Life Is Not Complicated-You Are: Turning Your Biggest Disappointments Into Your Greatest Blessings

by Carlos Wallace

Every person on the planet has experienced loss; that's a brutal fact of life. But in these darkest times, we are presented with much more that just grief; we are given the opportunity to learn, heal, and grow. When you reach a place where you can view setbacks as reminders to appreciate the good things in your life, you have taken the first step to owning your destiny as a happier, more joyful, and more successful person.

Carlos Wallace, president and CEO of entertainment management firm Sol-Caritas, has known his share of sadness and loss. In those times, he goes back to the lessons he learned from his parents and grandparents. From their hardship, he draws inspiration for strength. In their history, he finds encouragement for his future.

The answers you're looking for are within reach. Perhaps the solution to your problem has already been revealed to you, but how will you know where to find the answers? When things spin out of control and you lose direction, these lessons can help you.

Life really isn't all that complicated. People, on the other hand, are. No matter how long it takes to get to where you need to be, as long as you take that first step, you'll be further along than if you did nothing at all.

Audible Audio

First published December 20, 2013

About the author

Carlos Wallace is a bestselling author, cultural strategist, entrepreneur, and community leader whose work sits at the intersection of truth telling, personal transformation, and cultural empowerment. A 2025 Pulitzer Prize nominee, he has built a reputation as a powerful voice for resilience, leadership, and social responsibility.
He is the author of the bestselling works Why Sell Lies When the Truth Is Free, Life Is Not Complicated - YOU ARE, and The Other 99 T.Y.M.E.S., books that have been adopted into psychology and behavioral studies curricula across colleges and universities. His writing has inspired television projects, including the award-winning talk show The Other 99 T.Y.M.E.S.: Count Your Blessings, which earned multiple Telly and Communicator Awards.

Carlos is the President and CEO of Sol-Caritas, a national entertainment and social impact company that blends artistic expression with philanthropy. His work has supported more than one hundred nonprofit organizations and continues to drive cultural conversations through poetry, film, community events, and leadership initiatives. He also serves as Chairman of the Development and Philanthropy Board for the Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences at Prairie View A&M University, helping shape donor engagement, student support, and long-term institutional growth.

A proud Navy veteran, Carlos is deeply committed to advocacy and mentorship, particularly for young people, veterans, and emerging leaders. He has been honored with recognition including the Youth Empowerment Champion Award from The Shades of Blue Project, the Circle of Excellence Criminal Justice Award, the Service Award from Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., and a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for his contributions to education, cultural engagement, and community development.

Carlos’ philanthropic work also includes serving as President of The Alice Wallace Foundation, where he continues a family legacy of service, scholarship, and cultural stewardship.

He divides his time between Houston and New York with his wife, award winning journalist, anchor, and children’s book author Liz Faublas-Wallace.

Reviews

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start off by saying how modest the book really is. Carlos wanted this book and the experiences in it to be known to the world as they happened. Some people wanted to force him to change it make it secular, avoid racism, and other things in his book. Carlos stood up to these publishers and school board directors and told them this is part of his story, so everything is essential. Because Carlos did that he made the book relatable even to a white teen living in a middle-class community attending a private school. Everyone encounters disappointment, loss, or even abandonment in their life but those events do not define us. Our greatest achievements in life do not even begin to define who we are and what we strive to be. It is in our lowest moments that define us. Everything that life throws your way forms the person you are today and will become. Our disappointments can shape us into whatever we want as long as we use them in the right way. Carlos did an amazing job with explaining this topic by giving scenarios in his own life and from the people around him's life. This book is a must-read for anyone struggling with any aspect of their life, no matter what or who is dragging you down it can be transformed into wings to help you fly even higher.

[Karsen Mcmahon]

I really enjoyed this book. Especially after watching videos from the author, his experiences really became realistic. The lessons that he explained throughout the novel are very relatable and should be taken into consideration by all people. The fact that he is a black man who had to grow up during a period of segregation helps exemplify the subject he is discussing. This is a great book that can be applied to all subjects in school especially APUSH because it discusses a first hand encounter from the Civil Rights Era. Carlos includes various quotes from famous philosophers and other leaders to further his argument and explanation of life's purpose. There are many quotes that stand out such as “do not dwell on the past, do not dream of the future; concentrate the mind on the present moment”. This shows that everyone should focus on the now rather than the later. Carlos really puts life into perspective by simplifying life's problems. Each chapter of the book features a specific problem that people encounter and describes the ways the Carlos has personally dealt with that problem. Even though Carlos is mentioning his experiences from his life, his solutions and advice apply to all periods.

[Nick Legates]

I think Mr. Wallace did a fantastic job writing this novel and it had a very big impact on my outlook on these topics and issues. everyone in our world today experienced loss in some way and everyone reacts to these losses in different ways. Learning in depth about the life of Carlos made it easier to understand and relate to the situations that he and many others face. The story about his mom playing a basketball game pregnant showed me that people go thru bigger struggles than I do on a daily basis and to deal with it you just have to grind and push thru. The picking your battles part is my favorite part because I myself have to pick and choose when to argue with people and when to not because it could affect what people think about me and get me in trouble in the long run. Carlos Wallace did a great job writing this book and I am interested in reading more material written by him

[Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book. It was assigned for school, so I was preparing myself to dislike it. I was surprised, though, by the realness of this book. It's just his life that he wanted to share with us. He was completely honest and poured his soul into this novel, which is shown throughout every chapter. The author put everything he was taught or everything he learned from his experiences into this novel so that people of all ages could learn from him. This book was both a good read and a variety of life lessons.

[Benjamin J]

Carlos Wallace did a fascinating job writing this book. He maintained his theme of "life is not complicated you are," throughout the whole book. A great book that really tells you how your biggest fails can become your best learning experiences. Carlos gave a lot of learning experiences that anyone can learn from.The book taught me a lot on not being afraid to fail. That is why this is such a good book.Overall If you are looking for a book to read definitely read Life is Not Complicated, You are.

[Adarsh Johar]

This book truly exemplifies a person's struggles in life and how to overcome them. By explaining his own situations, Carlos describes tough time periods of learning and prospering through different events. Not many people are able to write in such a way where they are inspiring others through themselves. This piece was written very well, and I truly recommend this for anyone who would like a good read. Carlos Wallace has created a writing everyone can take something from. You should consider buying this book!

[Caroline McCarthy]

This novel was very inspiring. I was able to realize things about my life I had no idea were problems. The book challenged me to correct the mistakes within myself, and I saw the positive results in my own life. I think every high school student should read this book, as I have gotten a jump start on bettering myself, turning my life into something more positive and effective. It must have been difficult for Carlos Wallace to open up on the hardships he faced, but I am glad he taught me how to grow from these mistakes and not let them ruin me.

[Samantha Weick]

This book was amazing. Being a high school student, life can be confusing. No one really knows what they want to be and everyone is stressed about getting into college. When I first bought Carlos' book I was unsure if I was even going to like it. However, when I got to reading it I realized how much I liked it. I've learned so many life lessons that have helped me stay strong throughout this stressful time. Carlos' life experiences have helped me and all of my classmates as well.

[Caroline Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compelling novel helped to put my life into perspective. After reading it, I felt empowered and ready to conquer whatever life throws at me. Carlos Wallace, the author, explains in depth about struggles he has faced and shares where he found his strength to overcome them. From the very beginning, this book leads you on a journey to discover power found in God, family, and yourself. This novel helped me realize that if I put heart and passion into all that I do, I can accomplish anything.

[Claire McCoy]

I thought this book was very eye-opening. It showed me that the problems I have and think are very important are nothing in comparison to what other people have to go through. Even in the most difficult times, Wallace was able to overcome and make something more out of the situations that were thrown at him. Out of the bad, he was able to make good, and it shows that we can all do that if we put ourselves in the right mindset.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book because it taught me a lot on how to be productive and essentially how to make life simpler. I like how he used his own personal experiences to teach and get his point across. It also shows how these valuable personal experiences and influential people shaped him into the man he is today. He really finds the good things in bad situations and knows how take advantage of these situations. It changes my life and perspective on how to live my life and switched my perspective on the word ¨failure¨. If you are having any difficulties in your life relating to your own failure and disappointments, I recommend to read this book.

[Emily]

Carlos Wallace life story is truly extraordinary. The way he explains how to handle situations helped me see my life in a new perspective. He explains how we can rise above our failures and turn it into a success in your life. Carlos has so much knowledge and life lessons that should be told to everyone. He is an amazing writer and the way he looks at life in such in a positive light is very admirable. The book was very engaging and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next in his life. His words of wisdom helped shaped the entire book and give the best advice.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carlos Wallace describes the challenges he had to go through in life and how he overcame it. He includes his inspirations and as well as his aspirations. He provides lessons for the readers to take away. I would definitely recommend this book. It is for all audiences, so everyone can take a way something and apply it to their own life.

[Thalia]

The book ¨life is not complicated, you are¨ was a really great book. The author has a lot of courage to share his story. Every chapter talked about something different and important. From these chapters we could learn many lessons about life. It was truly an inspirational book.

[Vic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is Not Complicated was a book I read in school. As a senior about to head out into the real world, this book gave good advice I could lean back on. Wallace gives the background of his life, from his birth til now. He shows his difficulties through his life journey. It has a very conversational topic which makes it easy to read. Watching more videos on his life it makes it, even more, heart whelming of how strong Mr. Wallace is. His lessons are very relatable and will help me as I am about to leave for college and go into the real world. He gives messages in the book that can help any person in any situation. It also showed me how small and little some of my problems were compared to his. He is a strong man and deserves to be recognized for his achievements. This is a book I discussed with my parents and was able to get them to begin reading as well. We discussed the difficulties he faced and were able to decide as a family to always discuss our problems like Wallace did with his readers and find solutions to them. I like how each chapter of the book shows a different problem and how he faced it. He is very a courageous man. I also like the quotes he included which make it even more inspiring. I recommend this book to all people especially seniors!

[Tommy Hennelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wallace did a great job writing this book and it is very inspiring to me. Writing about all of his obstacles that he had to face left a big impact on me because his obstacles were so much greater than the ones I have to face in my life. I do not have to deal with racism or many of the other things that he has had to deal with throughout his life. All of these stories make me appreciate my life much more and they make me feel a lot more grateful for the blessings I have. He also did a great job of incorporating religion and faith into this book because it helps all of us relate better and understand some of the things he says better. Faith is very important to all of us so when Carlos uses it to prove a point, we are more apt to listen and pay attention to what he is saying. Although I did not agree with every point made over the course of the book, I still appreciated his opinions and tried to understand where he was coming from the best I could.

[Rachael Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life Is Not Complicated - You are is a book written by Carlos Wallace. In this book, Carlos talks about the events that happened in his life. He talks about how to turn bad things into good things and gain a new perspective on life. He emphasizes how we make life more complicated than it should be. This book was different than things us students usually read in school. The book was okay, but I do not feel insanely interested by this book. It is the story of someone else's life and their struggles that are different from mine at the moment. Yes, I can learn from hearing the mistakes of others, but honestly, this book is not for me. In my opinion, it was mediocre. I understand that some people may be more entertained by this book than I was. It was so level so to say. There was not really many exciting things that made me want to continue reading. I recommend this book if you are into life books, but as a person who likes entertaining stories, it was not my favorite.

[Veronica Palmich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a great change of pace from what is usually read in school. I especially liked it because it was not an autobiography of Carlos Wallace's life, but rather a compilation of his own life experiences and stories from his family that he used to teach the reader. He really wants everyone who reads this book to become a better person. Hearing all the adversity that Carlos has gone through really impacted me, and it taught me to not let whatever struggles I may be facing to keep me from improving myself. This book encouraged me to take a look at my own life and see what I was doing to complicate it. After finishing Wallace's book, I feel refreshed, inspired, and ready to change myself for the better.

[Sam Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part about this book was the new perspective it gave me. I do not read these types of "inspirational life story" books that have been published. When this book was assigned to me in school, it was already something different, something new. It is easy to get caught up in all the "same." We as a society have become so focused on ourselves and our lives that we forget to acknowledge the struggles and burdens of others. Reading this book stretched my mind, bringing to my attention the hardships of someone who could not be any more different from me. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with closed-mindedness. The world is too diverse to listen to all of the same.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carlos does a really good job of bringing about issues that we encounter throughout life. His perspective is a lot different than mine and that was very motivating. He does a good job of explaining situations and how to deal with them, but often he repeats himself on certain values and practices. I enjoyed this book due to all the stories he told and being able to relate to certain situations. Meeting him in person was also a bonus because it gave me the chance to ask questions and experience the author first-hand. Carlos related a lot of circumstances back to faith and that is something I liked throughout the book. Although I had different viewpoints on topics throughout the book I think he did a very good job writing them down and anyone could read this and become a different person.

[Walter]

This book speaks volumes about virtues everyone should strive for and at the same time comes from the personal account of the author. In this book, Wallace tells of his upbringing as a black male in East Texas. He writes about his unusual story of his birth, and how everything he endured in his childhood made him into the man he is today. This book is reflective of multiculturalism as Wallace is a minority in what he would consider a "racially segregated" area. His perspective gives insight on the lives of certain Americans that may be often overlooked, but nevertheless are equally important as others.

[Sandra Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book for hit me the nail right on the mark. Using his life experience Mr Wallace made excellent points about the issues that we all face without it being preachy, condescending and making you feel as if you do not have a clue. It was inspiring to read the examples put forth to make and bring home his points succinctly. As I was reading the book, I found myself stopping to think about certain issues in light of what he was saying. The way we perceive situations and act on them determines the outcome. We bring all of who we are to a decision and being aware of this, will help in making informed decisions rather than ones with dire consequences.

[Erin Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is Not Complicated, You Are, is a novel about accepting life as it is and finding your own success. I think Carlos has a very interesting story and a new perspective. The message of the book is very inspirational and important for everyone to learn. However, I think that Mr. Wallace could have made this novel half the size. He repeats himself an awful lot and there are more grammar mistakes in his novel than in any paper I have submitted to my high school English teacher. This having been said, the theme of the novel is incredibly inspiring and Mr. Wallace is a man to learn from and admire.

[Reid Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides an interesting perspective on issues in his life, and how he dealt with adversity. At times, it lacks some grammatical structure, but it does not take away from the message of the novel. It allows you to examine your own life, and use Carlos's experiences to evaluate your own with a grain of salt. I met the author and he is a smart well-rounded individual that is on full display in his book. Overall it is a very helpful book that helps you understand the world around you through a different lens.

[Cami Hastings · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this novel. I thought the overall book had a very good message that everyone can relate to. Reading the novel is not at hand hard and it is told in simple sentences. The novel makes great points on what it means to be in a marriage, the concept of family, and how we can rebuild ourselves. Carlos Wallace also made great analogies and made connections from real-life events in his life in ways that we might relate as well. From this book, readers understand how important friends and family are to Carlos Wallace.

[Molly Gullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book because it truly inspired me. The stories Carlos wrote about his life and what he accomplished showed that anything is possible. It taught me a lot of life lessons and made me look at things in a different way. I liked how it was different from the other books I have read and that I could truly relate to it. The way the book is written made me really connect with it and truly feel what Carlos felt. I recommend this book because it is very inspiring, positive and truly a great book.

[Marlena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is Not Complicated, You Are is a really enjoyable read. It was funny, but yet very meaningful. Carlos Wallace did a great job explaining his life experiences and what he learned from them. He made sure the reader had the opportunity to take a step back and apply the lessons to their own life. It was neat to experience life through somebody else's shoes, was an easy read, and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for some motivation in overcoming life's trials.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Even though this book did not have a main plot, I thought it was very inspiring and enjoyed reading about Carlos Wallace's experiences. Everyone goes through their own problems and have their own stories to tell. Carlos Wallace did very well with telling his stories, and in the meantime making the lessons from each story obvious. This book is very good reminder that everyone goes through their own difficulties and we should all be thankful for what we have.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is REAL and in Your Face and Put to the Test by Mr. Wallace!
Well done. Well written. Well deserved.
His story is real. Not sugar-coated for the pc crowd or the cry-babies out there.
His story is uplifting and encouraging without coddling.
Want a real-life pick me up by my boot-straps read, this is it.

[Brittney Villhauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book had a lot of good points, but it was written as a very easy read. It is made up completely of simple sentences. The author uses complex words thrown into easy sentences to try to make his diction more complex. The lessons throughout the book do go with each other, but they are repetitive. The author uses the same examples to support many different ideas throughout the novel.