Learning From Will Smith: 10 Pieces of Advice From One Of The Best Actors Of All Time

William Carroll Smith Jr. (1968- ) is an American actor who became famous in the 1980s thanks to his participation as the main character in the TV sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." He has subsequently starred in several films, some of them blockbusters such as "The Pursuit of Happiness," "I Am Legend," and "Seven Pounds." He is the only actor in history to have starred in 8 consecutive films that grossed over $100 million at the box office, and the only actor to have starred in 8 consecutive films that reached number one in their release. He is a person very interested in everything related to spirituality.

Here are several pieces of advice from Will Smith, each of which I will try to analyze and explain in my own words for an easier understanding:  

1. "Talent and skill are two of the most misunderstood concepts. Talent comes naturally to you; skill only comes with hours and hours and hours of work. Your talent is going to fail you if you don't work hard." Talent alone doesn't even get you around the corner. Besides, if you don't practice it, you lose it. That's the way it's always been. Everyone has talent (each one for one thing,) but some make an effort to exploit it and others spoil it; some know how to make it shine and others spoil it by not taking care of it. The famous Russian ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova, once said, "No one can reach the top armed only with talent. God gives talent; work transforms talent into genius."

2. "Being realistic is the road often traveled by mediocrity. Why be realistic? What is the point of being realistic?" Throughout history, all inventions and extraordinary things have come from the hands of unrealistic people; individuals who had the audacity to think big. And that audacity is always associated with a certain incomprehension on the part of those - the majority - who are afraid to challenge the limits, to move away from the known to go for something better. To be realistic is simply to be normal, uninspiring. Will Smith himself added: "There's a quality that all successful people have: you have to believe in something different than what has happened throughout history; you have to believe that something different can happen."

3. "There is incredible power in the universe when you make a decision that you commit to. We are not an effect, but the cause of the things that happen to us. Make a choice. Decide who you will be. Just decide." "Synchronicity" exists and we have all experienced it at one time or another. These are moments when everything seems to flow effortlessly, moments when the pieces of the puzzle fit perfectly one after the other. At the right moments, the right people and the right opportunities appear. And the universe always supports and collaborates when you are consistent with your dreams and demonstrate commitment to your decisions. The universe only demands one thing: action. Deciding is not "saying" what you are going to do; deciding is "doing" what you have said you are going to do. To start walking without seeing the whole road ahead. 

4. "To have an excellent level of success at something, you can't spread yourself thin and do multiple things. It requires a desperate and obsessive focus on getting what you want. You have to put all your energy, all your heart, and all your creativity into it."

Will Smith said during an interview, "There's no reason to have a Plan B because it distracts you from Plan A." Focus, focus and focus. And there are too many alternatives, options, and temptations to lose it. Successful people are people focused on something. They know it means giving up other things, but they don't care. The evil of dispersion is behind many frustrated goals. Biologist James D. Watson, famous for discovering the DNA molecule, once said, "If you have two obsessions, you have one to spare."

5. "Greatness exists in all of us. It is not something that only the 'special ones' have." Everyone is great, but everyone is great in a different way. The only thing to do is to fit that greatness into place; to give it a chance to express itself properly. In the 1993 film "A Bronx Story," with Robert de Niro as director and starring actor, Lorenzo Anello (De Niro) says, "There's nothing worse in life than wasted talent." And it must be said, there is a lot of wasted talent being misplaced. The human being is a piece of the puzzle of the universe coming to life. He has his role, his function; it is only a matter of placing that piece in its rightful place. And each person has the responsibility to find that place. 

6. "If you are not making someone's life better, then you are wasting your time." Will Smith also noted, "I want to do good. I want to make the world better because I was here. I want my life, my work, and my family to mean something." Meaning in life is about making a contribution to the greater good. The ideal of self-realization has to do with something greater than oneself. The student always says, "Teacher, I am very discouraged, what can I do?" The answer is not long in coming: "Encourage others." If you want to feel good and be happy, do something for others. Let your work echo in the community. 

7. "Never say there's something you can't do. It's not about building the biggest, most impressive wall overnight. Put one brick at a time. Say, 'I'm going to lay that brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid.' And if you do it every day, you'll soon have a big, impressive wall."

No easy road leads to a worthwhile position or status. But that shouldn't be an obstacle to taking the plunge either. Nothing is too much if you give yourself enough time. You just have to work steadily and have patience. If you often add a little to a little, it ends up being a lot for most people at the halfway point. You get tired, you give up. Long-term projects are not glamorous enough for them, who are looking for instant gratification. And therein lies failure. 

8. "Focus on making a difference, a special contribution. There is a spiritual responsibility in every person to give his or her best."

If you are not giving your best, what you are giving is nothing. Either you give everything, or you don't give anything at all. Commitment is essential. Only those who give everything prevail. Commitment is an essential requirement for success and for happiness. It makes you feel good and contributes to making a difference. Half-hearted commitment can only produce mediocre results. Commitment exists or it does not exist, it is total or it is nothing. Do your best to give the best of yourself. Excellence is associated with commitment. 

9. "Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something, not even me. If you have a dream, you have to protect it. People who can't do something will tell you that you can't do it either. If you want something, go for it, period."

I've always been that way and always will be that way. There are people who, lacking the courage to go after their dreams, try not to let others do it either, so as not to expose their laziness or cowardice. Often, leaving the path of normality is met with social rejection. It is the price to pay for aiming high. Don't resign yourself, don't let yourself be fooled by the opinions of others. Learning not to listen is also, sometimes, a virtue. Sometimes, the best recommendation is to turn a deaf ear to the advice that third parties transmit to us and focus firmly on our goals. 

10. "You may be more talented than me, you may be smarter than me, but if we get on a treadmill there are only two options: either you get off first or I die. It's that simple."

That has a name, and it's called determination, something you're willing to give everything for. Never ask a person what they want to achieve, but what price they are willing to pay. It's a more reliable indicator of how committed that person is to his or her goals. Many people say they want things that later, because of their lack of commitment, prove not to be so. Determination means deciding in advance that, no matter what happens, you are going to follow through. Despite obstacles, injustices, criticisms, or failures, one continues forward. Will Smith pointed out, "I don't consider myself a particularly talented guy, but I do have a sick work ethic. While other people sleep, I work; while other people eat, I work."