Dec 26, 2020

Greenlights

I just finished Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. It is a memoir of his life that he wrote using his journal entries from the past 35 years as a reference. I listened to the audiobook version. In many cases, the audiobook is never as good as reading the actual book but in this case, it’s better. Get the audiobook so you can hear him act the entire thing out.

I assume that most actors are not as cool in real life as they are in their movies. A screenwriter takes the time to write them the perfect dialog and they always know what to do and say when life throws challenges at them. But after listening to Greenlights, I’m convinced Matthew McConaughey might be even cooler than his on-screen self.

Of the many things you can take away from the book and his life philosophy, the most important to me is this: you’re the author of your own story. What is apparent in the book is that Matthew McConaughey’s life didn’t just happen to him. He was very introspective along the way and crafted a life worth reading about.

I don’t think that I’m particularly proud of the identity I’ve crafted over the first 25 years of life but I am at least now aware that I’m the one writing the story. I can choose to make this character more interesting in the next chapter. Becoming a more interesting person seems straight-forward. If you want to be an interesting person, just imagine what an interesting person would do. Then do it.