Will | 
pickThis vulnerable and unique journey from the streets of Philly to stardom is a reflection on standard life lessons and his personal reactions. As a reader we get to reminisce or be introduced to his iconic talent in music, tv, & movies. The audiobook provides clips of actual music and dialogue along with Will‘s famous quick whit, timing, and timber.
so-soMaybe I saw too many rave reviews and had a high expectation, but I thought it was only ok. There were some inspirational parts as he learned lessons about life and himself, but he also spent what felt like a loooong time talking about making Ali, which was a bit much. Lots of bragging. I don‘t like him any less than I did before, but I also don‘t like him any more. 🤷🏻♀️
pickOne of the best memoirs or autobiographies ever. Will seems to be transparent and vulnerable, sharing his journey of being human and having inner childhood issues that ran his life-like many of us if we‘re honest. If you thought about reading his book, it‘s a good one. Not because it‘s Will Smith, but because his soul is like ours. He wrote about being on a journey of spiritual transformation an interesting and complex subject.
1. And Then There Were Nuns - a memoir by Jane Christmas about exploring the cloistered life; & Will by Will Smith (audio). 2 memoirs at once! I never do that!
2. It was 9*F when I woke up this morning. Chilly day! 🥶
3. Currently, we‘re utilizing our Christmas gift from me: foot spas! Our tootsies are submerged in piping hot water & bubbles. And I‘m drinking a beer: Cloud Drop DIPA by Upper Pass Beer Co. Supremely helpful.
#WeekendReads
pick2/150 At times I found his "humblebragging" annoying, but overall it was a fun, often hilarious, memoir. I'm a little older than Will, by 8 years, but I remember enjoying the Fresh Prince TV series. For me, his movies have been hit or miss. Smith confuses quantity for quality, box office receipts aren't everything. Men in Black II, Hancock, I Am Legend and I, Robot aren't good movies even if they opened no. 1 at the box office. 3 ❄❄❄ .75
1. Reading goal is 150 books (I read 148 in 2021), all the readathons I can cover, more audiobooks, more nonfiction.
2. Perseverance
3. Tagged. Yes for the most part. Sometimes Will gets a little too "humblebrag" for me, but overall I've enjoyed it.
Thanks for the tag @TheRiehlDeal
@MoonWitch94 #thoughtfulthursday
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My final book of 2021 turned into the kick off of 2022, split between the two really, though.
And wowee wow, whether ending one year with it or starting off a new one, I am so glad I read this book!!
If you consider yourself a Will Smith fan at all, this book needs to get into your hands!!
You will be inspired and impacted, enlightened & entertained.
Highly, highly recommend the audiobook companion for an enhanced experience.
But bravery does not mean the absence of fear. Bravery is learning to continue forward, even when you‘re terrified.
Everyone is struggling. Everyone is having a hard time. Life can be brutal, chaotic, confusing, and excruciating. Our hearts are starving. Loving, giving, helping, serving, protecting, nourishing, empowering, and forgiving are the secrets of “the Smile.” Can you imagine what it would feel like if someone loved you, gave you all you needed, helped you, served you, protected you, nourished you, empowered you and forgave you?
To place the responsibility for your happiness on anybody other than yourself is a recipe for misery.
You can make a person smile; you can compose a moment that helps a person to feel good; you can deliver a joke that makes a person laugh; you can create an environment where a person feels safe. We can and must be helpful and kind and loving, but whether a person is happy or not utterly out of your control. Every person must wage a solitary internal war for their own contentment.
It‘s impossible to build something that is of a higher quality than the quality of the people around you.
“….dreams are built on discipline, discipline is built on habits; habits are built on training. And training takes place in every single second and every situation of your life….”
so-soThis is a tough one to review. I loved the production of the audiobook and his voice. The first half was excellent, his childhood, how he got into the music world and moving on to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Unfortunately, the second half wore on my nerves. He seemed too arrogant with multiple references of how he‘s the best actor the most famous person, how much money his movies have made and how many albums he sold. That really turned me off.
Started the new year with a Volksmarch and audiobbok since it was raining and I walked solo.
I know I‘m a little late.
1. Tagged book or cruelly yours
2. Finding a new job that comes with some life balance
#two4tuesday
#BookSpinBingo TBR physical books. I have an audiobook listed in my notebook not pictured. @TheAromaofBooks
pickI was a little overwhelmed with the length of the book, but it kept me intrigued and his stories, the soundtrack, and brutal honesty made it an excellent memoir. #blitsy
pickExcellent book! I'm so glad I chose audiobook form because Will Smith telling his own story was compelling.
I am loving Will Smith‘s audiobook narration! Includes some musical snippets as well. #Blitsy #BlackLitsy
Now I don‘t have to wait my turn on Libby to read Will! Woot woot! Thank you @Soubhiville for the wonderful gifts! The beautiful bookmark has been added to my collection 💕💕 Can‘t wait to use the socks 😍😍and I‘m saving the chocolate for later. I love anything dark chocolate!! Hope you had a great Christmas my friend and happy holidays to you!
Happy Jolabokaflod!!! OMG another great book and hot chocolate 🖤 #litsylove folks know how to make you feel special. Thank you to @shellleigh33 #Jolabokaflodswap
pickI got this book purely for the outlandish snippets that I'd read online. Yes, Will Smith is supposed to be a likable person, but he's also worked incredibly hard to maintain that persona. He's not a perfect person, and this memoir is the most honest explanation of one's journey to finding fulfillment that I've ever read. While he comes off as selfish and boasting, he also admits to his wrongdoings and vows to be a better person. I loved this book.
Starting a new book at the Denver Airport ✈
Your mind is trying to protect you from hard things, to defend you from pain. The problem is, all of your dreams are on the other side of pain and difficulty. So, a mind that tries to seek pleasure and comfort and the easy way inadvertently poisons its dreams—your mind becomes a barrier to your dreams, an internal enemy.
If quitting is an option, you‘ll never finish anything hard. The only way an imperfect mind can be forced to achieve is by removing all of its other options.
pan⭐️⭐️ I thought Will Smith was supposed to be likable? I‘ve always been indifferent, liking Fresh Prince, but not many of his films. I‘m just gonna say it: This is one of the worst celebrity memoirs I‘ve ever read. It‘s an incessant boasting of fame and riches. He uttered some iteration of his being “the biggest movie star in the world” so often, I wish I‘d kept count. Humble, he is not. Very little of this felt sincere. Massively disappointing.
Well, this was a fun and easy grid with a stack of tiny Christmas books. And I have more to go! But I have to tag Will because it‘s such a good memoir.
5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Average C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F
pickBeen listening to this the past few weeks while doing chores or when relaxing in the bath. Will is a great narrator and storyteller, he‘s had such an interesting life and I enjoyed every minute of this book!
4.5 ⭐️
When you know what you want, it clarifies what you don‘t want. And even painful decisions, though not easy, become simple.
Might be my favorite book I‘ve read this year…..and IT‘S DOG EARRED!!
And I didn‘t even do it.
Just flipped the page and there it was, just like that.
I am mortified. Appalled even.
Y‘ALL I AM NOT OKAY!!
😳💥😱💥🤯
The capacity to adjust and improvise is arguably the single most critical human ability.
Change can be scary, but it‘s utterly unavoidable. In fact, impermanence is the only thing you can truly rely on. If you are unwilling or unable to pivot and adapt to the incessant, fluctuating tides of life, you will not enjoy being here.
A day late and waaaaaaaay to many dollars short in my real life bank account right now, lol.
But, another 4.3 hours and 115 pages of this read down.
Goals are to finish 2 of the 3 books I‘m attempting to end the year on.
I haven‘t read at all that much this year, only totaling 7 books, want to cap it at 10!!
I think I can, I think I can…. 📚🚂📖
The universe is not logical, it‘s magical.
A major aspect of the pain and mental anguish we experience as humans is that our minds seek, and often demand, logic and order from an illogical universe. Our minds desperately want shit to add up, but the rules of logic do not apply to the laws of possibility. The universe functions under the laws of magic.
So, even when you haven‘t the slightest clue what you‘re doing, you just have to take a deep breath and get on the damn bus.
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.
Life is like school, with one key difference—in school you get the lesson, and then you take the test. But in life, you get the test, and it‘s your job to take the lesson.
Life is learning. Period. Overcoming ignorance is the whole point of the journey. You‘re not supposed to know at the beginning. The whole point of venturing into uncertainty is to bring light to darkness of our ignorance.
Living is the journey from not knowing to knowing. From not understanding to understanding. From confusion to clarity. By universal design you are born into a perplexing situation, bewildered, and you have one job as a human: figure this shit out.
Hope sustains life. Hope is the elixir of survival during our darkest times. The ability to envision and imagine a brighter day gives meaning to our suffering and renders it bearable. When we lose hope, we lose our central source of strength and resilience.
Internal power and confidence are born of insight and proficiency. When you understand something, or you‘re good at something, you feel strong, and it makes you feel like you have something to offer. When you have adequately cultivated your unique skills and gifts, then you‘re excited about approaching and interacting with the world.
