Greenlights: Your Journal, Your Journey by Matthew McConaughey

As difficult as I may find it to pronounce Matthew's surname, this book is as simple as possible. 

As good-looking, handsome, and charming as Matthew is, the book is equivalently brilliant and surpasses his looks and charm. It might leave the reader surprised at how good it is. 

Matthew has been writing in journals since he was fifteen years old. He has chronicled his journeys from Texas to Australia and Mali to Peru. In this authentic, unconventional journal, the prompts encourage going inside: remembering, reflecting, and musing, and also going outside: adventuring, taking risks, and dreaming big. Who could be a better guide for seekers setting out on the road to understanding their lives inside and out, past, present, and future?

On finishing this book, I realized that Matthew did not complain about his life. He glossed up all the weirdness and chose to see the 'Greenlights'. He was beaten, and so was his brother and his mother too. His is not certainly a rags-to-riches story but he had challenges.

Being blessed with good looks and the incredible charm that he had(s), he was stereotyped. Many of us face this stereotypism and coming off it is tough. I laud his courage to deliberately avoid stereotypical roles at the peak of his career. He decided to wait for challenging roles.

My learnings:

1) One must look out for 'Greenlights'.

2) Waiting for good stuff is important

3) Good things happen to those who wait.

Some of the quotes from the book that I liked:

“All destruction eventually leads to construction, all death eventually leads to birth, all pain eventually leads to pleasure. In this life or the next, what goes down will come up. It’s a matter of how we see the challenge in front of us and how we engage with it. Persist, pivot, or concede. It’s up to us, our choice every time.”

“Great leaders are not always in front, they also know who to follow.”

“The problems we face today eventually turn into blessings in the rearview mirror of life. In time, yesterday’s red light leads us to a greenlight. All destruction eventually leads to construction, all death eventually leads to birth, all pain eventually leads to pleasure. In this life or the next, what goes down will come up. It’s a matter of how we see the challenge in front of us and how we engage with it. Persist, pivot, or concede. It’s up to us, our choice every time.”

You won't regret reading this one. A simple but powerful read. 

Happy Reading, 

Trupti