artsy, beautiful spread in Vogue, Glamour, or Vanity Fair. Or maybe I’ll be the next CoverGirl. I want to change the way people think about beauty.
I want to team up with Under Armour (campaign, billboards, commercials) and break the internet with a positive message/image that inspires the world.
I want to speak from my heart to as many millions of people as possible. I want to be a catalyst for clean, purposeful living and thinking outside of the box.
I want to write a children’s book (Super Jen!) and inspire kids to love reading, just as I did when I was younger.
Most important, I want my relationship with God to grow stronger, deeper, and more meaningful every day. I want my faith to be unshakable and my gratitude for all His blessings to be unending!
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BELIEVE IT!
You Create Your Own Peace of Mind
Clearly, I’m hard to slow down. As a result, I have a tough time relaxing, shutting off my brain, and just letting go. The one place I seem to be able to make that happen is up in the air. Whether I’m performing my aerial act or flying in a plane, something about being airborne grounds me. It’s an odd juxtaposition! I’ve also learned to summon my senses. By this, I mean notice how things smell, sound, feel, taste. Try it. Breathe slowly and actually register what your body is doing. You don’t always have to be on autopilot. Instead, feel your heart beat and the air come in and out of your lungs. Be present in the moment and allow yourself to truly experience where you are and what you’re doing. It sounds so obvious, but so few of us actually do this throughout the course of our days. I know when I do, it’s amazing what comes to mind. I do my best thinking in these quiet moments of clarity.
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CHAPTER TWELVE
The Me Nobody Knows
Questions, Answers, and Tidbits
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Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
—Psalm 37:5–6
I said when I started writing this book that I would be totally, 100 percent honest—and I mean what I say. Not even my closest of friends and family completely know all the sides of me. They couldn’t—unless they were inside my head and my body. I hope what I’ve written on these pages up until this point has given you a little insight. I’m “normal” and not normal at the same time, but isn’t everyone? Maybe this will answer the rest!
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A Day in My Life
When I am home in LA, I wake up around 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. I go into the kitchen and get my hot green tea ready to go with my grapefruit and apple sprinkled with cinnamon. Then I go into my room, open my Bible, and start reading. I ask God to lead me to a verse I should share with others. I started texting out daily Bible verses a while back but can’t remember how or why I started doing it. I find it amazing and humbling how God will guide me to send the exact verse that people need that day. Someone will always text me back, “Thank you! This is exactly what I needed to hear right now!” I always reply, “Don’t thank me, thank God.”
After my daily devotions, I make breakfast, which is typically eggs or egg whites and sautéed veggies, garlic, spices, and avocado. Then I get into my gym clothes and drive over to the gym, my second home. I love being there, and I find it such a motivating environment. We typically do group workouts, usually about four of us in a group. And Eric is not the typical boot-camp, scream-in-your-face kind of trainer. He looks like Thor but acts like a teddy bear. He counts politely as he claps his hands together to keep the beat of our exercises.