Game On: Find Your Purpose--Pursue Your Dream

by Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher of the Dallas Cowboys, Dancing with the Stars champion, and successful real-estate investor, outlines the principles that helped him become a winner on and off the football field. In this book he encourages you to live your God-given dream, now. Emmitt reveals that it’s not only vision and talent that propel us toward our dreams, but also a combination of determination, persistence, humility, courage, and faith. In this book, Emmitt gives readers the tools to pursue their dream with all their mind, heart, and soul.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Inspirational, Self Help, Biography Memoir, Autobiography, Business

296 pages, Hardcover

First published August 19, 2011

About the author

Emmitt Smith is best known as NFL's all-time leading rusher of the Dallas Cowboys, 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, and Dancing with the Stars champion. Emmitt is also a successful real estate developer, and he appeared in early 2010 on NBC's reality series, Who Do You Think You Are? In addition, Emmitt and his wife, Pat, are generous philanthropists in the Dallas area.

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Game On"; a fitting title to this almost autobiographical life story of Emmitt Smith, written in his own words. He shares with us his roots; growing up in a low income family in Pensacola Florida, to becoming a Dallas Cowboy professional football player and Hall of Fame member.
From his young beginnings, Smith has shown that strength in family and a connection to God have been his upbringing. Respecting his elders has proven to be an asset to Smith as well.
This is one man, who has shown in his story, his inner strength, determination, faith, positive attitude, and more. You might say, "He has all the right stuff". He has learned so much about life, not only through his family and upbringing, but also throughout his years of playing football and having team spirit, plus a desire to be a winner.
One of my favorite parts of this book is where Smith reveals his "attitude enhancers": humility, empathy, and gratitude.
I found this to be a wonderfully powerful read, which I was not expecting. I am not a great football fan, and much of Smith's story describes stories on and off the field, but he shows how to apply the same lessons in dealing with everyday life.
Quite refreshing, when in this day and age we hear so much negativity about pro athletes committing crimes, abusing drugs and such; Emmitt Smith proves that there are humble, caring athletes with good values and a spirit of giving back, that which has been given to them.
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Comment | Permalink


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Living Beyond Your Feelings: Controlling Emotions So They Don't Control You
by Joyce Meyer
Edition: Hardcover
Price: $12.35
Availability: In Stock
118 used & new from $7.46



Retraining your brain, October 28, 2011


This review is from: Living Beyond Your Feelings: Controlling Emotions So They Don't Control You (Hardcover)
From New York Times bestselling author, Joyce Meyer, comes another fabulous and useful read. In this book Joyce breaks down feelings, step by step, in explaining where they come from and how they can affect us.
In part one, she discusses emotions, where they come from, why we are emotional beings, how we get stuck, and behaviors. She identifies the four main personality types and how they influence us.
In part two of the book, she talks about anger,guilt,resentment,depression, and other emotions that can give us trouble.
Using biblical text, she shows us how God does have all the answers, if we just ask for His help, be willing to listen, and apply techniques that will help us overcome negative thinking, to be proactive and change our thoughts, which can change our feelings.
This book is written well, and is an easy read, and easy to understand. The Bible verses presented throughout the chapters provide the knowledge and proof that the answers are available to all. Each chapter is concluded with a positive statement that one can use as positive self-talk or prayer.
This is a book that one can pick up again and again to revisit any chapters that may be relevant to their particular need.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Comment | Permalink


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Your 100 Day Prayer: The Transforming Power of Actively Waiting on God
by John Snyder
Edition: Paperback
Price: $11.74
Availability: In Stock
86 used & new from $0.01



A great book for connecting with God., October 1, 2011


This review is from: Your 100 Day Prayer: The Transforming Power of Actively Waiting on God (Paperback)
This book offers 100 days of prayer beginning with a Bible passage, followed by the author's explanation and interpretation of the passage. After each day's reading, there is blank space for one's thoughts, meditations, or for journaling. It is an easy read, not too deep, but thought provoking and encouraging.
It is written in a cohesive way, for instance, beginning with an opening prayer, and a quick guide on how to use the book. Each day's topic has a different theme, yet are all connected in some way. For example, day one, entitled, "in the beginning" quotes from the book of Genesis and the passages continue on this way.
I like how each day has a different topic, making this a good book to go to at any time if you are struggling with an issue, you can easily go to the table of contents and pick with topic fits for you and re-read it. I say re-read, as I would recommend reading it through entirely the first time.
Some topics include: Living our purpose, first things first, stress free, anger and patience, the perfect plan, hopes and dreams, and much, much more. This is a great book for anyone. An inspiration and guide on life's journey.
I received this book in return for my honest review from BookSneeze.com. Comment | Permalink


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Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir
by Carolyn Weber
Edition: Paperback
Price: $11.35
Availability: In Stock
83 used & new from $3.37



3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
A long read, August 31, 2011


This review is from: Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir (Paperback)
As a student at Oxford University, the author writes a diary of sorts, about her time, studies, living in England, folks and friends and most of all her conversion to Christianity. The authors shares with us, the readers, interesting conversations with friends, quaint times in the pubs, and holiday traditions, and English traditions also. We get an inside look at the author's feelings about men, and religion from visions of her childhood and upbringing. She asks many questions about God and faith; and most conversations are with a Christian male friend, who interestingly becomes a major character in this book.
I must admit, that this is a rather long book. I was weary that I would be able to complete 440 pages of the reading. Written with much literary prose, you can tell right away that the author studied literature as her major, and became a professor of literature as well. There is much use of excerpts from literary masters. I found the writing to be structured much like a textbook. It was a bit dry for my tastes.
There were a couple of times where the story became boring, too long and drawn out for me as a reader, but for someone with a background in literature may well enjoy this far more that I did.
If you can get through to the end, the finale is a happy one.
I have received this book from BookSneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Motivational book by Football great Emmitt Smith.
He really did a good job with this book, while throwing in his achievements...good advice for those who will follow his leading...

Favorite Quotes:

"If you put your heart into it as well as your mind and body, I believe you will have a championship-caliber life.
Step 1. Envision what you want, and then dream of the best possible life.
Step 2. Turn your dreams into goals, and pursue your highest possible purpose as defined by God's gifts within you.
Step 3. Build a strong moral character base on your own values and principles.
Step 4. Pursue your dreams and highest purpose with unrelenting commitment and unfailing consistency.
Step 5. Be courageous even when faced with the worst of your fears and the greatest of challenges.
Step 6. Seize and create opportunities that match up with your long-term goals and principles.
Step 7. Build a championship team of supporters, role models, and mentors.
Step 8. Maintain a winning attitude even during setbacks and defeats.
Step 9. Make wise decisions, and reduce risk to keep yourself on track.
Step 10. Return God's favor with your heart open to him and your hand open to your fellow human beings." p 9

We are all born naked into this world, but each of us is fully clothed in potential. .... Having vision means picturing in your mind what it will be like and how you will achieve it and build upon it. Dreaming means 'rehearsing' what you see, playing it over and over in your mind until it becomes as real to you as your life right now. The two go together. Vision gets the dreams started. Dreaming employs your God-given imagination to reinforce the vision. p 10

I am still living proof that where you are and what you have does not have to determine who you or where you are going. My point is that what lies around you does not have to live within you. How you begin life is not nearly as important as how you end up. p 21

It takes focus, commitment, discipline,and thoughtful decision making. Our success on this earth---the happiness we achieve, the fulfillment we find, the relationships we build---all are the result of the choices we make every minute and every hour and every day in your lives. p 22

The only way to stay on God's path is, by God's grace, to know who you are, what you stand for, and where you are in your life journey each step of the way---and to pay attention when you find yourself wandering off course. p 66

*Your vision for your life is inspired by your dreams
*The path to your purpose is determined by the goals you create to follow your dreams.
*You stay on course by using your principles and values as road markers that define your character.
*You move beyond fear and challenges with courage with courage and commitment.
*You keep growing and expanding your reach by recognizing or creating opportunities.
*You build a team of supporters and encouragers who help you achieve more than you might have ever done alone.
*You consciously choose positive attitudes that allow you to be proactive rather than reactive. p162

[Cindy DeLong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out really liking this book. I had some hesitation about his advice as it seemed a bit extreme for a Christian. His intense focus on his dreams and goals seemed self-centered. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, thinking he might be onto something. As I read further, some red flags started to jump out at me. He kept leaving out the part where he should pray to see what God's will for his life was and if God wanted him to be following each dream. Then he explain the meaning of life as leaving the world a better place for those who follow us. Now I am getting very skeptical. The final straw is when he traces his ancestors and explains that although he is part white and part Indian, he is ultimately an African American. He knows that Africa is where he was originally from. Oh please! Either you are American or you aren't. My great-grandmother was born in France and moved to America when she was 18. That doesn't make me a French American. We are all one people in this country. Has Emmitt forgotten?

[Larisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very encouraging and revealing book about how Emmitt approachs life from his sports career to his post sports ventures, his family and all aspects of life.

It’s a good read, and I found myself thinking about applications to my life.

I followed Emmitt's career, as the wife of a Cowboy fan, but never knew about his Faith - until reading this book.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful success Emmitt has made for himself and all the inspiration he has gained from his believe in God. He rose from a very poor environment and has inspired many. Yes he is wealthy but he isn’t just sitting on that wealth, he is sharing his knowledge for others to come.

[Grayson Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a good book

[Louise Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book we’re encouraged to dare to claim the dreams we have in life so they will provide the energy we need to achieve those dreams. Somehow our brain has the ability to see beyond the current reality to a future time when that dream will be realized. Maybe you have a sixth sense or an inner feeling and are ready to trust God to help you achieve that dream. Because God loves us, He sometimes gifts us with a vision of what our future will bring and we have to hold on purposefully and passionately to that vision. We have to trust God, claim the dream, and wait expectantly. Often in retrospect we can see the hand of God! Emmitt even felt God carrying him when things got rough. If we allow our dreams to die, everyone will suffer. Emmitt points out how much we’d all suffer if the Wright Brothers didn’t pursue their dream of flying. But we can also get distracted and removed from our dream if we allow other peoples’ mistakes, like taking drugs, fearing to risk the unknown, or settling for less, to stop our progress. We may have to arise above immediate circumstances or seek light for our path to keep moving toward our goal. While dreams may motivate you, trusting God will keep you on the right path. Only you can take responsibility for your success. Just dreaming though is not enough. You must follow through on a plan to achieve your dream goal. Learning to set goals and record them is important in planning your legacy. God first, family second, dream goals third help you form common sense goals based on your values and seek God’s purpose for your life. Your character with excellence etched in it is important too, for it will be tested. Emmitt even had a wake-up call not to drink and drive. And yes, he faced challenges including being badly hurt in an important game that needed him to continue playing despite the pain. He even told the coaches in one game when he’d been badly hurt but was desperately needed to let him continue playing. Afterwards he was told he had played the gutsiest performance ever. This is a terrific book about one terrific Hall of Fame football running back. If you or someone you love also loves football or just needs encouragement to follow a dream, this book is for you or them.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Game On, Emmitt Smith described the steps and process he took to accomplish his dreams. He had visions and goals he wanted to reach in life. Smith was a popular football player in the NFL. He has won multiple awards throughout his football career. He has appeared on Dancing with the Stars with dance partner, Cheryl Burke and they won the Championship. He had a dream to beat the NFL rushing record. He made goals to make that dream happen. He eventually accomplished his dream by running 18,355 yards. It took great determination and taking a step at a time to reach that enormous goal. Smith shared his experiences he has encountered to help readers with their own lives. He divided the book into ten steps. Some of the steps include seeing your dream, setting goals, sticking to your core values, having a team, and much more. Emmitt Smith tells readers to always have a dream and to keep sketching towards it.

I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults who need encouragement for their dreams. If you enjoyed his football career then you will enjoy this book! This book teaches readers to never give up on their dreams. But you also have to work hard to make your dreams happen. Emmitt Smith has accomplished a lot in his lifetime and he isn’t done yet! He keeps working and dreaming even after his football career. He has started a construction business to follow his dream of developing buildings. Emmitt Smith is a wonderful example of someone who is determined and dedicated to living the best life possible. His story inspired me to dream big and to work hard for my dreams! I have to believe that I can accomplish my dreams and go after them with everything I got! The game is on to succeed your dreams get going!

One of my favorite quotes:
"You will have your doubters too. When they come around, tell them what I told mine: Game on! Where you start doesn’t matter. It's where you finish that counts. And how you end up in life depends on what you do every day to accomplish your goals. Each day is a step toward building a legacy, a life of meaning and fulfillment." (Page X)

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

[Caleb Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My book review is on Emmitt Smith’s autobiography, “Game On” Find Your Purpose-Pursue Your Dream. The theme of the book was to set goals, work up to those goals, and then go for your dreams. Emmitt Smith went on to set goals for himself even after his football career. Emmitt Smith wrote this book to inspire people, to achieve their dreams. He has outlined a ten step summary to achieve them. The first step is envisioning a dream and dream past that. The second is turning your dreams into goals. Step three is about building a good moral character. The fourth step is about commitment. Step five is about being courageous when you’re afraid. Step six he says to take opportunities that connect you with your goals. The seventh step is keeping a good team of supporters behind you. Step eight is about keeping a good attitude when things get hard or discouraging. The ninth step is staying on track. Finally, step ten, return God’s gifts with an open heart and hand to others. Emmitt Smith credits his success to these steps and most come from the Bible.

Emmitt talks about the importance of teamwork. Emmitt says “I’m concerned about the state of teamwork in our country. We have become so polarized politically and financially that we seem to have forgotten we are all in this together.” Often he is asked to tell his story as a motivational speaker. He believes this message is important.

Emmitt Smith’s style of writing and the message he’s sending is inspiring. It’s a book that makes you want to achieve something great. The book did inspire me. He shared a story about his Dad keeping him humble. Emmitt had scored a second touchdown and was getting egged on by his teammates to do a victory dance in the end zone, so he did. His father said, “Son, I saw your little dance after that touchdown. You know you have been in that end zone many times so you don’t need to celebrate.” This is the kind of moral example that is throughout the story, and anyone would enjoy this inspirational read.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a great Emmet Smith Fan. I thought he was a great football player, it took immense courage for him to be the first "jock" on Dancing with the stars. He always seemed to be an all around nice guy. His book proves all of this to be true.

When the world was pulling for Joe Montana, I thought Emmett was my favorite. Joe may have been a great player, But Emmett played Great.

Written from a Christian Perspective he starts in the first chapter giving us ten points to succeed. these are not your usual standard points, but ten hard-hitting decisions you have to make to change your life.

We usually start with a strong parents . Emmett talks about childhood and high school

ail to remember that our heroes had a start, quite often these starts are humble and they uexperiences that led him to be the Hall of Famer he became. He reminds us he wasn't always that person. He started from another place and though goal setting and grid came to the place he is in life now.

The book is easy reading, but catches and holds your attention. It is an window into the early world and present word of the man along with him family. It is not a book of past glory, or bragging rights. But a book of memories, and successes.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to advance and change their lives.

the book is inspiring, encouraging and entertaining. It reminds all of us, We all start someplace in life, where we end up is up to us.

[Josh]

The purpose of this book is to motivate the reader. The author (emmitt smith) is trying to tell the reader that anything can be accomplished through dedication,hard work and sacrifice.The theme of this book is it doesn't matter where you come from, you could come from a wealthy powerful family or a poor not so well family. But you can accomplish the same goal as the wealthy person as long as you are dedicated and make sacrifices to achieve that goal. This book is a description on how emmitt had to go through hell to get where he is today and he got there by dedicating himself to something that he loved and wanted to be the best at it.My opinion of this book was that it was really good, it made me feel like i could accomplish anything that i wanted. i really liked the fact that he put his own experiences in the book to show what he had to overcome to achieve a certain status. i disliked how it was more general than descriptive at times. if i had to change something in this book i wouldn't change something i would add something. And that is his stats because i think that would catch the readers attention and also it would set a goal to achieve that because the author was a hall of fame running back. It is similar in a way to a book i read by Tony Dungy called "Be Uncommon."

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I am not a fan of sports and usually don’t read books written by sports professionals, I read Game On by Emmitt Smith and was surprised by the faith of the author. So often today many sports professionals are not the best role models, however, Emmitt Smith seems like a man who really loves God and his family. I also appreciated his sense of humor and found myself chuckling several times throughout my reading of his book. I found his story to be an inspiration because even when he thought he might not succeed in his endeavors, he never gave up and in the end, he usually accomplished what he set out to do. I also like how he gave God the credit for his successes. Though I found his book to be an enjoyable read, I noticed that the author did not quote any scripture verses, which I think would have made the book better. Despite the lack of scripture verses, this is a must read for all football fans especially our young people because they really need more positive role models to look up to and Emmitt Smith is one I believe is a decent role model.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly bounced back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. The content of the book is good and I found that Emmitt Smith is a very likable man. I almost brought down to 3 stars because the book was longer than it needed to be. Quite a few chapters were much longer than necessary, in my humble opinion.

With that said, Mr. Smith sets out a very interesting vision to live by. He has obviously had success in several areas in his life, and he is worth listening to.

The book is decidedly Christian in character, which was no problem for me, a Christian pastor. However, Mr. Smith does not try and shove anything down anyone's throat - he simply witnesses to how his faith has helped him.

Also, this is not simply a football book. While much of his life experience revolved around football, it is not necessarily the focus of the book. Don't let the football angle stop you from reading.

All in all a good read and definitely worth a look.

[Christian Jones-solis]

Ultimately the story of Emmit Smith's success is a story about the power one poses when he puts everything he has into a dream, working for it instead of just sitting around waiting for it to happen. It all adds up to a tail of working hard for what you want, something that is not valued in modern society. Game on tells that story very well, showing us that anything is possible if you put all your effort into it.

I would recommend this book because it shows us that we can do anything, and that all is possible through god. It is a very motivational book, so if you are trying to accomplish something or are going through a tough time this is a perfect book for you.

Through this i learned more about my self as a man. I know that my excuse of i tried my hardest doesn't work because I could actually put so much more effort into it. This book is just a all around amazing book no matter how you look at it.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this memoir a bit difficult to read. I don’t follow football, so the amount of sports talk in the book seemed too high for me, though I understand that it’s very important to the author, who spent 15 years in the NFL!

I was also thrown off in the beginning of the book by Smith’s lack of talk about God. He encouraged his reader to follow his/her dreams and showed how he had done the same, but I felt he should have focused more on God’s work in his life and less on his own actions and determination. As the book wore on, there was more and more mention of God and values to live by; it just seemed that such things should have been part of the entire story, especially from a Christian publisher.

I think Smith’s book would probably resonate with a male audience far more than it did with this female, so I would still recommend reading it.

[Hank Pharis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emmitt is one of my 4 favorite football players of all time (the others are Earl Campbell, Roger Staubach and Bill Bates). Nevertheless I went into this with somewhat low expectations. I expected a kind of self help book. It is this but it is more. Emmett's faith is very evident here as he again and again quotes Scripture. But he identifies what might be called the ten guiding principles of his life. The great part is that he has concrete examples of how all of these have been manifested in his life. There are actually a lot of good sermon illustrations here! Like Staubach and Bates Emmitt is the rare athlete that is great role model.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aside from him being an extremely talented football player, he has a very strong sense of his relationship with God. Sometimes he gets too preachy, but I think if you're a fan of his it's a good book for insight into his persona. What a happy guy! Definitely learned a few things about setting goals, and to read how things worked for him in reaching his goals was inspiring. If you can't get past people and their religions, I would strongly suggest you don't read this.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ebook was free when I downloaded it to my Nook.

I could easily give this book a 2-star rating for its simplistic style and repetition of advice that Emmitt Smith was given by his grandparents, his parents, his pastors, and his mentors. It gets 4-stars for it is still good advice and I can recommend this to friends.

I recommend it to any reader who can read it with an open mind and an open heart.

[Mike Harbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emmitt Smith combines a brief autobiography with a motivational talk and his personal testimony. Overall, I really liked this book, both from a football standpoint and as a self-improvement / guide for life book. Worth the read if you are an NFL fan from the early 1990s as well as someone interested in studying self-improvement, goal setting, or just looking for a different perspective on success. Something for everyone at any stage of life.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very motivational book, and for those football lovers it is also good. I always new Emmitt Smith was a great guy, but this just confirmed it in my mind. I also new that Emmitt was very involved in the community with his charity programs, but it is nice to hear what he is actually doing. In short Great Book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Very inspiring. A bit disjointed, but lots of good stories used to illustrate the overall theme of setting goals to follow your dreams, all with the guidance of God. Good stuff.

[Linda Cuttone]

Who isn't a fan of Emmit? He is a star athlete, great dancer, beautiful smile and a Florida Gator. This book was interesting and very motivating. A must for any high school athlete or fan of the game.

[Tom Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was impressed with Emmitt's Christian message, but not at all impressed with the repetition throughout the book. He could have pared it down considerably and still gotten the same message across to his readers.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Game On: Find Your Purpose – Pursue Your Dream by Emmitt Smith concisely summarizes step-by-step ways to live out your purpose. God is present in his story & while he mentions his achievements, it’s not in a bragging manner. It’s a nice book.

[Jacqueline Mcintyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Colton Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read on an athlete to who shows incredible determination.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on planning how to succeed, including a particularly good section on dealing with your fears and apprehensions.

[Heather Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best autobiographies I've ever read. Emmitt's accounts are both humble and inspirational.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Expected more about his life and found myself skipping over the numerous biblical quotes and references to god.