I spent a month with Will Smith, virtually, and he didn’t know it, but I learnt a lot….my key takeaways are here and the full story below. I wanted to share my thoughts and all the links in the hope someone else finds a nugget of wisdom that will help them, like they helped me.
So, in the one month that I was listening, watching, learning from Will Smith, what were my main takeaways?
You build a wall one brick at a time – just focus on the next brick
The best things in life are on the other side of fear (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0xijHHvN2I)
Surround yourself with ‘ride or die’ people – they will make all the difference
Everything will change, always – so plan for the next wave before it gets here
Invest your time in knowing about others before you think about making a judgement on anyone
Understand the responsibility of how you make people feel
If you’re going to love – then do it whole-heartedly, everyone involved is better off as a result
Say hello and goodbye like it’s your last time because for some people it may be the last time you actually see them
Here’s the full story…
I feel like Will Smith has always been in my life. When I think back to when I was growing up, The Fresh Prince is always on the TV in the background of my memories. There was a period when he always had a hit song out and then there was that onslaught of huge blockbuster hits every year between 1995 and 2008, one after the other. From Bad Boys, Independence day, Men In Black, I Am legend, The Pursuit of Happiness to Hancock, he was always on a screen nearby.
The very first rap I knew off-by-heart was Boom! Shake the Room. I remember being sat in the back of my dad's royal blue Volvo, on some family trip, and my mum being amazed at my unknown rapping ability.
Yo back up now and give a brother room
The fuse is lit and I'm about to go boom!
Mercy mercy, mercy me
My life is a cage but on stage I'm free
Hyped up, psyched up, ready for wilin'
Standing in a crowd of girls like an island…
The thing I loved about Will Smith the most was the way he made me feel. Oozing positivity, an upbeat attitude, and that infectious smile. I found it fascinating how he always managed to make you smile and feel happy.
A couple of years ago, when he realised that to maintain his title as the ‘biggest entertainer of all time’, he’d need to connect where people consume content and started his own YouTube channel. He proactively created new content where I felt a stronger sense of connection to him, his attitudes, and his discipline. I saw how he constantly pushed himself to try something different, or ridiculous. He showed another side, a human side to his stardom.
In Dec 2021, I came across the interview he did on Jay Shetty’s ‘On Purpose’ podcast. (You can watch/listen to it here - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDYMizH73cc / https://open.spotify.com/episode/1A3sjeBKf5qHjQ1VQgJO3t).
In this interview he shared many aspects of his life and I gained so many insights into his commitment to his family, the way in which his family proactively spent a year studying each religion to be able to have a real understanding of others and perspectives on love and relationships. Even within the depths of this conversation he manged to make me laugh, the way in which Will describes how the story of Arjun from the Bhagavad Gita moved him (around 1 hours 13mins into the interview) and his articulation of that moment made me think, wouldn’t it be incredible if my inner voice sounded like Will Smith, and if my outlook was a bit more like his!
Soon after, I saw YouTube were promoting his new series ‘Best Shape of my Life’, where he battles the physical and mental challenges of getting to a place that would make him feel confident, after ‘letting himself go’ during the pandemic, at the same time as writing his autobiography Will. (You can watch it here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9WDEFtSU_M&list=PLtb5OOwnB8RoCzJz57R0jrCUzYF6Yunw9). I was glued to the series, to see the turmoil and drama, as well as juggling so many plates and going through this real journey of emotions, made me feel a real connection to this superstar, or as my boys call him, The Genie.
One lunchtime, my wife and I, watched him describe the overwhelming feeling when you first see your child. The weight of the world on your shoulders and the commitments you make to them and yourself in those moments. I looked over at my wife and we were both in floods of tears, having both been transported back to that hospital room in 2016, when we had the same interaction with our first son. Will had reminded us of those commitments.
It was a no-brainer that when my brother asked what book I wanted for Christmas, I immediately sent him the link to Will. Will Smith’s autobiography. (You can buy it here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Will-Smith/dp/1529124158/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4NNJKTV6PYEA&keywords=will&qid=1644875649&sprefix=will+%2Caps%2C68&sr=8-1).
Over the Christmas break Disney Plus has a series called ‘Welcome to Earth’ hosted by…you guessed it, Will Smith. (https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/welcome-to-earth). It sees him traverse the Earth confronting his fears in the most beautiful places on our planet. I was hooked, not only by the fantastic cinematography but his storytelling. It was a reminder of power of the place in which we all live and the importance of appreciation for life.
January hit, the kids were back to school, I had committed to a ‘no phones upstairs’ routine and I was ready to dive into my new book. In one week, I completed it (which is unheard of for me!). I couldn’t put it down, I was excited to get into bed to read the next chapter, to learn more, to find other words of wisdom. I’ve since heard many other reflect on this book, that this multi-billion-dollar movie star, arguably the best and first to do many things, had the same challenges and problems as I do. The dynamics of his life, the choices he had to make were relatable to me and my life. The learnings and reflections felt profound to me and have made a significant impact on my life.
Ok so I didn’t personally hang out with Will Smith for a month, but I was immersed in so many aspects of his work, life and experiences that it led me to share my thoughts. He set out with the intention to help others with his stories in his book and he definitely hit his goal by reaching me, and I’m a little better off because of it.