Matthew McConaughey is sharing his words of wisdom to bring into the new year.
The “Interstellar” star posted a video on Instagram Dec. 29 to address the impending new year, including how to reframe New Year’s resolutions going into 2024.
“I just want to remind us that just because we got things we want to change does not mean that we can’t also look back and appreciate some of the things that maybe we pulled off in the past,” he said at the start of the video.
When it comes to his “past successes,” McConaughey cited becoming a father for the first time 15 years ago when he welcomed his eldest child, son Levi, with wife Camila Alves McConaughey in 2008. The couple also share two more children: daughter Vida, 13, and son Livingston, 11.
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The actor also said writing his first book “Greenlights,” released in 2020, was as a major accomplishment in his life and career. The memoir took a candid look at his life, including the complex relationship dynamics between his parents, as well as revealing that he was sexually abused on multiple occasions when he was a teenager.
“Just because I talk a lot about the journey, the lessons, the moments in life that define us, I’m looking back on those things, thinking about the past year —the past 15 years of my life — those are some highlights,” he said, before flipping the script and posing questions of his own to reflect on. “What are some highlights of your life? What are some obstacles that maybe you turned into opportunities?”
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McConaughey encouraged viewers to “take those moments,” which he refers to as “green lights” in life, and “double down on those.”
“Use them for momentum to help carry you into the new year with the confidence to make happen what you want to make happen in your future,” he added. “I’m talking about giving ourselves credit for past achievements, respect past successes maybe more than we do. And tallying up just how far we’ve come so far.”
As for why, McConaughey said, “So we can look forward to where we want to go.”
“So, here’s to the green lights of the past year, to the lessons and the joys that they brought us,” he concluded his message. “Here’s to taking the positives and making them plural. To being great at what we’re good at.”
In recent months, McConaughey has shared sentiments that he carries with him each day that he's learned through fellow celebrities, as well as his three children.
While promoting his new children’s book “Just Because” in September, McConaughey opened up on TODAY about the five words that he lives by after learning them from Jay Leno.
When he appeared on his talk show back in the 90s, Leno approached him in his greenroom and asked if the actor was nervous, which he admitted to being. The host said it was “easy” and offered a piece of advice to get through it, telling McConaughey, “Just want to be here.”
“I remind myself of that all the time, ‘Wherever you are, just want to be here,’” he said. “If you want to be where you are, you’re kind of like, ‘Well great.’ It makes it easy,”
From his children, he said he's learned “consideration” from Levi, “leniency” and “forgiveness” from Vida, and “focus on achievement” from Livingston.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
