This is part two of the lessons I learned from Will. You can first the first part here.
I know it’s a lot of lessons, but they’re all great lessons. So I’m going to finish highlighting ten more in this post. Enjoy!
11. “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”
Chapter 14: Boom
Will had received a call from his father at 3 am. Those were his father’s words. He didn’t believe in luck, he believe in creating your own destiny.
I completely understand where his father is coming from. And I believe in that as well. If you have favorable odds, then you need to work your ass off to get them. Nothing is handed to you in this life, unless you were born into a wealthy family and have everything done for you.
There are certain situations where I do believe in luck, but when it comes to becoming successful then I don’t want to rely on luck. I believe in building your own opportunites.
12. Purpose vs Desire
Chapter 16: Purpose
Will distinguishes the difference between purpose and desire. Desire is more personal, self-serving, short-term gains and pleasures. While purpose is long-term and focuses on serving others instead.
“When we pursue what we believe to be a profound and valuable goal, it stirs the best parts of ourselves and others.”
When I was younger, I wanted the success, the wealth, the cool bachelor pad, a Telsa, a huge wardrobe with tailored clothing, and the reputation of being the “one who made it”. All of that is desire.
Now that I’m much older, I’ve been humbled throughout this journey of finding what I want to do. I’m still a bit lost, but I feel like I’m getting closer and closer. I don’t know what my purpose is or what I want to be doing. I have a vague idea of what my success looks like, but I’m still a little clueless.
Once I find my purpose and work towards it, no amount of material will matter.
13. The Dead Rat Story
Chapter 17: Perfection
Will told a story of going to work with his father in the dark smelly basement of a grocery store. There, he had to remove a disemboweled dead rat with his bare hands in order to work on a compressor. He laid his head on the exact same spot where the rotting rat was and got to work.
Witnessing this, Will saw what his father was willing to do in order to provide and put food on the table for his family. This instilled discipline and hard work in him from an early age.
I was impressed by the story. I know my father has also done some very dirty work as well when he was still a custodian. He never really complains about work. All he knew was that he had to pay the bills and provide for his very large family so we can explore our opportunities in America.
To this day, I am still looking for something that was worth my parents’ sacrifice to come to this country, endured mistreatment, and work low-paying jobs.
14. Find Happiness in Yourself and Not From Others
Chapter 18: Mutiny
After a huge fight broke out during Jada’s 40th birthday, Will realized that he cannot make her happy. They both will have to take some time off to find their own happiness.
Will had constantly tried to win validation from his lovers and they never end too well. It took him this long to realize. So I’m glad that I’m learning from his mistakes.
Right now, I’m looking for my own happiness. It’s very easy for me to think that my future girlfriend will bring happiness into my life. But after how things played out, I realized that I needed to make myself happy before I expect others to make me happy.
15. Reconnectin’ and Limin’
Chapter 19: Retreat
Will takes a spontaneous trip to Trinidad and realized that he needed to take a chill pill and relax. He was stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean wondering why his time was being wasted.
He soon learns that he was uncomfortable with downtime because he always saw it as a bad thing. Even with success back-to-back, it didn’t guarantee his happiness, so what did he have to lose with these couple of hours of just chilling in the ocean? Nothing.
Reconnectin’ and limin’ was Scotty’s idea of just relaxing in the ocean. He’s with his favorite people and there’s no worries.
This makes me miss being in the water. The last time I swam was in the summer of 2022 with friends at a lake. The point is to be with people you like out in nature relaxing.
16. Silent Retreat as a Form of Detox
Chapter 19: Retreat
Will got the idea of a silent retreat from a friend who did one in India. So Will decided to go to another home he had in the mountains that was totally secluded. He would have zero human contact, no internet, or technology for a full 14 days.
He would be by himself with access to books. He did struggle the first week, but then he got into the groove of things. His dreams were vivid and creative ideas started flowing. He even picked up meditation.
I have never done a silent treatment before and I would love to do one when the opportunity arises. I have done digital detox with limited social media and that had help me focus on things that matter in my life.
I have also done meditation before and it does soothe the body and mind. If you’re someone who’s anxious and can’t relax, then meditation can help with that. My detox started with a challenge called the DRVN 30, in which I have gotten a ton of mental clarity.
17. Freestanding Man
Chapter 20: Surrender
Will worked with his therapist in order to become a freestanding man. A freestanding man is described as someone who doesn’t let other people’s opinions affect him, he knows who he is and what he wants.
I love the definition so much, I’m reminded that I’m also on a similar journey to becoming what I called Jack 2.0. Which is a better version of me that I’m currently working on.
18. Know Your Ending
Chapter 21: Love
Will was dealing with his father’s impending death and reflected on his father’s life.
It’s important to know your ending, so you can reverse engineer and craft everything that leads up to it. That’s how it is in filmmaking.
This lesson is new to me and it struck me deep in my soul. I don’t know how much time I have left on this Earth. Everything is unpredictable and anything can happen in the next second. But to have an end goal in your life can really shape your current reality.
I guess my ending would be to be surrounded by people I love, made great memories, and know that I have done good work on Earth before I leave.
19. To Love and Be Love
Chapter 21: Love
“Allowing the best within you to serve and unleash the best within others is the most intense of human pleasures.”
You must give, in order to receive. This is something that I promised myself when I’m back to proper health I will love and support others. It’s not that I didn’t do it before, I feel like maybe it wasn’t enough.
Serving others has always been gratifying to me. I get more when I give more. I want to be a person that others like being around without compromising who I am.
Conclusion
Wow, that was a lot of lessons being covered. I even had to cut out a few that were a little too familiar to me.
If you read it this far, you might as well purchase the book and read it yourself. Will being a well-seasoned entertainer definitely knows how to write a captivating book. It will stir many different kinds of emotions in you because he is so open about his life.
I am glad that this was the first book in a while that made me start reading again. I hope to do more book reviews in the future.
