Friends, my Mom, Judy Daley, wrote this letter.  I hope that you'll share it.  We all must do what we can do every single day to stand up for what we believe in.  

Only God Can Make a Tree*
But Apparently My Landlord Can Kill Them –
Lots of Them
-Letter Written by Judy Daley

This is a story about trees.  Big thick-trunked, bushy, fluffy green ficus trees.  Twenty ficus trees that lined the one horseshoe-shaped street of my little apartment complex. 

My landlord, a prominent Orange County developer, decided that the ficus trees were too messy – pesky leaves and berries were defiling our cars and sidewalks.  So – the trees have been cut down this week.  I had heard from neighbors that some residents had complained often and loudly about the “mess.”  I questioned the community manager about the complaints, but she assured me that the mass destruction of these sweet shady trees was necessary, because their roots displace water lines and rumple sidewalks.  I and my pup have been inspecting the sidewalks all week, as we walk past huge piles of perfectly pristine pieces of trees littering our one (now parched) street.  I don’t see any fractured sidewalks.  But who am I to object?

I am a working stiff, struggling to make a life here and help my young adult children when possible.  I can’t cure Ebola, crush ISIS or change the rising tide of domestic violence in the NFL and society in general.  But I can speak out about the trees.

Emails to the corporate headquarters of my landlord and copying a local “tree organization” were unanswered.  Apparently no one cares that twenty miracles of nature have been demolished this week – in drought-plagued, climate-changing California. 

Those trees were our friends.  Yes – our friends.  They protected all of us in this community from a searing sun this hot summer.  Birds lived in their luscious branches, including hummingbirds.  Even bats lived in these trees.  Bats were found in hallways of our building after the trees were obliterated.  The bats were the reason there were no bad bugs like West Nile mosquitoes on this street.  Crows?  The city of Irvine is filled with crows.  Like the ubiquitous pigeons of Manhattan’s Central Park, species like the crows are among the few critters that can survive in the concrete jungle that we humans have created.  Lots of life was destroyed during the felling of these twenty trees.  But the more profound loss is our human loss of courage and outrage and respect for humble nature.

Those trees produced oxygen so that we can breathe.  We humans excrete carbon dioxide.  No one is planning to destroy twenty of us humans here at my community because we pollute the air.  To the Persons Who Complained about the leaves and the berries:  hopefully you will enjoy our “new” community, which now has all the ambiance of the 405 during a heat wave.

Trees have been the stars of art and poetry and film for centuries – and for good reason.  Joyce Kilmer’s “Trees” is one of many poems that celebrate these life-giving miracles.  A.E. Housman’s cherry trees (“A Shropshire Lad”) are a metaphor for the precious and fleeting journey of life:

Now, of my threescore years and ten,

Twenty will not come again,

And take from seventy springs a score,

It only leaves me fifty more.

 

And since to look at things in bloom

Fifty springs are little room,

About the woodlands I will go

To see the cherry hung with snow.

The tree in Forrest Gump was an unforgettable image in the film, appearing in the beginning of the film and in the end – filled with white birds and guarding the burial site of Forrest Gump’s lifelong love.  Even the Bible starts off with the Tree of Life in Genesis.  And there’s Shel Silverstein’s children’s book, “The Giving Tree,” a heartbreaking life story of a tree from sapling to hissing, burning logs.

In tears, yesterday I cut a small tiny branch from one of the many smashed pieces of ficus that were unceremoniously piled all along the horseshoe street.  I placed the little branch in a vase.  I hope it will grow roots and I will grow my own tree, which no one will cut down.  One piece of discarded, chopped-up wood was heart-shaped and big enough to sit on.  I dragged it into my apartment. 

The trees on the horseshoe street will not be forgotten.

*Joyce Kilmer

Photo “Big Ficus Tree” by Michael Konik

I seriously love my friends.  You all make my life so amazing!  Thank you for that.  Here's a little clip of my day yesterday, with some of my amazing friends.  <3  LIVE IT UP!!

Happy Thursday, guys and girls!  What are your plans for today?!  Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what you're up to.  (Or, tweet me!)  Whatever it is that you are up to, be sure to take a few minutes to appreciate the day that you've been given.  This day will only come around once in all of our lifetimes.

It's easy to forget sometimes how very temporary life is.  Between hectic schedules, work, unnecessary worries, and everything else that people deal with on a day to day basis, at times, we lose sight of what truly matters: being happy and appreciating all of our moments.

In Hollywood, for example,  people run around constantly, and the speed of city-life can be very intense.  Admittedly, I include myself in that statement!  I also will admit that I think life in Hollywood is amazing, and I love it!  But, staying focused on slowing down, living in the present, and appreciating all moments is always my priority.  I work on this everyday.  And I hope that you, my reader friend, will make it a goal of yours, too, to focus on the present moment.

All of you reading this today deserve to be happy, and deserve to be loved.  Finding happiness and finding love begins with finding who you are, and loving yourself for being who you are.  I believe that finding who you are requires self-awareness, and that requires being fully aware of the world around you - moment by moment.  

Appreciate yourself today, and appreciate the gift of being given this Thursday, and all of the awesome moments of life that come with it.  

(I appreciate YOU, my friends!)  xx        

Happy Monday, my friends!  How was the weekend?!  It's been fantastic for me, and I'm preparing for a very busy week!  Busy is always a good thing!  And although being busy is great, it's also really important to focus on doing what you need to do in order to help yourself grow as a person, and help you to excel in your career.  Running around being crazy-busy isn't always healthy!  (Remember, as actors, we need to take care of our health! Click here for some tips!) 

I have found that one of the best ways to stay focused (and healthy) during busy - and sometimes stressful times - is to be in a calm mindset.  I realize that it's hard to stay in a "calm mindset" sometimes, (especially in Hollywood!) but it's the only way that you'll be able to attain and maintain inner peace, through hard times and good times.  Inner peace allows us to be more happy to be alive! 

Promise me that you'll give yourself credit for being a brave, incredible person.  Live your life and live your dream, every single day!  You'll find that the amount of happiness you can attain by being excited about your life is limitless!!  

"Now I'm sunny with a High of 75,
Since You took my heavy heart, and made it light,
And it's funny how you find, you enjoy your life,
When you're happy to be ALIVE!"  - Relient K , "High of 75"

Where did this week go?!  I actually can't believe that it's already Friday!  How are you guys and girls doing this morning?  I hope that you've woken up with a plan to conquer your dreams and to make today a great day!  We have the choice - and the power - to make every single day a good day, (even in the face of tough times.)  

This past week was a good one for me - and there are always lessons that we learn on a daily ("Daley" ha) basis. There were a few things that occurred to me this week that reminded me to always focus on the positives, and to live in the NOW.  

As much as I always aim to do this, I'm human (part tiger ha), admittedly, I get overwhelmed and wrapped up in things that don't need to take so much of my attention.  One of these things that I do that takes way too much of my attention is that I have a tendency to worry a lot.  Yet, the thing about worrying is that it doesn't ever do any good - at all.  

I suppose that this week I've been thinking a lot about how the idea of "worry" simply takes up our precious time.  What will be will be.  And all that we can do is the best job that we can.  For example, I often worry about my health (and I hate germs) which drives everyone around me nuts!  Rather than obsessing over getting sick, it makes much more sense to focus on simply doing all that I can do to stay healthy and go with the flow.  

My friend Liz often reminds me that whatever life throws at us, we can handle it.  She's absolutely right.  So, yes, I certainly worry too much.  And I need to stop worrying so much.  I'm workin' on it - and that's all we can hope to do in life - make progress, and live for today! 

In closing for this post, my friends, live in the NOW, and try not to worry.  All that we have is today.  x         

What's up guys and girls!  I'm headed into work in a few minutes, but I quickly wanted to post a message here to remind you to enjoy your day, and try to focus on all of the positives that you have in your life!  There are lots of amazing things that we must never take for granted in life.  Let's all do our best to pay attention to what truly matters:  happiness.  

If something in your life is tough for you today, take a deep breath, and know that you can handle it, and that everything is temporary.  Good and bad times all will pass.  


You're awesome - and I'll talk to you here again soon.  

Jesse xx

....really hot and really awesome.  I mean, you guys, it was super hot.  But luckily, I happen to absolutely love the heat - and Los Angeles certainly provided it this past week and this weekend! Among the heat this weekend in LA were thousands and thousands of people who came out and attended the One Direction concert over at the Rosebowl in Pasadena this weekend - and I was one of them!  (Thank you Lucas, Matt and Kate - love you guys!!)  

The show was fantastic, by the way.  And I've actually included a little VLOG at the bottom of this posting for you to check out some quick scenes from the  concert!

Apart from the concert, it was great to just relax and reflect a bit!  Life has been getting busy here in Hollywood, and man, do I love being busy!  Work always begets work in this industry, so if any of my actor friends are reading this, always keep pushing yourself!  You're way too awesome not to be reaching all of your potential!  

Happy early, early Friday morning, my fellow Daliens!!  How has the week been treating you so far?  I hope it's been a beautiful one.  My week has been fantastic, and I'm looking forward to what Friday brings (later on today!)

Earlier today (Thursday) - still get confused how to phrase that when I'm writing just after midnight - is it technically "yesterday?"  OK anyways - during the afternoon of Thursday, September 11, 2014, I decided that I'd VLOG much more often.  It is my hope that you all will check out my VLOGS and that we can all stay connected!  I've attached my latest VLOG below!

-- I also want to take a moment to say that we will Never Forget 9/11/01.  I talk about this in my video below, too.  <3

To be totally honest, every single day in Hollywood is extremely busy!  When you're pursuing a career in entertainment, there is never a dull moment - which also includes that there is never really  any "downtime."  (I opt for a beach day for that type of downtime that I so desperately need at times - and so should all of you!)  ;)

Now, it's very early in the morning again (I find that I enjoy to write at this time.)  In fact, I just updated some of my work on my other page, (acting.about.com) so if you do have a minute, please feel free to jump over there and check everything out.  I firmly believe (and truly hope) that you'll find my articles to be helpful!!

Anyways, back to my blog post!  (Jesse, stop getting distracted!!)  - Among my list of many things to do today, one of my tasks which I will accomplish is that I will be following up with a casting director with whom I recently had a great audition with.  Actor friends, it is extremely important that we follow up with contacts.  We must stay at the fore-front of a casting director's mind!  (More info on this topic can be found here.  These tips can also be put to use when applying for any kind of job!)

You, my actor friends (and non-actor friends,) are unique.  Give yourself every opportunity possible to show the world how awesome you are.  Make your day a busy one, as mine is today!  Get out there, follow up with a casting director, an agent, someone in the biz. Make it all happen!    

I always believe in you,

Jesse    

Hope you guys and girls recognize how beautiful you are today!! Live it up and share too much love ;)