Guest: Will Smith (Actor sharing insights on spiritual growth and balancing success.)
Host: Jay Shetty (Former monk focusing on mindfulness and well-being.)
Key Takeaways:
1. Self-Awareness and Personal Growth:- Personal conflicts often stem from internal ignorance and delusions. Overcoming these barriers through self-reflection leads to better relationships and personal clarity.
2. Success Doesn't Equate to Happiness:- Despite achieving immense professional success, true fulfillment comes from focusing on relationships and inner well-being rather than material achievements.
3. The Power of Love and Forgiveness:- Holding onto anger or seeking revenge is self-destructive. Will emphasizes the healing power of practicing love and forgiveness, inspired by his grandmother.
4. Spirituality as a Lifelong Journey:
- Will's study of spiritual texts, particularly the Bhagavad Gita, has shaped his approach to life's complexities, focusing on navigating challenges with love, duty, and wisdom.
- Will learned the importance of being fully present in every interaction, treating each moment with loved ones as precious and valuing meaningful goodbyes.
Podcast Notes
1. Will's Childhood and Emotional Sensitivity:
- Growing up in a home with violence, Will developed a keen sense of emotional awareness as a survival tool. This later became one of his strengths in acting and relationships.
Quote: "I became hypersensitive to emotional movement in a room."
2. Influence of Will’s Grandmother:
- Will’s grandmother had a profound influence on his life, instilling values of love, service, and compassion. She exemplified these by serving the homeless and living a life devoted to God.
Quote: "She was all God, all love."
- Her letter to Will about using his words to uplift others directly influenced his decision not to use profanity in his music and films.
3. Success and Misery:
- Will discusses the paradox of achieving enormous professional success while his family was deeply unhappy, a realization that led him to shift from a product-focused mindset to a people-focused mindset.
Quote: "I was winning, but nobody was happy."
4. Spiritual Journey with Jay:
- Will and Jay’s spiritual bonding involved deep discussions and study of spiritual texts like the Bhagavad Gita, which had a transformative effect on Will’s life.
Quote: "The Gita illuminated the trick of life for me... Life is a perpetual perplexing situation."
5. Life Lessons from Nelson Mandela:
- Mandela’s humility and wisdom greatly impacted Will. One of the most memorable lessons was how Mandela found joy amidst hardship and conflict.
Quote: "The call will speak to you, and when it does, respond aggressively."
6. The Power of Forgiveness:
- Will shares how revenge can destroy a person and emphasizes the power of forgiveness as the true path to peace. His grandmother was a key role model in this, showing love and forgiveness to all.
Quote: "When you seek revenge, you destroy yourself."
7. Military-Minded Approach to Success:
- Will initially adopted a strict, goal-oriented approach to life, prioritizing success above all else. Over time, he realized that this mindset created a disconnect with his family and led to personal unhappiness.
Quote: "You can scorch earth and get to the top of the hill, but at what cost?"
8. Personal Transformation Through Fatherhood:
- Will’s children played a major role in reshaping his values and mindset, pulling him away from material goals toward a more people-focused approach.
Quote: "People care about how they feel, not just about winning."
9. Spiritual Teachings and Practicing Kindness:
- Will talks about the challenge of balancing success with love and kindness, which he learned from his spiritual studies and daily practice. He emphasizes that life is a daily practice of cultivating kindness and understanding.
Quote: "It's a daily practice to deal with the foolishness of the world in a kind way."
10. Arjuna and Perplexing Situations:
- Will deeply identifies with the character of Arjuna from the Bhagavad Gita, who faced the moral dilemma of fighting against his own family. Will applies Arjuna’s lessons to his own life, realizing that life is full of "perplexing situations" where there are no easy answers.
Quote: "I feel like Arjuna, always stuck in a perplexing situation with people I love."
11. Handling Failure and Pain:
- Will discusses how life’s challenges, including the death of his father, helped him grow. His father’s passing taught him to value each moment with loved ones and to approach life with a sense of presence and gratitude.
Quote: "Never say goodbye to someone casually. Every moment is rich."
12. Role of Example in Life:
- Will believes strongly in the power of example. He shares how his grandmother’s love and Mandela’s wisdom serve as guiding examples for his life. He aims to be a living example of love, forgiveness, and kindness.
Quote: "We need examples in our lives to show us how to be."
13. Success Beyond the Screen:
- Even as one of the biggest movie stars, Will emphasizes that his journey now focuses on being a role model for his children and community. His current mission is to serve through love and show people the power of kindness.
Quote: "I want to model what it looks like to be loving, kind, and forgiving."
14. On Creating Impact Through Storytelling:
- Will discusses how he integrates life lessons and spiritual insights into his acting roles, such as in The Pursuit of Happyness and Aladdin. He uses storytelling as a vehicle to convey deeper messages of resilience, love, and joy.
Quote: "The genie in Aladdin—that's me. Singing, dancing, being silly, and sneaking in wisdom under the joy."
15. Challenges of Fame:
- Will reflects on the pressures of fame and how he balances it with his personal values. His experiences have taught him that fame and material success don’t necessarily bring happiness.
Quote: "Being the biggest movie star in the world didn’t make me happy—it was a trick."
Courtesy: @JayShettyPodcast
