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Nick Cannon's children have helped him 'really appreciate the small things'.

The 34-year-old has four-year-old fraternal twins, Moroccan Scott and Monroe, with estranged wife Mariah Carey. While the couple split last year after six years of marriage, Nick has credited his children with helping him keep a smile on his face.

'Having children obviously changes your priorities,' he explained to Fox News. 'But when you start to see life through these innocent eyes and seeing everything for the first time, you appreciate the small things and I think they allow me to take the time out and really appreciate the small things.'

Nick is also thankful for his continuing career, mixing hosting duties of America's Got Talent with writing children's books as well as his music and movie work. But the all-round entertainer confessed that showbusiness hadn't been his first choice of employment.

'Actually, it's interesting because I come from a long line of ministers and before, during that time I remember being in school and wondering what am I going to do, will I follow in my father's footsteps?' he said. 'There was a time when I wanted to go into the Armed Forces and then entertainment was kind of calling. So if it wasn't entertainment ' which, I can't see anything other than that ' it would be somewhere in the field of ministry or public service.'

But Nick is thrilled with how everything has turned out in his working life, and enjoys being one of the hardest working men in the industry.

'Honestly, anything that allows me to be creative,' he replied when asked if he had a favourite gig. 'All of that stuff kind of stems from a place of creativity and writing so wherever I get to just spread my creative juices I'm with it.'