Only You Can Be You: 21 Days to Making Your Life Count

Erik Rees

Jul 2009 · Kuthengiswe ngu-Simon and Schuster

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Based on the psychological tenet that it takes twenty-one days for a new behavior to become a habit, Erik Rees presents twenty-one daily principles for reminding readers of their individual importance.

“Make your life count.” These four simple words spoken at the funeral of a four-month-old child haunted the author, hitting him like a ton of bricks and causing him to wonder if he was making his own life count. Contemplating what kind of legacy he would leave, he wondered if there was anything about the present course his life was taking that would make a difference to anyone in the years to come. Furthermore, it hit him that these are the same thoughts most men and women ponder. This challenged him to write this book focusing on principles that would help people’s lives make an impact.

By the time many people reach adulthood, they carry so much baggage that the weight of it distracts them from maximizing life and leaves them feeling insignificant for not doing much beyond surviving. The book suggests that there are three great choices that affect every aspect of our lives. These “life choices” relate to who we surrender our life to, how we steward our unique gifts, and the choices we make to help others. Learning to make the best choices in these three areas will influence every aspect of life, and will resolve the “why am I here” questions.

Only You Can Be You does not offer simplistic choices, which are quickly dismissed because they do not deal with reality, but instead it shows that sometimes life’s decisions require deep courage and strength. The book strongly affirms that you can make the right choices and that when you do, you will ultimately find significance. The message of the author is that by making the best possible life choices, readers will not only find genuine happiness and purpose, but they will also leave a legacy that really makes a difference.

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Rees is the Pastor of Life Mission at the Saddleback Community Church, in Lake Forest, CA. He is also a certified life coach specializing in purpose discovery and career fulfillment. Rees is the author of several books and speaks nationally and globally through churches and conferences. His web site:

Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of the largest churches in the world, with campuses in the US and around the globe. He is the author of The Purpose Driven Life, one of the bestselling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in multiple formats.