Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-194) and discography (pages 195-196).

Prologue: Protective gear -- What I learned from Herschel Walker -- A line in the water -- Grit, desire, and discipline -- Work harder -- Are you your worst enemy? -- What did you do to get better today? -- Fatherhood (or, Thanks, Dad, for setting the bar so high) -- Why play should be the work of adults -- The power of routines -- Making it right -- What I learned from Chris Martin and Coldplay -- What I learned from my elders and betters -- Change before you have to -- Curiosity and visualization -- Renovating one's life -- Come prepared -- Think richly -- Wake up happy -- Epilogue: Motivated to find love -- Appendix A. Strahan's rules.

Michael Strahan spent his childhood on a military base in Europe, where community meant everything, and life, though idyllic, was different. For one, when people referenced football they meant soccer. So when Michael's father suggested he work toward a college scholarship by playing football in Texas, where tens of thousands of people show up for a weekend game, the odds were long. Yet he did, indeed, land a scholarship and from there a draft into the NFL where he scaled the league's heights, broke records, and helped his team win the Super Bowl, as a result of which he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. How? By developing "Strahan's Rules" -- a mix of mental discipline, positive thinking, and a sense of play. He also used the Rules to forge a successful post pro-ball career as cohost with Kelly Ripa on Live! -- a position for which he was considered the longshot -- and much more. In Wake Up Happy, Michael shares personal stories about how he gets and stays motivated and how readers can do the same in their quest to attain their life goals.