Will Smith
Will. Il potere della volontà

What has life taught me? That mistakes, even big ones, and weaknesses, which are often the main cause of these mistakes, are sometimes a blessing. By making mistakes, we can adjust our aim, and by derailing, we can get back on even safer tracks.

To date, a good part of the world's population that knows a bit about Willard Carroll “Will” Smith Junior is still judging him for the slap delivered to Chris Rock, worldwide, on the stage of the Chinese Theatre. A gesture that even I found immediately out of place, exaggerated, and indefensible. But understandable, if analyzed thoroughly and with a truly human eye. What Will Smith did, however, has not erased and will not erase what is imprinted on the over four hundred pages of his official autobiography "Will. The Power of Will" (Will. Il potere della volontà).

I've followed Will forever. My passion bloomed just before the birth of what is, in my opinion (and not just mine), the funniest sitcom of the nineties: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (Willy il Principe di Bel Air). Knowing DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's music not only allowed me to understand the pun in the title of the TV show but also to enter Willard’s world through the back door.

I read this book twice, first in my language and then in the original one (which is quite complex yet instructive, also due to the presence of slang), precisely because its meaning enchanted me. We're not talking about some light novel ready to become one of many blockbuster movies, but about the story of fifty years of life, presented without any filter and in all its essence. A life that seems like a carousel no one would ever want to get off but spins so fast it gives us vertigo.

In these pages, I found much of myself, my life, my decisions, and also (and especially) my mindset. Needless to say, how fascinating it is to dive so deeply into the experiences of a public figure who has accompanied our lives from adolescence to adulthood and to realize that we share common thoughts on various levels.

Poverty, then unrestrained wealth, the relationship with a violent father marked by life but still influential in his lessons, with a charismatic and combative mother, who suffers but never bends. Life with siblings, different from each other but important allies. North and then West Philly, the friendship with Jeffrey Allen Townes a.k.a. DJ Jazzy Jeff, born by chance and then becoming a fraternal relationship. Success in rap, doubly valuable because it came after struggles and setbacks when no one yet knew that culture made of rhymes, born in places forgotten by God. The encounter and special relationship with Quincy Jones first and Benny Medina later, which traced an increasingly deep groove where the foundations of an incredible career would later be built.

A child at a young age, separation, then a new overwhelming relationship with Jada Pinkett, which in turn gives him two children. All while the raging river of a growing career risked losing direction yet did not prevent the creation of a large extended family.

Everything is told in detail, without loss of rhythm, without boredom, and without putting the book down on the bedside table due to the lack of a daily reflection. It's difficult to talk about a book without falling into the spoiler trap, so I won't elaborate further, risking revealing dangerous details.

What we can say, without going beyond the revelation made by the synopsis, is entirely related to the common thread. One can be rich, famous, fulfilled, and well-paid, seemingly accomplished. But if those around us and who care about us feel victimized by our perfection, meticulousness, and total dedication to work, it is up to us to recognize the imminent mutiny we are undergoing. This is the zero point, the pier where we dock after sailing a stormy sea, gripped by frustration because convinced of the existence only of flat and calm waters. It is the beginning of a long inner journey, which seems never to end but makes us realize that happiness is real only if shared.

Apart from the impressive number of copies sold (record of one million estimated in February 2022), this book's success was decreed by the quality of its content and the mark it left more than a year after its publication. I'm talking about it now, several months after my second reading, and that's because it stayed with me. Personally, today I am at peace after living through a difficult period, and I am still carrying out an important inner journey, which is changing me and giving me satisfaction. I wish everyone to be able to experience these satisfactions firsthand, not without having made mistakes. As I recommend everyone to read this autobiography. Doing so will certainly not be an error to be corrected in some way.

“I'm a work in progress” is Will Smith's mantra. And it's mine too.

Because in life you never stop learning. And growing.