Does it matter what "my story" is? In reality. No! What "I am," as well as who "you are," is the non-conceptual, ever-lasting Presence often referred to as Love or Oneness, as described in the following story:
A man found himself in the gates of Heaven after making his transition. He knocked on the door, and God asked, "Who is it?" The man replied, "It's me, Peter." God said, “Go away, there is no room for you here." Peter knocked again, and once more, God asked, "Who is it?" And Peter once again replied, "It's me, Peter. Don't you remember me? The one who has done so many great things in the world, healed lots of people, loved everyone, and forgave everyone?" And God once again said, "Go away, there is no room for you here." Peter, very disappointed and confused, went away and, in tears, started to pray. Then, he received an insight. So, he went back and knocked on the door. God once again asked, "Who is it?" And Peter said, "I am Thou." God opened the gate and said, "Come on in, Peter. There is no room for me and you, there is only room for me as you."
Every morning, when I wake up, I remind myself that I know nothing. Then, when I go to bed at night, I remind myself that I know nothing. And during the day, I ask Love:
“What would You have me do?
Where would You have me go?
What would You have me say, and to whom?”
W-pI.71.9:3-5 (A Course in Miracles)
However, for those who wonder how I was led to do what I do. Here is a short synopsis of my life’s journey while remembering that I am no better or worse than anyone. This is just a story, meaningless, therefore, not important. Enjoy it!
I was born in Puerto Rico. I lived there until my 23rd birthday. Raised by my mother, Iris Arandes Ortiz, and grandmother, Juanita Ortiz Vda. de Arandes, from a very young age, I showed an innate ability for visual arts and music, as well as for teaching, but I will elaborate on the latter a bit later.
My mother, amongst many of her talents, played the piano, guitar, and accordion and had a great singing voice. My grandmother, she played the piano. Having a piano at my disposal as a child, I remember listening to my neighbor playing Blue Moon and immediately sitting at the piano and reproducing what I was hearing. I also had a “knack” for the drums, but owning one was out of the question, given that the instrument is too loud. Years later, the piano got out of tune, and my family never bothered to tune it. Therefore, the guitar was my instrument of choice.
The first album I bought, which was responsible for my passion for the guitar and Rock music, was from an American band called Grand Funk. It was a live album titled Grand Funk Railroad Caught in the Act.
Their guitarist Mark Farner’s style captivated my interest. From that moment, I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to being a musician. After having bought, or should I say, my mother bought me an electric guitar, a Fender Stratocaster, years later, I started rehearsing with a band that broke up shortly after because I moved to Miami, Florida, in 1984. Although I felt that music was my passion, that it was my "destiny,” something happened that would deviate me from that goal. I began to feel a natural inclination towards comedy. And for 15 years, I earned my living as a professional stand-up comedian.
During my time as a comedian, my interest in spirituality arose. That turn of events took place as a consequence of a difficult relationship in which fear took over my life. In truth, every previous relationship evoked so much pain, but this one was the one that led me to truly seek help. The interesting thing was that no therapy could help me.
So, as I was earning my living as a comedian, an incline for writing and speaking about spirituality and self-improvement took over my life to the extent that I started to lose interest in comedy. There was still the residue of me wanting to make it in show business. It is said that to make it in show business; one has to move to Los Angeles or New York and work as a waiter or in odd jobs to make ends meet. Although for some, it may seem true, I had a different experience. In late 1993, out of the blue, I received a phone call from a comedy club manager from West Palm Beach, FL, stating that Randy Stone, who at the time was vice president of casting for 20th Century Fox television, saw a tape of my act that the comedy club manager sent, without me knowing about it, and wanted to offer me a development deal for a television sitcom.
I was very excited about the opportunity and was flown to Los Angeles. Everything was happening effortlessly. This shows that whatever is meant to happen will happen, regardless if I do something about it or not. This reminds me of Ramana Maharshi’s quote, where he states:
“Whatever is destined not to happen will not happen, try as you may. Whatever is destined to happen will happen; do what you may to prevent it. This is certain. The best course, therefore, is to remain silent.”
But at the time, I was not ready to come to terms with that statement because I was still holding on to the belief that “I” was “in charge” of my destiny. If I am willing to do an honest investigation, thousands of synchronistic events have taken place in my life, as well as in yours, that demonstrate that something is in charge of this game called life.
As I was making a living as a comedian, it was obvious that my calling had nothing to do with becoming a “star,” even when I had the talents. It was more about healing and getting to know who I truly am. The same passion and desire that motivated me to pursue a career as a comedian and drove me to practice the guitar for years was slowly dissipating. And there was nothing I could do to regain that passion.
I remember being on stage, and there was no sense of fulfillment. I was just doing my “job,” sort of speak. It was confusing and frustrating. I thought I was lazy or something was wrong with me. Yet, the desire for truth and for sharing my newfound understanding kept pushing me away from the entertainment industry. Also, while living in Los Angeles, I wrote three sitcom treatments, two of which had sample episodes. But the desire to do anything with them disappeared. The craving for silence was more and more evident to me. And every time a door opened in the show business arena, it would shut down.
To give you an idea, I will share a few examples. Within a week of moving to Los Angeles, the management handling my affairs was driving me through the city and pointing to a building, she said to me, “Those are the offices of William Morris Agency. But don’t bother with them because they handle nothing but major stars.” I did not give it any thought. I just continued enjoying the tour of the City. The next day, I received a call from my management saying, “Nick, you have a meeting tomorrow with an agent at the William Morris Agency because Randy Stone was talking about you, and they wanted to meet you.” I went to the meeting; I was not nervous at all, not even trying to impress anyone, I was being myself. Then the agent said, “I want you to meet someone.” If my memory does not fail me, his name was Dave Gros or something like that.
I went to a meeting room where he and a few others were there. Whatever I shared along with my confidence and enthusiasm made an impression on him for what he said: “I am glad I got the chance to listen and meet you personally because what you have shared could not be captured by watching a video.” And the thing is, I did not have any projects or ideas in mind because if I did, they were willing and eager to work with me.
Another one, while I was in Los Angeles rehearsing for the pilot of the sitcom Randy had created, I would not consider myself an actor, although I have done small things in the past, like a few episodes of Miami Vice, comedy television appearances and a pilot for another sitcom filmed in Tennessee.
But I was not trained as an actor. Yet, with Randy’s acting coach, the night of the performance, according to the comedians and some of the people who attended the pilot, they did not know I was a comedian. They thought I was an actor. Then, about a week or so later, when I performed at the Laugh Factory, they were all surprised that I was a comedian because of my performance. Following my set, the owner of the Laugh Factory, Jamie Masada, started asking me questions to see if something could be worked out since I left a good impression.
Also, my management, wanting me to audition for parts, set up a meeting with an acting teacher by the name of Aaron Speiser. I went to his house for a quick coaching session, and because of my accent, he asked me where I was from. I said from Puerto Rico. He said that he has a student whose family is from Puerto Rico by the name of Jennifer Lopez. I started taking classes with him, and he introduced me to her, not that she cared, but I have thousands of stories throughout my career as a comedian, that it was crystal clear that if comedy or acting had been my calling, my passion, who knows where I would be now. I had looks and talent, and I could deliver the goods, and yet, every time that a door would seem to open, the whole deal would collapse. It was as if life was telling me, “I have a plan for you.”
A few weeks after moving to Los Angeles in January of 1994, due to the development deal I had with 20th Century Fox Television, I was looking for a spiritual center where I could attend and maybe meet people who share my interests. Browsing through the yellow pages, I found an ad for such a place. The moment I attended the Sunday service and heard the minister, a strong feeling took hold of me, and I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I was home. I am not implying that the spiritual center itself was home because I don’t fall for any kind of organization. What I am saying is that the resonance of a message that points to the nature of my being felt like home.
I became very involved with the church’s activities. I would sit at home and write about spirituality and inspiration, then on Tuesdays, at the Laugh Factory, they had the Latino Comedy Nights, where I was a regular, I always made it right on time for the show. But once my comedy set was over, I would run back home to continue writing. Consequently, as you can see, comedy was becoming more and more an obscure part of my life.
Then, a turn of events, too many to mention, led to me having to leave Los Angeles and continue working as a comedian while slowly returning to Florida. During those years, I was reading books about self-improvement, even books on spirituality that somehow were mixed with some kind of “how to” this or “how to” that. It was as if I needed to be “fixed”. I never had conduct issues. My rebellious attitude had nothing to do with bad behavior because I have always been very respectful. It was more about following my instincts. Consequently, at times, I felt alone and not understood. I did not know who to turn to, where to go, etc.
Watching my world crumble again, and after speaking about spirituality, having written books, and so on, my dear friend Mike allowed me to temporarily stay at his house in Orlando, Florida. He had a small four-track recording device. Since he was not using it, I started composing songs. I was like a child in a candy store. I was so immersed in the creative process that I felt as if I had been possessed. Working as a stand-up comedian, being on the road for so long, all of a sudden, I started to get sick. I felt a strong pressure in my heart. I did not know what I had and did not even have medical insurance to at least take a look. One thing for certain is I felt that I needed a home. A place where I can feel like I did when I was at that spiritual center in Santa Monica, California.
Not knowing what to do and concerned about leaving my career as a comedian, the bodily symptoms became so strong that I had no choice but to quit and trust that life would somehow provide. And as always, life did. I found a Unity Church in Orlando, and people I could relate with. Then all sorts of life events took place, too many to mention, that in November of 1999, I landed a contract to work as a comedian on a Cruise for nine weeks straight. Then, the desire to create music returned. And since I was making good money with the Cruise Line, I had the opportunity to build a small studio in my bedroom in Florida.
That’s where I recorded my first CD in English entitled, "No Rules at All.”
Although, during that recording period I believed that my passion for being a musician would continue, the desire to promote the songs disappeared. Around 2005, a friend invited me to a seminar where I watched my intrinsic desire to teach rise again. I was so moved that I began working with that company in the next few years, including considering becoming one of their trainers. I realized, however, that although sharing and inspiring is a part of a deep intrinsic desire, that company, including all I had learned during my years of research and quest, had nothing to do with the message I was supposed to deliver. I am not here to “motivate” anybody but to remember who I am. Because truthfully, that would be the only way I feel I can serve others.
So, in 2007, tired of my spiritual quest and all that the world of self-help offered, I grabbed everything: books, DVDs, CDs, all I had invested over the last 20 years and gave it away to a non-profit organization called The Salvation Army. That’s when I completely surrendered.
And I remember, crystal clear, an intuitive sense that sounded like a voiceless voice saying:
“You are not here to help anyone manifest their desires because you do not know what is in their best interest.”
Then I heard,
“You are not here to help anyone manifest their desires because they do not even know what is in their best interest.”
For a moment, I asked myself the question, then what am I supposed to do? And the answer that came through was,
“You are here to send them to Me.”
In other words, I am not here to claim to be an expert or a teacher but a reminder. It is like a herd of sheep led by one shepherd. My position would be more like that of a sheep who tells every other sheep to follow the one shepherd who knows the way. That shepherd is their inner teacher, their inner guide, which can only be accessed by the absence of judgment; by the willingness and humility to know that, speaking in first person, I know absolutely nothing! And the message I heard, interestingly enough, was not for anyone. It was for me.
A few days later, after that revelation, I was ready for something that completely changed my life. In November of that same year, 2007, I was introduced to the teachings of a blue book called A Course in Miracles. Recognizing that the course was just for me and not to be evangelized, I found myself, almost against my will, speaking and writing about the course’s teaching.
As stated earlier, I never considered myself a "spiritual teacher" or an "expert" on anything. The desire to share, which came naturally, is a way to accelerate my comprehension and, consequently, my healing process. As someone once said, “We teach best what we have to learn more.” It was my therapy. That led me to write What Happens When You Let God, which the rewritten version carries the same title, adding the word REWRITTEN.
That book led to interviews at radio and television stations worldwide, one being at the CNN studios in Spanish in Miami, Florida.
If you visit the Gallery on my author’s website you can see over 70 photos.
The resonance of the message with others led me to speak in Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama, Spain, England, Germany, Canada, the USA, and Puerto Rico, just to name a few.
Then, after years of speaking, music once again took up a central point in my life where, in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2013, I was presented with the opportunity to record my first music CD in Spanish entitled Aquí Estoy! (Here I Am!).
A few years later, another CD was recorded entitled Lo Que Das Tu Recibes (What You Give You Receive).
Living in Spain during the pandemic I recorded the fourth CD in Spanish titled Amor en Cuarentena (Love in Quarantine).
If you would like to listen to all the songs, visit my website: www.NickArandesMusic.com
Since then, and during that time, I have written books, which you can see by visiting www.NickArandes.com and choosing the tab titled Author.
I have also written an outline for a movie inspired by one of my two favorite actresses and written for her as well. If the first is unavailable, it would be for the second one. But who knows? The movie may never see the light of day. But writing it was fun!
Meanwhile, without religiosity or contemporary "spirituality,” life keeps inspiring me to speak on the subject of non-duality. In the end, there is no me, and there is no you, all that there is is you as me, for we are all One. We are only Love. I now close this short bio with my favorite quote from Nisargadatta Maharaj:
“Wisdom is knowing I am nothing, Love is knowing I am everything, and between the two, my life moves.”
