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Fighter: Five Keys to Conquering Fear and Reaching Your Dreams
"It's too late it's my fate I can't turn around, there's no fear in the mirror to hold me down"
Musician Chris “Manafest” Greenwood lost his father to suicide at the age of five, and found himself with nothing to cling to but a single mom and his childhood dream of moving to California to become a professional skateboarder. But God had different plans; by the age of 18 Chris fell in love with hip-hop music and quit his corporate job to join the ranks of Toronto’s competitive underground hip hop scene, choosing the name Manafest as a reflection of his goal to manifest his dreams. After years of fighting for success in one of the toughest industries in the world, he found himself living in his dream— a 3-time JUNO award nominee, Top 10 Billboard charted rock artist, living in southern California, selling hundreds of thousands of records worldwide.
Named after his highest charted song, Fighter, this book is the story of how Chris conquered his fears and found success in five stages, which he calls the anatomy of a fighter—courage, perseverance, mindset, discipline, and willpower—the five resources we can all draw on in order to reach our dreams, no matter what they are. The message is simple; we have to replace fear with faith. If God can do something great with a skate punk from Pickering Ontario, imagine what he can do with your life!
Musician Chris “Manafest” Greenwood lost his father to suicide at the age of five, and found himself with nothing to cling to but a single mom and his childhood dream of moving to California to become a professional skateboarder. But God had different plans; by the age of 18 Chris fell in love with hip-hop music and quit his corporate job to join the ranks of Toronto’s competitive underground hip hop scene, choosing the name Manafest as a reflection of his goal to manifest his dreams. After years of fighting for success in one of the toughest industries in the world, he found himself living in his dream— a 3-time JUNO award nominee, Top 10 Billboard charted rock artist, living in southern California, selling hundreds of thousands of records worldwide.
Named after his highest charted song, Fighter, this book is the story of how Chris conquered his fears and found success in five stages, which he calls the anatomy of a fighter—courage, perseverance, mindset, discipline, and willpower—the five resources we can all draw on in order to reach our dreams, no matter what they are. The message is simple; we have to replace fear with faith. If God can do something great with a skate punk from Pickering Ontario, imagine what he can do with your life!
153 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2013
13 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Greenwood
1 book65 followers"It's too late it's my fate I can't turn around, there's no fear in the mirror to hold me down"
Musician Chris “Manafest” Greenwood lost his father to suicide at the age of five, and found himself with nothing to cling to but a single mom and his childhood dream of moving to California to become a professional skateboarder. But God had different plans; by the age of 18 Chris fell in love with hip-hop music and quit his corporate job to join the ranks of Toronto’s competitive underground hip hop scene, choosing the name Manafest as a reflection of his goal to manifest his dreams. After years of fighting for success in one of the toughest industries in the world, he found himself living in his dream— a 3-time JUNO award nominee, Top 10 Billboard charted rock artist, living in southern California, selling hundreds of thousands of records worldwide.
Named after his highest charted song, Fighter, this book is the story of how Chris conquered his fears and found success in five stages, which he calls the anatomy of a fighter—courage, perseverance, mindset, discipline, and willpower—the five resources we can all draw on in order to reach our dreams, no matter what they are. The message is simple; we have to replace fear with faith. If God can do something great with a skate punk from Pickering Ontario, imagine what he can do with your life!
Musician Chris “Manafest” Greenwood lost his father to suicide at the age of five, and found himself with nothing to cling to but a single mom and his childhood dream of moving to California to become a professional skateboarder. But God had different plans; by the age of 18 Chris fell in love with hip-hop music and quit his corporate job to join the ranks of Toronto’s competitive underground hip hop scene, choosing the name Manafest as a reflection of his goal to manifest his dreams. After years of fighting for success in one of the toughest industries in the world, he found himself living in his dream— a 3-time JUNO award nominee, Top 10 Billboard charted rock artist, living in southern California, selling hundreds of thousands of records worldwide.
Named after his highest charted song, Fighter, this book is the story of how Chris conquered his fears and found success in five stages, which he calls the anatomy of a fighter—courage, perseverance, mindset, discipline, and willpower—the five resources we can all draw on in order to reach our dreams, no matter what they are. The message is simple; we have to replace fear with faith. If God can do something great with a skate punk from Pickering Ontario, imagine what he can do with your life!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 29, 2016
Very inspiring and motivating book. Also has wonderful insight into the music industry and the struggles of an Indie artist.
October 19, 2017
Great inspirational book. Not planning to be a musician, but the piece translates well into other industries where you might be working to achieve success and personal or professional goals.
I love a comeback after a setback story with Christ at the center.
I love a comeback after a setback story with Christ at the center.
May 17, 2019
Excellent Read
If you are looking for a straight forward way of looking at life and finding your path, this is one of the better books on the market.
I have been a fan of Chris’s music for years now and find that he is a genuine soul.
If you are looking for a straight forward way of looking at life and finding your path, this is one of the better books on the market.
I have been a fan of Chris’s music for years now and find that he is a genuine soul.
May 6, 2020
The most inspirational book I have ever read. I love Manafest's Music and I love his story.
December 7, 2014
This is an amazing book and I highly recommend that everyone read it. It is full of great information to help you put your nerves and negative thoughts behind you and succeed. When I was young I used to always say that I wanted to be in law enforcement and nothing else. Shortly thereafter in junior high I developed a love of science and wanted to go into the crime scene investigation side of things. But in high school and college I fell in love with computers and majored in them. Shortly after college I attempted to apply for a masters program in forensics but was told that I could not attend because I did not major in either biology or chemistry. My dreams were crushed, so I figured well if I can make it into an entry level law enforcement spot then I could get my forensics training there. Well for two years I tried and tried but never got into any of the departments I tried for.
So I decided to go into the emergency medical field and use it as a stairway to my goal as a police officer. I did rather well as an EMT and decided to go for my paramedic lic. Well I struggled and fought through class and eventually made it to my current position on my internship. It seemed that even though I knew what i needed to in my mind I just could not get it done with my hands. Every day and call left me feeling that this was not going to work and that I would not amount to anything. Another of my dreams crushed.
I found out about this book and watched a lot of youtube videos by the author on them and began listening to his music. I listened to the e-book and then bought the real book. This book is written in an easy to read and understand language. It was written in such a way that I just did not want to put it down. The book showed me and gave a new seed in the life of following my dreams. It showed me that I am not the only one who has had it rough and that with God's help and the correct mind thoughts and personality I can achieve my goals and dreams as long as I don't give up. I may fail and get knocked down from time to time but as long as I keep my mind and body in a positive position and don't give up I can make it. Just as the author did.
It has breathed a new life into my dreams.
So I decided to go into the emergency medical field and use it as a stairway to my goal as a police officer. I did rather well as an EMT and decided to go for my paramedic lic. Well I struggled and fought through class and eventually made it to my current position on my internship. It seemed that even though I knew what i needed to in my mind I just could not get it done with my hands. Every day and call left me feeling that this was not going to work and that I would not amount to anything. Another of my dreams crushed.
I found out about this book and watched a lot of youtube videos by the author on them and began listening to his music. I listened to the e-book and then bought the real book. This book is written in an easy to read and understand language. It was written in such a way that I just did not want to put it down. The book showed me and gave a new seed in the life of following my dreams. It showed me that I am not the only one who has had it rough and that with God's help and the correct mind thoughts and personality I can achieve my goals and dreams as long as I don't give up. I may fail and get knocked down from time to time but as long as I keep my mind and body in a positive position and don't give up I can make it. Just as the author did.
It has breathed a new life into my dreams.
July 12, 2014
Christopher Greenwood (Manafest) "Fighter"
I enjoy hearing exotic stories about people who come from another world.
Christopher Greenwood (aka Manafest) grew up just down the street here in Toronto, Canada, but he comes from the world of rap music, and the very select group of people that make their way in Christian rap music. Except for maybe D.C. Talk, I didn't know that there was such a thing.
Greenwood, now in his mid-thirties, continues to travel and work as a Christian rapper and last year (Manafest Productions 2013) released a book entitled 'Fighter' along with a music CD with the same name. He opens up about his life and organizes his thoughts in seven chapters entitled 'Courage, Perseverance, Fighter's Mindset, Discipline, Willpower, Knock Out, and Dreams, Visions and Goals'.
There is lots of positive advice, creative, visual material, and well-chosen quotations. The book is well-edited and beautifully produced, a labour of love.
The writer, in the great tradition of the rock n' roll bio, does come across as a bit naive and melodramatic. After all, there are men his age fighting in Afghanistan, dealing with the loss of a child, or struggling to keep a business alive. Skateboarding, performing, and dealing with childhood memories are fine, but do not make him a 'fighter' in the world of adult men and women.
Greenwood does not entirely overcome this tension between creating a heroic identity for his youthful audience and his mature life as a married businessman with a career.
This book along with the Manafest CD of the same name would be an excellent gift for the youth in your life.
Manafest is not shy about his Christian faith and the book has lots of it, but not in a way that is overly pious or dogmatic.
He achieves something remarkable in presenting a wholesome contemporary Christian life in a way that is dynamic and compelling.
I enjoy hearing exotic stories about people who come from another world.
Christopher Greenwood (aka Manafest) grew up just down the street here in Toronto, Canada, but he comes from the world of rap music, and the very select group of people that make their way in Christian rap music. Except for maybe D.C. Talk, I didn't know that there was such a thing.
Greenwood, now in his mid-thirties, continues to travel and work as a Christian rapper and last year (Manafest Productions 2013) released a book entitled 'Fighter' along with a music CD with the same name. He opens up about his life and organizes his thoughts in seven chapters entitled 'Courage, Perseverance, Fighter's Mindset, Discipline, Willpower, Knock Out, and Dreams, Visions and Goals'.
There is lots of positive advice, creative, visual material, and well-chosen quotations. The book is well-edited and beautifully produced, a labour of love.
The writer, in the great tradition of the rock n' roll bio, does come across as a bit naive and melodramatic. After all, there are men his age fighting in Afghanistan, dealing with the loss of a child, or struggling to keep a business alive. Skateboarding, performing, and dealing with childhood memories are fine, but do not make him a 'fighter' in the world of adult men and women.
Greenwood does not entirely overcome this tension between creating a heroic identity for his youthful audience and his mature life as a married businessman with a career.
This book along with the Manafest CD of the same name would be an excellent gift for the youth in your life.
Manafest is not shy about his Christian faith and the book has lots of it, but not in a way that is overly pious or dogmatic.
He achieves something remarkable in presenting a wholesome contemporary Christian life in a way that is dynamic and compelling.
February 8, 2017
Very inspirational. Reads like you are having a conversation with him. Perfect mix of stories, life experiences, quotes and inspiration. Makes you want to start dreaming again.
November 15, 2013
This book was absolutely wonderful! It was everything I expected and more. Manafest and his co-author did a great job presenting the material. Not only were there a lot of personal stories involved, but insight into the world of the music industry and some very inspirational and applicable aspects of the book that I think really set it apart. I am walking away from this book with a different outlook on some things, and that really means something. It's definitely a great read, with never a dull moment. The pictures are great and you can really feel Manafest's heart through the entire thing. 5 out of 5 stars but I'd give it 10 if I could!
January 27, 2016
I loved this book, and I would recommend it to anybody and everybody Reading this book you really believe you could do anything if you have the right attitude and God beside you because really you can if you just apply yourself and not give up. I have wanted this for so long and then MANAFEST post on Facebook that it's free for a while, that just made my day. I remember a few years back me and some friends went to go see a concert and he was one of the names, I hadn't really heard of him however I left loving him, The songs were awesome, and he was awesome we actually got to meet him and everybody else That played that night except for the main act.
February 3, 2014
Awesome! It was much more than I had expected it to be. This book has made me start to rethink my attitude and now I want to strive to become a better person and to finally do what I've wanted to do. I now think that I'm going to start a journal like Manafest did and write inspiring quotes and just positive, thoughtful notes inside! I can't wait to start!
November 28, 2015
I would recommend this book to anyone. I've not listened to much Manafest.....but I've seen his quotes on fb and enjoyed them. The book is both a biography and inspirational..... This guy had a job making $70,000 when he walked away to do music!!! Talk about guts. I guess if he's that good, he could always find another great job if need be.
February 28, 2014
Should be required reading for all youth/young adults of all ethnicities. I'm a 35 year old man and this encouraged the heck out of me. Christopher Greenwood has a quite a teaching gift--I can easily see more in his future!
May 11, 2015
I think that this a book that everyone should read for sure. It contains a lot of information on how to achieve goals and dreams, instead of just thinking about them. He relates to a lot of his own personal life, which I think helps to make the situations more relatable.
October 2, 2013
Inspirational!!!! Beyond the music...... an amazing message.
January 3, 2015
A quick read. I enjoyed reading Chris's story as well as the encouragement to pursue your dreams.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews