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Make Your Life Prime Time: How to Have It All Without Losing Your Soul
An uplifting collection of candid and anecdotal life lessons, originally written as a primer for the Emmy Award-winning author's children, describes her example-setting career, her influence as a Latin-American personality, and her thoughts about family life.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 2009
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39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 11, 2009
From the title, I thought this was more of a celeb (let’s inspire someone else) self-help book. However, it was more of a collection of short stories all wrapped up in a neat ‘look, I made it’ package, lacking both heart and soul, making it hard to relate to the author and her struggles.
May 27, 2020
Before reading this book, I did not know who Maria Celeste Arraras was because I have never watched the Spanish networks on tv. However, I picked it up off the free shelf at the library because of the subtitle, "How to Have it All Without Losing Your Soul." I am always looking for ways to improve myself so I grabbed it. It's really more of snippets of her life and her opinions on life. It was an engaging read but I think the title was a tad misleading. Sure......she advises to be nice, to forgive, and to be loyal, but it's not really a "self-help" book as the title seems to imply.
I will say though, that as a reporter she is very brave. I cannot even imagine how scared she was when she went into Mexico to talk about a secret passage into the United States. I love how much she cares for animals and advocated for them. It saddened me that her trusted assistant took advantage of her and stole over $300,000 from her.
Interesting read but only 3 stars in my opinion.
I will say though, that as a reporter she is very brave. I cannot even imagine how scared she was when she went into Mexico to talk about a secret passage into the United States. I love how much she cares for animals and advocated for them. It saddened me that her trusted assistant took advantage of her and stole over $300,000 from her.
Interesting read but only 3 stars in my opinion.
February 6, 2017
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.”
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.”
July 2, 2009
Boy do I feel duped. Zig Ziglar wannabe meets Chicken Soup meets a sucker watching the Today Show! Yuck! I'm a self-help book skeptic and I was really hoping this book would be different. Well...it wasn't. It was a self promoting, over simplified, meandering compilation of short stories. I'm sure Ms. Arraras is a brave, sharp woman with a story to tell...she didn't do a good job of telling it. I could suggest a better title..."Make your life prime time...write a book and get a sucker to buy it"
September 7, 2011
¡Una maravilla! Ella dio en el clavo las lecciones de la vida. Escribe en una manera fácil de entender, que le agradezco mucho de no ser una hispanohablante nacida. Creo que he absorbido lo que ella quería enseñarnos. Ella nos cuenta la revalaciones de la vida, y tiene razón. Quiero agradecirle otra vez, porque sus palabras han reafirmado mi propia filosofía, y esto me anima para dedicarme otra vez con energía a lograr mis sueños.
May 2, 2011
This is a memoir and self help book all in one. At first I refused to read it, and I finally I read it. It was a fast interesting read. Not my kind of literature if it can be called that. But the message is wonderful. I am glad I read it. Maria Celeste should have a talk show. She has the "it".
March 30, 2013
María Celeste comparte las lecciones que ha aprendido de la vida y de su familia sobre todo de su Papá, y que le han ayudado a llegar a donde se encuentra. en un lenguaje y estílo propio de su protagonista.
June 2, 2014
Loved it!
November 10, 2019
De los mejores libros que he leído, realmente la historia de María Celeste es sorprendente. recomiendo leerlo. Exitosa en todo!!!
September 25, 2012
Another inspiring story about a great Latina role model..highly recommend this book .
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews