037 | Book Club: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey with Terryn Drieling
Listen to Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey with Terryn Drieling, now available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Welcome to this month’s Elevate Book Club episode! This month we’re chatting with Terryn Drieling about Matthew McConaughey’s book, Green Lights. In the Elevate Book Club, every month we’ll read and discuss a new book as an Elevate community. At the beginning of the month, we’ll send out an email with that month’s book title and the guest who picked it. Then, at the end of the month, tune into our podcast for an episode devoted entirely to all things book club fun! Haven’t joined us yet? Sign up below!
In this episode of Book Club we cover:
This month’s book, Green Lights, by Matthew McConaughey was interpreted by each Terryn, Tara, and Natalie
How Matthew’s green lights in life shaped his journey and career
Favorite takeaways
Book Club: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey with Terryn Drieling
Kicking off the conversation, Terryn (T) introduces herself and gives a brief synopsis of Green Lights. Also briefly discussed is the difference between the audio version of this book and the hard version. Terryn read the hard copy while both Tara and Natalie listened to the audio version. Good news, regardless of how you like to consume books, it’s amazing either way you want to “read” it. Terryn mentions that throughout the hard copy of the book, Matthew has excerpts of his own journals in his handwriting as well as photos that support the storyline. Whereas the audio version, Matthew is actually reading the book to you (and we all know what an amazing voice he has.) So regardless of how you read this book, you won’t be disappointed.
What is the Green Lights in Life?
Digging a bit deeper into the book itself, the ladies discuss what the “Green Lights” mean to Matthew throughout his book. And essentially, this book is a culmination of Matthew’s journals throughout life and how certain moments of his life were either green, yellow or red lights that helped shape his journey. Tara posed the question, wondering if green lights in life happen based on luck or effort. The resounding response between all three women was that green lights are mostly a result of effort, even if the exact effort isn’t fully noticed. In addition, it was added that timing has a lot to do with the green lights in life as well, mainly attributed to a higher power’s timeline of your life.
The Beginning
Diving into the beginning of this book, it starts with Matthew going into great detail about how he grew up. One interesting aspect of this story right off the bat was his parents had a rather tumultuous relationship, having been two times divorced and three times remarried. The gals can’t help but wonder how that relationship affected the young Matthew. In addition, they discuss the three rules that were set in the McConaughey house. (You’ll have to catch the audio for those great tidbits.) Another interesting fact revealed in this book is that Matthew originally set out to college to be a lawyer, but went to his father telling him that he was switching to film studies. That was the first moment that Matthew reflects back on realizing that was the green light that set the stage for his acting career.
The Foundation of Matthew’s Career
Matthew’s first movie was “Dazed and Confused” and it was this movie that really launched his career. Additionally, the role in Dazed and Confused was originally only supposed to be one line, but Matthew was able to make an impression on the producer enough to expand the role. Matthew’s quote from this time of his life mentions that his goal was to be “less impressive and more involved”.
Key Takeaways
How Matthew’s intuition and dedication to his work really shaped his career.
There are TONS of great nuggets of information and quotes from this book.
There is opportunity all around us, but it’s up to us to be open enough to receive it.
About Terryn Drieling
Terryn is a born and raised Nebraska girl, who manages a ranch with her husband and family. While the ranch is her day-to-day, T is also a podcaster, a speaker, and an enneagram coach. Her podcast, “Type it Out” is hosted by herself and her friend Cass who are both ranching women that are also self-professed enneagram nerds. You may have heard of the enneagram, but for those who haven’t – the enneagram is a personality typing system, but it’s not like all the others. Whereas the others determine your type based on traits, your enneagram type is determined by motivations. T also hosts workshops and speaks, you can learn more about her coaching practice here.
Green Lights by Matthew McConaughey
From the Academy Award®–winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction. In the words of Matthew McConaughey,
”I’ve been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.
Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life’s challenges - how to get relative with the inevitable - you can enjoy a state of success I call “catching green lights.””
Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Terryn Drieling on Instagram or visit her website
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