Off script : living out loud

**Finding Your Voice, Living Out Loud** For over a decade, millions of Canadians started their day with Marci Ien. As a Black female news anchor and, later, the first Black woman in Canada to co-host a national morning show, Marci felt the pressure to stay "on script"—with little room for error. She had to be great. She had to show, every day, that she deserved to be there. When her career veered sharply away from the news, Marci embraced her new role "off script." With a greater opportunity to speak her mind on the air, Marci now bravely shares experiences from her own life with viewers and pursues more ways to make a difference in her community. In Off Script, Marci shares personal milestones, tales of resilience and kindness, dramatic moments from her career as a journalist and insights from the many unforgettable people that she's met and interviewed. Living off script means having the courage to speak up, trust your voice and follow your own formula for what matters most. Joel Ien, Marci Ien's father and a celebrated teacher and professor, always started the school year by putting two numbers, say 1905 and 1942, separated by a dash, on the chalkboard. Then he would ask his students, "What do you think that dash means'" And his answer was this: The dash is your lifetime. All the years that come between the two dates are compressed into that dash. What will you do during those years' How will you find meaning and purpose in life' The paradoxical secret to finding meaning is not to look for it. The way to achieve a purposeful life is not to search for abstract meaning in it but to remind yourself every day to do the right thing, love fully, pursue fascinating experiences and undertake important tasks, thus discovering how these activities lead to happiness and meaning. Weaving together inspirational stories, practical strategies and insight from prominent'and not-so-prominent'people, Marci Ien shows you how to A' Find community in the face of secular society, retirement and the gig economy A' Value work while understanding the perils of believing that only doing what you love counts A' Move beyond yourself and give back, no matter how much time or money you have A' Redefine and re-evaluate ambition to find balance and contentment in your life A' Slow down and find meaning in the everyday A' Do the right thing by determining your moral, ethical framework and living within it If you, like so many other people in today's hectic world, long to slow down in order to understand what true meaning and purpose is, Off Script: Notes on Living Life to the Fullest will help you enjoy life, find happiness and make the most of the time you've been given "Joel Ien, Marci Ien's father and a celebrated teacher and professor, always started the school year by putting two numbers, say 1905 dash 1942 on the chalkboard. Then he would ask his students, "What do you think that dash means?" The dash is your lifetime. All the years that come between the two dates are compressed in a dash. What will you do? How do you find meaning and purpose in your life? The paradoxical secret to finding meaning is not to look for it. The secret to a purposeful life is not to search for an abstract meaning of life, but to remind yourself every day to do the right thing, love fully, pursue fascinating experiences, and undertake important tasks and how these lead to happiness and meaning. Weaving together inspirational stories, practical strategies and insight from prominent--and not-so-prominent--people, Marci Ien shows you how to: Find community in the face of secular society, retirement and the gig economy; Value work while understanding the perils of believing that only doing what you love counts; Move beyond yourself and give back -- no matter how much time or money you have; Redefine and re-evaluate ambition to find balance and contentment in your life; Slow down and find meaning in the every day; Do the right thing by determining your moral, ethical framework and living within it. By slowing down and understanding what true meaning and purpose is, Off Script will help you enjoy life, find happiness and make the most of the time you're given."-- Provided by publisher