Pop sensation Justin Bieber follows up his debut book, “Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever,” with “Just Getting Started,” a rare and intimate behind-the-scenes look at the star’s life onstage and off. Here's an excerpt.CHECKING IN
I didn’t grow up with aspirations to become a big pop star. I just wanted to be a regular kid who does all of the normal things other kids do. I started posting videos on YouTube when I was 12 so my family could hear me sing. I never knew it was going to be a big thing. I mean, we were just posting videos, and a month or two later, out of nowhere, tons of viewers were watching. I come from a little town in Canada called Stratford, with a population of 30,000 people, and that made all of this even crazier. I never thought I’d get to do anything other than maybe become a carpenter and maybe one day turn that into a business. The mere thought of becoming a star didn’t even seem possible. It was like going to the moon or winning the lottery. But, a couple of years later, by the time I was 14, I was no longer just singing for my family—the world was hearing me sing too. The rest is history.
When I first started posting my videos, my mom and I weren’t looking to help me get discovered. I mean, if we were, we probably would have left our small town and headed to LA to do auditions and casting calls. No way. That wasn’t the route we were on, and in the end, that wasn’t the road that led me to where I am today.
A lot of people think I was an overnight success, but that wouldn’t be exactly true. Sure, it’s only been five years, but it has also been a lot of hard work that took time, sacrifice, and relentless dedication. Plus, five years in the life of a guy who is now 18 years old is a pretty long time. Some people think hard work is—well, too hard. Me? It’s all I know and a big part of the formula for success. I like doing what I do so much that I don’t spend a whole lot of time sleeping. I’d rather be working hard, doing my thing, and striving to become the very best entertainer I can be. I want to be great at what I do—to become the best performer in the world. To do that, I need to keep striving continuously to get better, to be good to people, to treat everyone with respect and work as hard as I can. These are traits I’d hope to develop whether I was famous or not.
People always ask me how I do it—you know, what’s my secret to success. I tell them not to be afraid to do the things in life that scare you or that you think are too hard to handle. Do what I do, and run toward them, embrace those challenges as opportunities and see how fast your life will change too!
I wouldn’t be anywhere if it weren’t for you—my fans. You are the reason I get to do what I love. Without your love and support I couldn’t keep creating my music and sharing it with everyone all over the world. Everywhere I go, whatever I do, I try to connect with as many of you as possible—and that means everything to me.
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Justin Bieber
I have always had a real direct relationship with my fans because each of you has played an important part in helping me reach every goal I’ve set for myself along the way. Without a doubt, you have impacted every step that has made up this crazy roller coaster journey. When I am feeling down, you lift me up. It’s just like I sing in my song, “Believe,” where I talk about how my fans have always been there for me—I mean every word. This book is my way to let you know what all of this has been like for me and how you have helped me get through it all.
Sharing my stories of being on the road is just another step in our journey together—another chapter along the way. My story is something I like to share with others, to show people that with enough belief in yourself and what you can accomplish, anything is possible.
This book is a look at what life is like for me both on and off the road. I hope you’ll enjoy this behind-the-scenes peek, your personal backstage pass to my world. I am truly one of the luckiest guys on the planet, because I get to wake up every day doing what I love most—touring, playing, and making music, and traveling all over the world. But most of all, I wake up grateful for you, my Beliebers. You were there from the very start, and I will never forget that. Thanks to you, I get to live my dream every day.
“Thank you” doesn’t begin to cover how appreciative I am—but from the bottom of my heart I want to say thanks for being there and for all of your support. Let’s keep doing what we do, and together we can keep the dream going. Look out world ’cuz I’m Just Getting Started.
Excerpt from Just Getting Started, copyright © 2012 by Justin Bieber. Used by permission of HarperCollins.