Will Smith... getting back in touch.

[MA-Caver]

Say what you want about the man... sometimes it just takes time for folks to realize what it is that they can really do to make a difference.

Will Smith: It's all about helping others

1 hr 35 mins ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081214/ap_en_ce/people_will_smithMINNEAPOLIS – Will Smith is bringing the message of his new movie "Seven Pounds" to the Midwest with a promotional tour that also turned into a fundraiser.
In the film, which opens nationwide Friday, Smith portrays a suicidal man determined to change the lives of several strangers.
"If there's a message, it's 'you gotta help somebody.' Even if it's somebody's car breaking down, use your cell phone. Something little like that. We gotta help one another to get the quality of life we're all striving for," he said in an interview with the Star Tribune.
Smith's appearance Friday for a local premier at a theater in suburban Edina was also a fundraiser for Second Harvest Heartland, the state's largest hunger-relief organization. Tickets were given to the first 250 people who donated nonperishable food. He and Vikings player Bernard Berrian also donated 300 holiday dinners to the organization.
"It's cool to have the goal of being the biggest movie star in the world. But why? It's been revealed to me that the question is: Whose life is better because you woke up today?"
Smith said he realized he had drifted out of contact with everyday people on Nov. 4.

I really liked the question he posed to himself (italics above which are mine) ... Whose life is better because YOU woke up today?
A great question to ask ones self as they get up in the morning I think.

 

[bluekey88]

A most excellent question...one I've strived to answer for most of my adult life. It's made all the difference.

Perhaps if more folks tried answering that question, some of the headlines we've read lately wouldn't be.

Peace,
Erik

 

[CoryKS]

Will Smith: It's all about being seen helping others

Fixed that for him. What Captain Obvious doesn't seem to understand is that millions of people help others every day. Few of them find it necessary to call a press conference. I guess it pays not to notice that because then it makes one's decision to "let someone use your cellphone" seem like a pretty major sacrifice.

Smith said he realized he had drifted out of contact with everyday people on Nov. 4.

Admitting you have a problem is a good first step. Most people can't put an exact date on that sort of thing.

 

[MA-Caver]

Will Smith: It's all about being seen helping others

Fixed that for him. What Captain Obvious doesn't seem to understand is that millions of people help others every day. Few of them find it necessary to call a press conference. I guess it pays not to notice that because then it makes one's decision to "let someone use your cellphone" seem like a pretty major sacrifice.



Admitting you have a problem is a good first step. Most people can't put an exact date on that sort of thing.

I admitted that I had a problem on Feb 16th 1989... that I absolutely could not control my drinking and drug use. I haven't done either since.
Sometimes the self-awareness is such an awakening that the date sticks out in your head.
To me Smith is such a big star that he doesn't need to worry about being seen if he's helping others.
Yes, millions help others everyday... and millions more do NOT. Imagine the difference if those unwilling millions did their part.

 

[CoryKS]

To me Smith is such a big star that he doesn't need to worry about being seen if he's helping others.

On the contrary, the fact that Smith is a big star is precisely why he feels that he needs to be seen helping others. Helps to stave off the accusations from the Church Ladies of the world who feel it is their job to make sure his is "doing his part," whatever the hell that means.

 

[girlbug2]

I believe Will Smith is one of those rare Hollywood stars that actually cares about people outside of Hollywood. Just my gut feeling about him.

Considering that I was woken up at 2 am this morning, nobody's life is better as of yet today....including my own.

 

[BrandonLucas]

I think sometimes it helps to have others see you helping people, or see you trying to get people to help one another.

Take myself for example:

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008, I was ready to kill people.

I had to go to Wal-Mart to finish up on some Christmas shopping (that I'm still not done with). Now, you have to understand that Wal-Mart is the absolute worst place you can go in our town to get last minute anything...everyone is always there, and they're always in a bad mood.

No one ever says "Excuse me" any more when they try to run you over with their buggy to get to the checkout line faster than anyone else. No kidding, whenever my wife and I go in there (especially since she's pregnant) I have to push the buggy and keep her at least beside me if not behind me...otherwise, people will hit her every time we round a corner.

On that particular day, 3 people rammed our buggy as we went down the towel aisle, 4 different families shoved past us in the clothing section where there was plenty of room to get around and even moved our buggy to the side while we were standing beside it, and then we almost got rammed by an older lady who was hell-bent on getting in the 20 items or less checkout line ahead of us, but had 2 buggy-loads of groceries.

I had had enough. When we got in the car, I was pretty fed up with humanity as a whole. I tried to simply get out of the parking lot, which was the biggest hassle of all. We were down an aisle facing the store, so for us to get out, we had to drive toward the storefront. There was a car going across the aisle that we needed to get in that just stopped for almost a full minute for no reason. I decided to pull around them, and as I did, a woman and her daughter came running out of the store into the parking lot, almost running in front of my car.

The ride home was just as bad, filled with people who demand to drive 30 miles an hour above the speed limit and will accept no less on their road...so, as you can imagine, by the time I got home, I was ready to end the day.

The point to all of this is that being around so much negative crap, I wasn't too compelled to help anyone with anything. I'm sure there were plenty of people in Wal-Mart that day that were attempting to be polite and considerate, but I didn't see any of them, and, shamefully, I have to admit to turning into one of the jerks that I wanted to avoid.

I honestly think if I had witnessed someone being even the slightest bit nice and considerate, I probably would have changed my outlook on things...at the very least, I would have lightened up.

Sometimes it takes someone showing us the way...especially when we're having bad days. I know that on that day, being nice wasn't the first thing in my head...and it would've helped for someone to help me get to that point.

 

[MA-Caver]

The point to all of this is that being around so much negative crap, I wasn't too compelled to help anyone with anything. I'm sure there were plenty of people in Wal-Mart that day that were attempting to be polite and considerate, but I didn't see any of them, and, shamefully, I have to admit to turning into one of the jerks that I wanted to avoid.

I honestly think if I had witnessed someone being even the slightest bit nice and considerate, I probably would have changed my outlook on things...at the very least, I would have lightened up.

Sometimes it takes someone showing us the way...especially when we're having bad days. I know that on that day, being nice wasn't the first thing in my head...and it would've helped for someone to help me get to that point.

But isn't that the whole point Brandon? Why do we have to wait for someone ELSE to show the way... why not do it ourselves?
True sometimes one may not feel like it... but that's where they need to reach DEEP down inside themselves and pull it out and actually put it to use. That good will spirit lives in everyone but it's up to them (free will) to use it.

It's a measure of character when we do that.
:asian:

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

Eh at least it's better than Tom Cruise and his accident only he can help claim.

 

[BrandonLucas]

But isn't that the whole point Brandon? Why do we have to wait for someone ELSE to show the way... why not do it ourselves?
True sometimes one may not feel like it... but that's where they need to reach DEEP down inside themselves and pull it out and actually put it to use. That good will spirit lives in everyone but it's up to them (free will) to use it.

It's a measure of character when we do that.
:asian:

I know that everyone is different, but in this aspect, I know that we are all the same...

I know that being nice just isn't always at the forefront of my mind...and it's not always at the forefront of everyone else's mind either...

We all have bad days, but we all don't have them on the same day. While I was having a terrible day, someone else could have been having a great day, and just felt like being nice to everyone. The fact is, if we were always thinking about being nice and always acted on that, the world would be a better place. But, since we all have bad days, I think it sometimes takes someone else to help you get out of it.

On my bad day, like I was saying, I wasn't thinking about trying to be nice...it just wasn't going to happen for me on my own. I was constantly being bombarded with negativity, and all I wanted to do was to get myself and my wife out of that situation. The thought of being nice honestly never occured to me at that point...I simply was trying to get out of there.

I realize that it probably would have helped me to deal with things if I had tried to be nice, but I honestly didn't think of that. Sometimes people just need to have help getting the ball rolling. We've all been there. Alot of times we need help and don't even realize it until it comes along.

I don't know if this is making any sense...I can hear what I want to say in my head, but it's just not coming out right on here...I don't feel like I'm being clear...

 

[MA-Caver]

I know that everyone is different, but in this aspect, I know that we are all the same...

I know that being nice just isn't always at the forefront of my mind...and it's not always at the forefront of everyone else's mind either...

We all have bad days, but we all don't have them on the same day. While I was having a terrible day, someone else could have been having a great day, and just felt like being nice to everyone. The fact is, if we were always thinking about being nice and always acted on that, the world would be a better place. But, since we all have bad days, I think it sometimes takes someone else to help you get out of it.

On my bad day, like I was saying, I wasn't thinking about trying to be nice...it just wasn't going to happen for me on my own. I was constantly being bombarded with negativity, and all I wanted to do was to get myself and my wife out of that situation. The thought of being nice honestly never occured to me at that point...I simply was trying to get out of there.

I realize that it probably would have helped me to deal with things if I had tried to be nice, but I honestly didn't think of that. Sometimes people just need to have help getting the ball rolling. We've all been there. Alot of times we need help and don't even realize it until it comes along.

I don't know if this is making any sense...I can hear what I want to say in my head, but it's just not coming out right on here...I don't feel like I'm being clear...

I know what you're saying ... I do, and it happens to me. I get into a foul, cranky mood and I wonder when will I kill someone... but it takes time to learn how to step outside ones self and see that it isn't no-one else who is going to be nice to everyone else... thus having to reach inside and pull that nice guy back out and do something at least respectable for someone else.
Whenever I do that and as cliche as it may sound... it really does make the day better and the foul black mood I was in dissipates a little more each time I do it.
Last year Ceicei made a post about how while out shopping with her 4 kids in the midst of a crowded maddened Wal-Mart that she was able to maintain self-discipline and not take the stress and madness out on her kids who were obviously affected by the moods and excitement and restlessness and bring her kids under-control... Well read what happened in her words.
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=901684#post901684

All it takes is one gesture one positive move forward and you never know whose life you'll affect/change... even if for the day.

I struggle with it sometimes but I am trying to do better. It's all that we can do... strive to do better by our neighbors, friends and family.

 

[BrandonLucas]

I know what you're saying ... I do, and it happens to me. I get into a foul, cranky mood and I wonder when will I kill someone... but it takes time to learn how to step outside ones self and see that it isn't no-one else who is going to be nice to everyone else... thus having to reach inside and pull that nice guy back out and do something at least respectable for someone else.
Whenever I do that and as cliche as it may sound... it really does make the day better and the foul black mood I was in dissipates a little more each time I do it.
Last year Ceicei made a post about how while out shopping with her 4 kids in the midst of a crowded maddened Wal-Mart that she was able to maintain self-discipline and not take the stress and madness out on her kids who were obviously affected by the moods and excitement and restlessness and bring her kids under-control... Well read what happened in her words.
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=901684#post901684

All it takes is one gesture one positive move forward and you never know whose life you'll affect/change... even if for the day.

I struggle with it sometimes but I am trying to do better. It's all that we can do... strive to do better by our neighbors, friends and family.

That link isn't opening for me...it says that I don't have permission to access the page.

But, not all of us have the knowledge or the will power to do something positive in the face of alot of negative.

Sometimes it takes seeing an act of kindness to change.

 

[MA-Caver]

That link isn't opening for me...it says that I don't have permission to access the page.

But, not all of us have the knowledge or the will power to do something positive in the face of alot of negative.

Sometimes it takes seeing an act of kindness to change.

Hopefully the Mods will take a look at that link and make any necessary corrections... it should work the thread is less than a year old. :idunno: it works for me :idunno:

I think that we all DO have the knowledge and the power. It's in there... inside all of us. At the risk of sounding like Vincent Peale or Tony Robbins... WE can make the difference and it is up to US to do it. Waiting around for someone or something to happen can take a long time.
Just got to WANT to ... we allow the negatives to overwhelm us and think that one tiny little positive isn't going to make any difference, but it does.
You find kindness everywhere if you look for it. But how you choose to feel about it is what makes the difference. You can just shrug it off thinking to yourself "ehh, that was nice..." or you can just be wow-ed by it and feel all good inside and want to do the same for someone else... likely it'll be somewhere in between the two. However the intensity of it you still make the choice to find it and do it.
:asian:

 

[Tames D]

That link isn't opening for me...it says that I don't have permission to access the page.

But, not all of us have the knowledge or the will power to do something positive in the face of alot of negative.

Sometimes it takes seeing an act of kindness to change.

The link doesn't work for me either. But then again alot of things don't work for me anymore on this forum,

.

 

[Yoshiyahu]

Thats great I am glad to hear Will Smith has such a posistive model for people to follow. It makes up for degrading role of the black in tv series of Fresh Prince of Bel Aire. That was totally a sad show depicting the not so smart, thuggish cousin as being Mr. Cool that all the ladies wanted to Carlton who was the Rich and smart cousin that all the ladies pass over to get with Will A poor boy from the projects who left to stop from getting head busted.

Say what you want about the man... sometimes it just takes time for folks to realize what it is that they can really do to make a difference.


I really liked the question he posed to himself (italics above which are mine) ... Whose life is better because YOU woke up today?
A great question to ask ones self as they get up in the morning I think.

 

[Andrew Green]

Eh at least it's better than Tom Cruise and his accident only he can help claim.

WIll Smith denies being a Scientologist, but he has funded a Scientology school and studied it with Cruise, who is apparently a friend of his.

I think its safe to say he's lost touch with the real world at least somewhat...