Wake Up Happy is a book by former NFL star and current co host of Live with Kelly and Michael, Michael Strahan. Each chapter of the book starts with one of Michael’s “Rules” and then that chapter goes on to tell a bit about himself in relation to the rule and some cases where the rule worked for him or maybe how he learned to make it one of his rules. In addition to being an autobiography it is also a bit of a self help book in helping your achieve your goals like Michael has.
His brothers used to call him “BOB” when he was little – which stood for “booty on back” because he was heavy. Once Michael found out that is what it stood for and his brothers were teasing him, he worked hard to lose weight. He grew up in Germany but ended up going to school in Texas and then was drafted by the Giants. Where he was terrified to leave his hotel room in NYC.
The book has a lot of great tips and information. One thing that stuck with me as that by the time you go to bed each day, you have made 35000 decisions that day. I found this number to be crazy, but considering how often I spend deciding what book to read or if I should write a review or nap – I guess it makes sense. A lot of the decisions you are making you don’t even realize you are making them!
You don’t have to be a fan of Michael to read this book and gain from it. His rules work for all walks of life, whether you are trying to get a promotion or want to follow his footsteps and play in the NFL.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
From America’s favorite football player turned morning talk show host—a man who makes just about everything look easy—a mélange of stories and motivational advice to inspire the reader to turn up the heat and go from good to great in pursuit of their personal ambitions.
Michael Strahan spent his childhood on a military base in Europe, where community meant everything, and life, though idyllic, was different. For one, when people referenced football they meant soccer. So when Michael’s father suggested he work toward a college scholarship by playing football in Texas, where tens of thousands of people show up for a weekend game, the odds were long. Yet he did, indeed, land a scholarship and from there a draft into the NFL where he scaled the league’s heights, broke records, and helped his team win the Super Bowl as a result of which he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. How? By developing “Strahan’s Rules”—a mix of mental discipline, positive thinking, and a sense of play. He also used the Rules to forge a successful post pro-ball career as cohost with Kelly Ripa on Live!—a position for which he was considered the longshot—and much more.
In Wake Up Happy, Michael shares personal stories about how he gets and stays motivated and how readers can do the same in their quest to attain their life goals.
Here are a few of “Strahan’s Rules”:
1) Listen to other people, but don’t take their opinions for fact. Have your own experiences. Draw your own conclusions.
2) You can’t change other people but you can change how you act around them. Usually, that’s more than enough.
3) Don’t pre-judge. Help can—and will—come from the most unexpected places. Be open to everything around you.
Inspiring and chock full of advice that will help the reader make significant strides toward pursuing his or her dream, Wake Up Happy is a book no one, young or old, male or female will want to miss.