Will Smith is the type of person that we all might know for a different reason. Most notably you might remember his hit song "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" or his longtime reign as the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air".
However, Smith portrays a different character to those who know him personally and he has recently started to showcase this character to those of us outside of his inner circle.
This character is that of a family-man, a father, and a philanthropist. He's begun to display a softer side in his old age that many of us are unfamiliar with, yet entirely pleased to witness.
It's sad I've only now started to take note of the wisdom with which Smith and other notable celebrities are pleased to offer - the chance to learn from the characters they portray and the moments they showcase have been around for quite a while.
The Keys to Life..
While it might sound like the preface to this article portrays a sense of bias I might have towards the incredible actor that is Will Smith - I only provide my take as a sense of credibility for the "keys to life" that Smith described during an award ceremony many years ago. The words speak to me now more than ever.
"The keys to life are running and reading.." - Will Smith
Simple, right?
Running - and - reading.
Smith goes on to describe his advice on why these two ~monotonous~ tasks can change your life. However, in the spirit of this being my post...I'd like to offer my advice.
Running
If you haven't heard me talk about running before then you definitely will hear plenty about it soon, as I continue prepping for the Dallas Marathon.
My running journey has been one of slow growth and even slower miles.
High school cross-country would be my first real introduction into running for sport and although my cross-country career was short-lived, my passion for the pastime has never wavered.
It's not always easy to get up and get out the door - which is why often times I fail to do so - but if you can develop a love for running it will make the rest of your life seem so much easier.
Why?
When you're out running, there's no linebacker trying to tackle you, no breakaway point guard that you're trying to catch - it's just you - and the little voice in your head tempting you to stop.
This is what Smith talks about in his speech and I couldn't agree more that the idea of overcoming that little voice in your head is the most beneficial habit someone can develop from running.
Despite the countless physical benefits, if you can learn to just get your foot out the door for a run - making the hard decision in other facets of your life is that much easier.
Reading
To most of my generation and those even younger, this might be key to success that takes the most convincing.
If you follow the blog you know that I love to post my book reviews as a way for me to maintain a catalog of my reflections. However, it's hard to be a consistent reader when life has so many responsibilities pulling you different ways.
Most of the time when people try to refute my argument for reading, they state that they either (1) don't have enough time, or (2) think of it as a chore.
Both of which I understand.
However, I add to the discussion that reading becomes so easy when you stop thinking of it as another responsibility on your to-do list. Doing this is quite simple - find things that you like to read.
One of the hardest things I had to learn before I began to enjoy reading was that it was okay to not finish a book. If I don't like something that I'm reading and I'm just drudging along from page to page - I put the book down. It's not worth my time.
Find something you love - then read about it.
Reading does two amazing things for you. First, it will provide you a great sense of accomplishment after finishing the book and give you a feeling of pride that will make you want to read more. Second, as Smith spoke about in his speech, it will teach you something that you need or want to know.
"There's no new problem that someone hasn't already had and written about it in a book." - Will Smith
So, I'll stop there. Let's avoid overcomplicating something so simple.
Final Thoughts
Running and reading are not innately fun things to do - I get it.
I'm definitely not someone reading 50 books a year or running 100 miles a week. However, I've been able to commit myself to these two simple tasks just enough...that I've learned how to apply their lessons to the rest of my life.
Don't overthink it. Start running - start reading.
Vin
Sources/Images: nbcnews.com, KOGT.com
If you enjoyed this article, it would go a long way in helping me if you would click the subscribe button below. Completely free to you and just helps provide me the opportunity to write more articles about more incredible people.
Comments