Strong Female Leaders

By Nan Nan Liu-Maffetone | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Five Minutes What are greenlights? In context of the book, Greenlights, by Oscar-winning actor, humanitarian and now author, Matthew Mcconaughey, greenlights represent the wins in life. The book includes McConaughey's personal stories of conquering the entertainment industry, staying on the top, and turning the "redlights" to "greenlights" in every situation. Like the author himself, the book carries a charming and down-to-earth tone; and if you ever thought of Mcconaughey as just a pretty face, think again! He is quite the philosopher, and is much more than meets the eye. To read the full review on Greenlights, please scroll down.

Matthew Mcconaughey Green Lights Review

About the Book

Is it a biography? No. Is it a memoir? No. "It's a love letter. To life." Says McConaughey himeslf. "It’s also a guide to catching more greenlights—and to realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too," adds the author.
From a pimply-faced teenager, to a budding actor, to an award winning movie star, McConaughey's life is filled with successes, failures, joys, sadnesses and surprises, just like yours and mine. Unlike yours and mine, however, his life is also filled with a whole lot more yellow- and redlights. Somehow, he always finds a way to turn those yellows and reds to greens, and failures to wins.

In the book, you will find that colossal success has had minimal impact on the all-American Texan. At the end of the day, he prides himself on being a father, husband, brother, son, and other humbler roles in life. The greenlights that he had obscured has little to do with his good looks or superstar status, but everything to do with his outlook on life.

What I loved about the book?

There are three things that I absolutely loved about the book:
1) Humor.
Goodness gracious! Mcconaughey is hilarious. Sure, he was funny in romantic comedies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Failure to Launch. In real life, he is even funnier, especially when he was telling lighthearted stories about his past.
One the best moments in the book was when his mom applied skincare cream that was made for grown women on his face, hoping to clear his pimples. Unfortunately, it only subjected his skin to suffer in the most huminiating way, and he laughed it off. However simple the story, it shows that this dstinguished Oscar winning actor is so down-to-earth that he isn't afraid to make fun of himself. He uses his talent of storytelling to bring laughter to others, and always at his own expense.
Some people become famous, and they stop being relatable. They feel pressured to live up to a far-fetched persona. Mcconaughey doesn't seem to care about having a different public image. He is comfortable in his own skin, and wants to make others feel the same. I love that the book allows him to make this type of impact at a greater scale.
2) Humility.
Speaking of being comfortable in his own skin: Mcconaughey isn't afraid to expose his middle class upbringing.
One of the most profound stories from the book is when he was deciding between an expensive private school versus a state school when applying to colleges. His original plan was to attend the private school. When he learned that his father had lost his job and was unable to afford the tuition, he willingly gave up his school of choice and settled for the public university. His act of letting go of his own aspirations for the benefit of others speaks volumes about his character.
When people become famous, they forget about their humble beginnings. Some are even embarrassed by them. Mcconaughey is proud of where he came from, and often visits his grounded past. Being so genuine makes his stories interesting and the book fun to read.
3) Mentorship.
Growing up, mentors offered me this advice: surround yourself with the people you aspire to be. At mid-career and middle age, I aspire to be like thought leaders like Matthew McConaughey, and some of them are only accessible through media and books. Mcconaughey's humor, humility and drive are qualities that I seek in a Mentor. Reading the book gave me an insight to who he is and how he thinks. While I appreciate Mcconaughey's masterful storytelling, the life lessons that he teaches are truly priceless.

How can the book be better?

As relatable as McConaughey is, he is still a celebrity. Even from a young age, he was always handsome, popular and charming. Though he took bodacious opportunities, earned his successes, and inspired many poeople, to inspire the female audience, he still lacks adversity and may not resonate with everyone.

Why should you read the book?

If you are looking for a breazy read that is also inspiring, then Greenlights is a good choice. Mcconaughey's cleverness, practicality, and warmth brought charm, fun and uniqueness to the book. If he writes a sequal, I'd get it. In fact, I may just read Greenlights one more time.

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