Book Blurb:
Will Smith, one of the most vibrant and globally recognized entertainment forces of our time opens up fully about his life, in a brave and inspiring book that traces his learning curve to a place where outer success, inner happiness, and human connection are aligned. Along the way, Will tells the story in full of one of the most amazing rides through the worlds of music and film that anyone has ever had.
This memoir is the product of a profound journey of self-knowledge, a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind. Written with the help of Mark Manson, author of the multi-million-copy bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Will is the story of how one person mastered his own emotions, written in a way that can help everyone else do the same. Few of us will know the pressure of performing on the world’s biggest stages for the highest of stakes, but we can all understand that the fuel that works for one stage of our journey might have to be changed if we want to make it all the way home. The combination of genuine wisdom of universal value and a life story that is preposterously entertaining, even astonishing, puts Will the book, like its author, in a category by itself.
My Review: 5 stars
Will by Will Smith narrates this honest, informative and compelling memoir. He takes us inside his world from his childhood in Philadelphia through current day life. Listening to him tell his story was as if he was sitting next to me in the passenger seat, just dishing to me about his life’s journey. I seriously felt like we were friends, the way he shares his deepest vulnerabilities and greatest successes.
Reading memoirs often puts the reader in the fly on the wall frame of mind. We learn things about people that is often kept quite private. It’s a hearty reminder that even the most famous, most notable celebrities, athletes and even everyday people have just as much sh*t in their lives as we all do. No one’s life is perfect but man, we always see them as living a charmed life as if the grass is always greener. That’s why memoirs appeal to me and I happen to love when the author does the narration.
Will’s life was not always princely, and his story explores how his childhood greatly affected why he became a performer and actor. In great detail, and through entertaining or meaningful examples, he discusses parenting, loyalty, abuse, marriage, trust, hard-work and family values. Highly recommend this book!
Quotes I liked:
It’s respectable to lose to the universe. It’s a tragedy to lose to yourself.”
“The thing I’ve learned over the years about advice is that no one can accurately predict the future, but we all think we can. So advice at its best is one person’s limited perspective of the infinite possibilities before you. People’s advice is based on their fears, their experiences, their prejudices, and at the end of the day, their advice is just that: it’s theirs, not yours.”
“Stop thinking about the damn wall!” he said. “There is no wall. There are only bricks. Your job is to lay this brick perfectly. Then move on to the next brick. Then lay that brick perfectly. Then the next one. Don’t be worrying about no wall. Your only concern is one brick.”
“We’re all waiting until we have deep knowledge, wisdom, and a sense of certainty before we venture forth. But we’ve got it backward—venturing forth is how we gain the knowledge.”
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