7 INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES BY WILL SMITH AND HOW THEY CAN HELP YOU ON YOUR WAY TO REAL SUCCESS!

Here at ATF, we are passionate about your success! So today, I have carefully selected 7 of the most famously inspiring quotes from producer, rapper and most powerful actor in Hollywood, Will Smith. I know he comes across as goofy, funny and unserious, but in reality Will is probably one of the most hard-working people in Hollywood and his track record is one that will give any actor in his genre a run for their money. He proves that with a strong work ethic, persistence and determination, you CAN achieve more than you actually set out to do. The quotes below, I hope will re-ignite the fire in you and push you forward towards your dream.



7 INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES BY WILL SMITH

"If you stay ready, you ain't gotta get ready, and that is how I run my life"

Are you really, really prepared for what you dream of and aspire to? I used to have a friend who will wake up at 6am, exercise, have a bath and get properly dressed for work when he did not have a job. We all, myself included, used to laugh at him because it appeared funny that he would dress up in a suit and tie when he had nowhere to go. And he did that everyday. But guess what? When he was called upon to attend to anything, job interview or a meet up with a potential client, he was always ready and out in an instant. Morale of the story, success is when preparation meets opportunity. If you are out of work, what are you doing with the time you have on your hands? What books are you reading? What classes are you taking? What seminars are you attending? Who are you talking to? How much exercise are you getting? The more you prepare, the better equipped you are to take on the challenge when it comes your way. The actress in a stage play prepares herself in the moments before the curtains are drawn and the spotlights shines on her, for that is her one shot at selling herself. Prepare, so when the spotlight shines on you, YOU ARE READY.

"In my mind, I've always been an A-list Hollywood superstar. Y'all just didn't know that yet."

Believe you can. Too many people go into business with doubts and fears overwhelming them. Fact. Too many people start business and then refuse to make a bigger, better move because they are unsure of the outcome. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Envision the end result and keep that vision in your mind. Know who you are and what you are capable of and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Be your own number 1 fan, way before anyone even had a reason to root for you. For if you can't see yourself as a success, who will?

"Whatever your dream is, every extra penny you have needs to be going to that."

Invest in your craft, time, money, energy. You can't have belief in something if you don't put your money where your mouth goes. You gotta put in something extra to make it grow. So you want to be a professional photographer? Studying photography is simply not enough. You need to find out the best equipment out there that will make your work stand out from the rest and work towards getting that. You wanna be a writer? Attend as many writer's forums as possible, if it means paying for them. You want to be a baker? Invest in a baking class, but put your money on time-saving equipment, books that will make you stand out. And keep doing just that, every step of the way.

“We spend money that we do not have, on things we do not need, to impress people who do not care.”

Now the acronym for that; fake it till you make it. Truth be told, if you fake it, you ain't never, no, NEVER going to make it in the real sense of the word. I know people who have been faking it for 10 years and counting, credit card after credit card maxed out, and yet they are yet to hit "the jackpot." The reality is, they just might never. We only need so much. Quit buying things to impress people, stop allowing money and people so much control over your life. Stay true to who you are, and make no apologies for it. In time and with the right amount of investment and determination, your situation will turn around, permanently. Suffer for a bit, so you can have the glory for the long-term.

"Don't chase people. Be yourself, do your own thing and work hard. The right people, the ones who really belong in your life, will come to you. And stay."

PAUSE. Maybe you need to read that again. PLAY. It is harder to spend your time and energy chasing after people who really do not matter, than to spend that time building and perfecting your craft. You will only need so many people anyway. The best thing you can do for yourself and your business is to keep a clear focus on where you are going and not allow for any distractions.

"You don't set out to build a wall, you don't say "I am going to build the biggest, baddest wall that has ever been built, you don't start there. You start by saying I am going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid and you do that every single day until you have a wall"

The journey of a thousand years, it's been said, starts with a single step. What are you putting off today? In as much as you have a big picture in your head as to what you want to become, it is important to set realistic targets and goals and work at achieving them step by step. And that starts today. Make sure that everyday, you do something that moves you forward, closer to your short term or long term goals. It doesn't have to be visible to everyone; with the example of the wall in Will's quote, no one really sees it when you have five bricks on top of the other, only the builder does. But when the wall goes higher, then the whole world sees and wonder how they never knew a wall was being built all this while!  The word is diligence: constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind. And the wise King Solomon said "Have you seen a man diligent at his work? He will stand before kings, he will not stand before mere men."

  

"Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't do something. You got a dream, you've got to protect it. When people can't do something themselves, they are going to tell you that you can't do it. You want something, you go get it. Period." 


My former boss had a habit. Everytime a member of staff approached him with a new idea, he would say "Don't tell me about it, just go for it. You go for it". It didn't matter if it ended up being a bad idea, YOU GO FOR IT. You really don't need the support of any and every member of your family, YOU GO FOR IT. It doesn't matter that someone else feels its an impossible feat or someone had failed at it in the past, YOU GO FOR IT. It doesn't matter if you are shitting your pants in fear taking the first steps or you probably don't even have the exact amount of money you figure you will need, YOU GO FOR IT. The reality is that not everyone is going to be happy about your new idea; one group probably believe you can't make it because they or someone the know, had tried it in the past and failed, while the other group will discourage you because they wish it had been their idea not yours. Get the picture? Nike said it best "Just do it". Keep your plans under wraps for as long as you can, only discussing with those that matter and are supportive. 

Are you inspired to take action, do something about your dreams today? They can infact, become a reality!

One last quote as a parting shot?

The keys to life are running and reading. When you are running, there's a little person that talks to you and says "Oh I'm tired, my lungs are about to pop, I'm so hurt, there's no way I can possibly continue". You want to quit. If you learn how to defeat that person
 when you are running, you will know how to not quit when things get hard
 in your life. For reading - there have been gazillions of people that have lived before all of us. There's no new problem you could have.........no new problem that someone hasn't already had and written about in a book"

Get knowledge and understanding. And here's to the best results on your journey to success!