I was pleasantly surprised that the latest Blink on my list was Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights. The nosey side of me decided to listen to it (there are days where I skip a book) and now, I am quite intrigued at the psyche/headspace of McConaughey.
Summary
(From Blinkist) Matthew McConaughey had an unorthodox upbringing in East Texas, raised by parents who embraced what he calls outlaw logic. But they were supportive when it came to his desire to lead a creative life. After shifting gears to attend film school in college, Matthew caught a break when he was cast in Dazed and Confused and hit the big time with this role in A Time to Kill.
Sudden fame wasn’t easy for Matthew, but through some soul searching and chasing prophetic wet dreams, he found the opportunities to shed his vanity and focus on what really matters. Helped by his wife, Camila, he finally learned to focus on family while redefining his career away from romantic comedies to exciting and original dramatic roles.
My Takeaways
After listening to the Blinks, I really think that it is important that one:
- Self reflect constantly
- Pursue your interests and talents
- Take opportunities as they come and don’t be afraid to create your own
- Stay humble
What McConaughey refers to “greenlights” are the instances where people or situations gave him the ‘greenlight’ or ‘ok’ to either take on a role or to pursue his interest. That’s opportunities. The problem, oftentimes, is that we either don’t take it up or we don’t see them as opportunities. Sometimes, it is not wrong to turn down some opportunities if they don’t align with what you want to do in life. That’s where self reflection comes.
I didn’t realise that McConaughey was such a self reflective and meditative person till this book and I have more respect for him too. I found the part about his parents and how his family interacts with each other really shocking but interesting. Who has ever heard about their parents fighting each other with knives and punches to then making love in the kitchen? Or a father punching his son who then retaliates with a 2×4? Yup. Definitely unorthodox.
Greenlights is one of the more interesting and honest autobiographies that I’ve come across and I guess that’s the Matthew McConaughey style. I would recommend reading it or listening to the audio version if you ever have the time cos it’s entertaining!
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