Nu ma asteptam sa il „aud” pe Will Smith vorbind despre entropie, „Alchimistul” si „Femei care alearga cu lupii” sau citand din Viktor Frankl. Cinstind vorbind, dupa autobiografia altui star al micului/ marelui ecran, Matthew Perry, nu ma mai asteptam la nimic. Si nici dupa „Arta subtila a seductiei” a lui Mark Manson nu m-as mai fi ingramadit sa citesc ceva scris (si) de el. Dar apucasem sa imprumut cartea odata cu „Arta…” si cum eu sunt disciplinata de felul meu…

Se pare ca undeva in LA cineva tine niste cursuri de scriere la care au participat atat Matthew Perry cat si Mark Manson, pentru ca ambele carti debuteaza cu cele mai socante episoade din viata eroilor: explozia colonului lui Perry (stupefiantele, se pare, induc constipatie – printre altele), respectiv tatal lui Will batand-o pe mama acestuia. Si am mai gasit o similitudine: in timp ce Perry pare sa ii poarte sambetele lui Keanu Reeves, Will ar avea o mica obsesie legata de Robert Downey Jr. (?)
Altfel, cartile nu se compara. Eu i-am dat lui Will un 10. Incepand cu jocul de cuvinte din chiar tiltul cartii.
Cartea este atat de bine scrisa incat am avut non-stop impresia ca il am in fata mea pe Will Smith. Pe langa tot ceea ce tine de evenimentele vietii sale iesite din comun, pentru ca omul chiar e o forta (si inca nu luase Oscar-ul atunci), m-a suprins partea de „filozofeala” – care nu stiu daca ii apartine lui 100% sau (si) lui Manson, dar eu chiar am umplut cartea de sticky notes.
Dintr-o carte care este, printre altele, o pledoarie pentru vointa si disciplina, raman insa, dat fiind ce s-a intamplat la Oscar 2022 (acum cred ca am inteles si de ce, mai ales ca in prima secunda omul a parut sa guste gluma cu G I Jane – vedeti deci episodul din carte in care afla ca l-a inselat prima iubita, plus faptul – repetat pe parcursul intregii cartii – ca Will s-a considerat toata viata un las), raman deci cu citatul de mai jos (Will, ai cobit, man…):
„I still struggle to this day when extreme emotion arises in myself or others. Feelings are extremely valuable tools for maneuvering or manifesting in the world. They are like fire – they can be used to cook and heat and cleanse. But when extreme emotions go unchecked, my experience has been that they will incinerate your dreams.”

La ce alte pasaje din carte am mai pus „lipicele”?

„Look at the five people you spend the most time with because that’s who you are.” Jim Rohn

„Be nice to everybody you pass on your way up , coz you just might have to pass them again on your way down.”

„The thing about money, sex and success is that when you don’t have them, you can justify your misery – shit, if I had money, sex and success, I’d feel great! However misguided that may be, it psychologically permeats as hope. But when you are rich, famous, successful – and you’re still unsecure and unhappy – the terrifying thought begins to lurk: Maybe the problem is me.

Of course, I dismissed that foolishness quickly. I just needed more money, more women, more Grammys.”

„Everything changes; it rises and it falls. Nothing and no one is immune to the entropy of the universe.

That is why self-destruction is such a terrible crime. It’s hard enough as it is.”

„The reason you say you’re gonna do it or die is because death is what happens when you don’t do it. Your mind is trying to protect you from hard things, to protect 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 it was easy everybody would do it.

The reasons we make vows is because we know we’re about to do a hell walk. You don’t have to vow to do easy things.”

„Dreams are built out of 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: how you wash the dishes; how you drive a car; how you present a report at school or at work. You either do your best all the time or you don’t.”

„Purpose and desire can seem similar but they are very different, sometimes even opposing forces.

Desire is personal, narrow and pointed and tends toward self-preservation, self-gratification, and short-term gains and pleasures. Purpose is wider, broader, a longer-term vision encompassing the benefit of others – something outside of yourself you’re willing to fight for. There have been many times in my life where I was acting from a place of desire but I’d fully convinced myself that it was purpose.”

„When you have nothing, you suffer the fear and pain of grinding to achieve your goals. But when you have everything, you suffer the brutal recurring nightmare of loosing it all.”

„To place the responsibility for your happiness on anybody other than yourself is a recipe for misery.”

Nu am reusit sa identific o traducere in romana a cartii dar, daca ea exista sau va exista, respectele mele traducatorului. Citatele de mai sus sunt cele „spalate” – cartea e plina de slang, asa cum te-ai astepta de altfel – sau ar trebui sa te astepti :-).