Just Who Will You Be?: Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within
“Maria Shriver is wise, funny and caring–and it all comes through in her winning guide to life, JUST WHO WILL YOU BE? We’re lucky to have her show us the way.”
– Tom Brokaw
“Maria teaches all of us in the graduate program of life to seek meaning through the joy of following your heart. Just the kind of advice a heart surgeon cherishes.”
–Mehmet Oz, M.D.
“Everything Maria Shriver does is a testament to how deeply she respects and cares about people; all people, all over the world. She really does. She is as charming and funny as she is brilliant and profoundly humane.”
–Anne Lamott
“Maria Shriver is real, vulnerable, humble, honest (just like her book) and not afraid to say so. A lovely book by a lovely person.”
–Danielle Steel
“This honest, straight-talking, profound little book is worth a lifetime of reflection. It calls readers of all ages to think again-and differently-about who they’ve been in the past and who they want to be now. This book is a life-stopper, a truly universal piece. It’s a must for everyone-of any age.”
–Sister Joan Chittister
“Every graduate (of anything) ought to be given a copy of this book along with their diploma. There’s wisdom, compassion and truth between these covers. For anyone — at any age.”
–Linda Ellerbee, Executive Producer, “Nick News”
“I’ve learned that asking ourselves not just what we want to be, but who we want to be is important at every stage of our lives, not just when we’re starting out in the world. That’s because in a way, we’re starting out fresh in the world every single day.”
Just Who Will You Be? is a candid, heartfelt, and inspirational book for seekers of all ages. Inspired by a speech she gave, Maria Shriver’s message is that what you do in your life isn’t what matters. It’s who you are. It’s an important lesson that will appeal to anyone of any age looking for a life of meaning.
In her own life, Shriver always walked straight down her own distinctive path, achieving her childhood goal of becoming “award-winning network newswoman Maria Shriver”. But when her husband was elected California’s Governor and she suddenly had to leave her job at NBC News, Maria was thrown for a loop. Right about then, her nephew asked her to speak at his high school graduation. She resisted, wondering how she could possibly give advice to kids, when she was feeling so lost herself. But in the end she relented and decided to dig down and dig deep, and the result is this little jewel.
Just Who Will You Be? reminds us that the answer to many of life’s question lie within — and that we’re all works in progress. That means it’s never too late to become the person you want to be.
Now the question for you is this: Just who will you be?9781401323189 14.95
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Happy to recommend
On the pages of Just Who Will You Be? Big Question, Little Book, Answer Within is found one more in a lengthy line of bestselling works written by a woman who has managed to whittle a forte for herself in a family of huge names, huge accomplishments and huge ambitions.
In her Acknowledgments Shriver states that who she is has a lot to do with herself, nevertheless, who she is also has everything to do with the numerous people who have touched her life along the way.
She says that it was during the period when she was sixteen and her father ran for Vice President of the United States that Shriver ascertained the exhilarating enthusiasm of the life of journalists. As she sat in the rear of her father’s campaign plane with all the working journalists; Shriver became conscious that the ones asking the questions were the ones having the better time.
It was then that she recognized that she wanted to be the woman on the TV screen, and, following her own college graduation that is exactly what she did. Before too much time passed she WAS Maria Shriver, TV newswoman.
And then, to her astonishment, her husband announced he would be running for Governor of California and Shriver faced the end of her life as a newswoman. After a quarter century Shriver found her career ended, and with that ended the persona she had been or so thought the author.
An appeal for Shriver to speak at her nephew’s graduation helped the journalist, wife, mother, and displaced writer focus her attention in another direction when those in the audience suggested to Shriver that she turn her speech into a book. Her speech was entitled ‘Just Who Will You Be.’
Shriver’s graduation speech presented to the class is offered for reader interest. In the text Shriver gave a description of some of her personal life history, she deliberated whether she had been bidden to speak for the reason that her husband is Arnold Schwarzenegger, or because she is a Kennedy, or perhaps it was due to the fact that Sargent Shriver, her father, established the Peace Corps, furthermore her mother Eunice launched the Special Olympics.
Since none of those notions seems to fit Shriver notes that she next mulled several other possibilities until she at last came up with the fame thing. It was she thought the fame thing, the desire of youth to become famous that was the motivating factor for the invitation - after all, Shriver is herself famous in her own right, and is surrounded by famous people and has been throughout her lifetime.
Shriver does acknowledge that fame can get the famous a better table in a crowded restaurant, or a meeting with someone who is into fame, however, she points out that no matter how good fame may look on the outside, it is only an image. Fame in and of itself, says Shriver, cannot make you happy, or feel worthy, or give life joy and meaning.
And that is when she comes to the most important aspect of her speech: Shriver points out that the only way to feel good about yourself, to feel worthy, and find life of meaning and joy is to find your own path, your own voice and to follow your own heart. When you live your own life and not an imitation of the life of someone else, THEN, it is possible to feel good about yourself.
Included in the work is a poem by Shriver entitled ‘Just Who Will You Be’ in which she Congratulates the graduates, asks them to take a look deep inside themselves, points out that everyone’s life is an uncharted course; so go out and live it without regret or remorse, reminds the graduates that it is OK to change your mind. She goes on to discuss career choices, and marriage and the need for perspective and understanding, and draws the ode to a close by pointing out that it is not what you have but what you have in your heart, how much joy do you give, and who are the people that you have helped that count.
Later as she talked with a friend about her speech and the trouble she had had in trying to come up with something to tell a group of youngsters embarking on their lives that Shriver began to realize that she too had been floundering, she had felt as tough she had lost who she was when she was no longer working as a journalist. Shriver says she felt like a shadow of herself and felt that if she could only get her old job back she would again be whole. However, after talking with her old network and being offered a position much as she had held before Shriver came to the realization that she is she, with or without the job. Change comes to us all, it is not always good or bad, but change comes and with it comes new outlook, new perspective and new understanding.
Shriver’s slim motivating manuscript is a sincere self-portrait of a woman in the midst of a changeover. Shriver was thrown for a loop when the longtime NBC anchorwoman, was asked to resign following her husband’s election as governor of California.
Shriver who depicts herself as a complete birthright bearing, accomplishment seeking people satisfying, Good Girl overachiever, came to appreciate that asking ourselves not merely what we want to do or we want to be but who we want to be is essential at each juncture of our lives, and is not something we do only as we are beginning our own lives in the world following marriage or graduation or beginning a job.
Shriver’s highly readable fashion for writing; make Just Who Will You Be? Big Question. Little book. Answer Within. interesting, intriguing and truly motivational. Happy to recommend.
Molly Martin
Reviewer
4 Stars fabulous
Loved this book - every woman should read it…you dont have to be famous …..it relates to all women no matter who you are.
4 Stars Great gift for graduates.
I’ve been buying this book for our HS graduates; it contains a simple and inspiring message for youth.
4 Stars Just Who Will You Be?
The book came in good shape and in a timely manner.
Thanks.
Lori Burress
3 Stars Short Read
I purchased this book for my sister at Christmas time. She had requested it. It isn’t a very big book, so consider it a short read when you buy it. For the price I paid for it, I really hope my sister reads it many times!
Compare Prices/More Info
Filed under: Personal Development Book Reviews | No Comments »
