Direct Your Own Life: How to Be a Star in Any Field You Choose!

Throw out your Tony Robbins motivational materials and drop under $20 for this little miracle worker to help you or a loved one to find and define goals and inner truths. Okay, imagine Napoleon Dynamite's Pedro and a young feller who got corporate sponsors to pay for his college education and helped grease his way into his dream job. They own their own production company. They make movies. They took risks and have compiled a simple plan for ANYbody, any age, to overcome anxiety, fear and go for what you (we) want in life. more important, what does our anxiety tell us; there has to be a reason, so what is it that messes with your personal goals and happiness? Plainly explained, there's a purpose to it all: what we carry inside of us is a guide, not just a fear mechanism. Efron Ramirez and Chris Barrett don't talk out of their a**es, they're sharing what really works for them and what put them on the indie course of a life's journey. Smart young guys! Chapters go back and forth: one by one guy and the next by the other. If someone had given me this when I was in high school, and I absolutely encourage people to do so, I'd have gone much farther by way of comradeship with these self-motivated compadres. This can make up for all of the negatives and lack of support that ruins young ambition. listen. Read it. Live it. honest to God, you'll face your next day entirely anew.

Authors Efren Ramirez & Chris Barrett's thought~provoking publication will no doubt inspire countless aspiring artists at heart, whether pursuing a career in the entertainment industry or not. Mr. Ramirez' massive fan base following his successes in NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, CRANK and EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH have resulted in several smart, finely attuned life lessons. Mr. Barrett, enjoying his own success as a filmmaker, additionally offers sound and inspiring advice in this unpretentious and good natured checklist. Whether you are looking for guidance in directing your own life or simply an entertaining read by two bright authors and entrepreneurs, this read is a winner.

When reading about this book, I first thought to myself..."What could these 2 young people have to teach me?", by the end of the book, I was thinking that youth might be their greatest advantage in this effort. They've captured their life lessons from this early stage in their lives, and documented their observations on how they arrived at their end results. I often remember and reflect on young adult (and before) experiences, that I still use as my guideposts today. These guys have captured that very vividly, and would be a good reference for anyone. They list the chapters with titles related to "movie terms" (for example, "Develop your life script", "Assemble your cast and crew", etc.) but this book is not only meant for people in the entertainment industry. In summary, I would say their main points are: Follow your heart Change is good You can't live "problem free" so learn to deal with adversity Use team work to your advantage Adapt Granted, some people just don't enjoy self help books. I do, and this is a good one. Good gift for the young graduate or High Schooler. Good refresher for adults who might need to get back on track.

My original interest in DIRECT YOUR OWN LIFE stemmed from the fact that I am a life coach, who helps people get in touch with their intuition and inspiration in order to create their best possible lives. DIRECT YOUR OWN LIFE not only gives people tips and ideas for discovering what is most exciting and fun for them, but it does so from the point of view of two young men who clearly walk their talk: Efren Ramirez and Chris Barrett. While these may not yet be household names, they have in common the fact that movies they appeared in ("The Corporation" and "Napolean Dynamite") won them accolades at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, where they first met. The emphasis on viewing one's life as a movie can be exciting, as some of us may occasionally have entertained the idea of which famous actor or actress might play the starring role in our life if it were ever made into a movie. Some of the basic rules of good screenwriting are included in the form of how to best create a good story arc for your character... such as the fact that in order for your life to be truly wonderful, you're going to have to choose to make some choices as to how to change. Other helpful tips for writing your life movie include: make a list of what you love doing, observe people around you, dream big, start with the ending in mind and work backward to where you are, work hard, have fun, view obstacles as opportunities, find ways to help others with your dream, and follow your heart to find and maintain the integrity of your life story. One of the things I love the most about DIRECT YOUR OWN LIFE is that the authors share their stories of doing the very things they recommend, describing how they kept their goals in mind through all manner of challenges and setbacks. While these men may be considered young from a chronological perspective, the wisdom they impart is often very wise, such as the tip Chris provides that we can benefit from finding the motivation behind the "No" when people turn us down... it might be based on jealousy, for example, which can provide us with further insights into how best to proceed. Efren points out that we ought never let lack of money be an excuse for not pursuing our dreams, because "The less money you have, the more creative and dedicated you'll need to be, and that means a greater chance of success in the future." I love the advice Chris and Efren provide about making money to support your work in creating your dream, so you can feel confident in yourself as saying "Yes!" to your dream and helping make it happen. Rather than expecting someone else to make the initial investments in your dream, your own commitment to earning and spending the money required to make it come true will give you confidence at the same time as you see yourself moving forward toward your goal. Once your dream gets rolling, you can bring in your "cast and crew" and seek investors and experts. DIRECT YOUR OWN LIFE is an excellent source book for all young people firs