A Review of Make Your Life Primetime: How To Have It All Without Losing Your Soul by María Celeste Arrarás

Life has a way of teaching us many lessons, some of which can be very painful. Yet, it all boils down to how we react in deciding how to move forward on the journey.

In this book, María Celeste Arrarás shares thirty-four (34) life lessons which I found very candid and which resonated with some aspects of my life. It depicted her journey as a child driven to settle for nothing but the best by a father who pushed her very hard to excel. He once told her, “Be the best of the best or the worst of the worst. Never mediocre.”

She took this innate drive into her professional life which propelled her from being a rookie journalist to being an Award-winning journalist, author and host of her own show on Telemundo (Al Rojo Vivo). Her journey wasn’t always easy. Along the way, she dealt with folks who criticized her because of her accent and the way she dressed, she had two divorces, a nanny who physically abused her infant son, an assistant who stole her identity and her money, etc. She could have been angry, bitter, and resentful toward these folks but after taking a step back, she learned a few life lessons.

The folks who criticized her pushed her to make changes to herself which benefited her in the long run. When the tables were turned, she gave the green light for one of them to be hired and even accepted a congratulatory handshake from another who treated her condescendingly in New York. She assessed how her marriages came to a halt, made peace with the ending and moved on after assessing the goodness within each relationship. I really admired her for being the bigger person when her second husband, Manny and the father of her children, married his mistress. She pressed forward for the sake of the kids in showing them they are loved. And despite what the nanny and her assistant did, she didn’t lose her faith in humanity.

Wow! I admire her strength and resilience. Like her, I’m a firm believer that your word is invaluable, your reputation should be protected but most of all, the universe has a way of making things right especially when you have the right mindset and stand on principles. This book is a must read as there are several lessons that’s applicable to your life!

Some of my favorite lines:

"Instead of being afraid, we have to be daring in the face of our mortality. And we have to choose: Do we wait for the inevitable as observers, or do we play an active role in our lives? It is up to us. As for me, I’d rather risk being devoured by a tiger or slipping down a cliff while climbing a volcano."

"Forget reason. When your intuition says something is wrong, pay attention. It will never fail you."

"The note is a reminder that your name is built upon every decision you ever make. And when it comes to defending it, you must be relentless. After all, your name is a legacy that lives on after you’ve gone to the grave. So what’s in a name? Everything."

"There are things in this world that are more meaningful than money. One of them is speaking out on behalf of the weak and the voiceless. You should do it selflessly and at every opportunity. Who knows, in the end, you may be rewarded with more than just a good feeling."

"It was only after I began charting a new course that I was able to accept the turbulent seas I fought so strongly against. And in the end, I made peace with the storm. Resentment is an anchor that keeps you from moving forward and sinks everyone who reaches out to help you. Let go of the weight and set yourself free."

Rating: 5 stars