Summary of Worthy By Jada Pinkett Smith

By Willie M. Joseph

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This book does not in any capacity mean to replace the original book but to serve as a vast summary of the original book.

Summary of Worthy By Jada Pinkett Smith

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Worthy is a memoir by Jada Pinkett Smith, a global superstar and creator of the Red Table Talk series. The memoir chronicles her life, from her early days as a drug trade observer to her successful career and marriage to Will Smith. It offers a rollercoaster of emotions, from suicidal depression to self-acceptance and spiritual healing. Worthy is an impactful and rare memoir that engages and educates readers, highlighting why adhering to the status quo isn't the plan for Jada Pinkett Smith and how labels and stories strip women of their authenticity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Willie M. Joseph
• Release date: Oct 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223090991

Willie M. Joseph

Willie M. Joseph summaries get straight to the point and provide essential tools to help you be an informed reader in a busy world, whether you’re browsing for new discoveries, managing your to-read list for work or school, or simply deepening your knowledge. Available for nonfiction titles, these are the book summaries that are worth your time.  

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PROLOGUE

The Heroine’s Journey

OJAI, CALIFORNIA

January 2012

The author is driving down a steep driveway to the house of a Medicine Woman, feeling dreadful and vulnerable. They have experienced similar terrifying feelings in past situations, where the decision to live or die was in someone else's hands. They are grateful for the opportunity to be in peaceful Ojai, but they are scared of what if this actually kills them. The author had been putting on a good face for two decades, but depression and hopelessness had smoldered into a raging hellfire in their broken heart. Therapy helped up to a point, but without this guidepost, they were a chronic mess with no fix or possibility to heal.

They felt like they were missing their connection to their children and that they had been checking off boxes meant to define being enough to deserve having it all. They had sought help from various sources, but none offered a lasting solution. The author's children, Jaden, Willow, and Trey, were the best thing that ever happened to them, but they were not in a good place and couldn't make it right. Confiding in close friends seemed unfair to them and to Will.

By Thanksgiving, the author was in despair and wanted to be on earth less. They considered suicide for the sake of their children, who would have their father's support. They decided to find a way to make their death appear accidental, driving over a steep cliff. However, the Universe intervened, and they met their friend Moises and Mateo, who shared a story about their father, Cesar, who had taken a trip to Peru to experience ayahuasca. Cesar explained that ayahuasca was a deep psychological healer for him, removing energy that disguised physical ailments.

The author was inspired by Cesar's experience and was surprised to learn that ayahuasca was available in California. A therapist friend confirmed that a medicine woman she had worked with could arrange a journey for her. The author couldn't arrange her ceremony fast enough, and their desperation was all-consuming. One month later, just after New Year's Eve, the author is sitting in their car in Ojai, debating whether to drive down the driveway or not. A memory surfaces, reminding them of the importance of making their death appear accidental and the importance of a devoted and great dad for their children.

On a hot summer day in Baltimore, the author bravely climbed a platform at Beaver Dam Park, despite the warning sign. She sat there in freezing water, unable to jump due to fear. Despite the sting, she felt proud and confident. She swam to shore, feeling proud of herself.

After the adventure, the author prayed for guidance and healing. She returned to her car, remembering Cesar's words that the only way out is through.

The author believes that every woman is worthy and deserves to live her life as the heroine of her own story. She believes that every woman has the right to her adventures, pitfalls, triumphs, and wisdom gained that leads to self-actualization. When women have the courage to find keys to their treasure chest, they find Divine freedom, and their lives are deliberately and unapologetically crafted by their own hands.

The author hopes that readers will be encouraged and strengthened by the journey they share. The archetypal Heroine's Journey is less of a linear quest to slay dragons and save damsels, but more of a spiral out of chaos and into order, where each woman can learn to be her own savior and receive support from those who love her.

The book is about a woman's quest to find the power of unstoppable love for herself, the key to her true empowerment, and the acceptance of the journey that delivered her there.

PART I

THE ORPHAN

My Grandmother’s Garden

In the summer darkness, the author feels wild and free, living on the edge of their working-class neighborhood in Northwest Baltimore's Pimlico Heights. They are thirteen years old and on a mission to see their sixteen-year-old boyfriend, who works the overnight shift at the 7-Eleven. The walk is about 25 minutes, with the neighborhood being busy with various characters, especially at night. The author keeps their eyes open and guard up, walking past the Reisterstown subway station, a shopping mall, and sleepy residential blocks.

Another incident from four years ago taught the author to be rugged and super vigilant. They learned that there is no such thing as a safe neighborhood and that there is no such thing as a safe neighborhood. They appreciate the hood they are in tonight, knowing it is not safe and that they have learned how to navigate this concrete jungle.

The author's mother, Adrienne, is an RN in a hospital maternity ward and has recently begun working the graveyard shift. She hopes that her children will follow her mother's laws about how to behave when she is not present. However, the author makes it her business from seven p.m. to seven a.m. to ignore every law her mom ever thought of.

On this balmy summer night, the author feels free, unguarded, and unwatched, loving their wildness.

The author recalls a summer night in Pimlico Heights, a neighborhood known for its proximity to the racetrack. The air is comforting and the warmth of the air feels like a warm hug. The author is drawn to Mark, a black and Asian man with a deep voice and a wide toothy grin. Mark makes the author laugh and makes her laugh every time she visits him at the 7-Eleven.

The author spends the next five hours talking to Mark about his troubles at home and her own. Before dawn, the night has ended, and the author focuses on making it home before her mom. Traffic thickens on the parkways, and traffic thickens as people head out for early shifts. The irony is that she watches out for unpredictable dangers by night, but by day, she has only to fear the wrath of Adrienne.

The author's origin story is not set on the streets of Baltimore, but rather in Marion's garden, where she learned powerful lessons from her mother. She was the firstborn grandchild and moved back into her parents' house when she was a toddler, which was nestled in a family-friendly upper-middleclass neighborhood. The author's mother assumes she is safe and sound, but safe is just one of many lies at this point in her life.

The author grew up in a Black household in Baltimore, surrounded by opulent single-family homes and Hasidic Jewish apartment complexes. Their grandmother taught them about their customs and the importance of respecting them. They were fascinated by the Hasidic community's attire and the way they lived. Grandmother Marion was the center of their world and well-being for her four children, their spouses, and their cousins.

Throughout childhood, the author was fascinated by her grandmother's multi-tiered garden and the gardening jobs she gave her children. The author was a talkative and inquisitive child, asking questions about various topics. Grandmother Marion was a West Indian graduate who later became a licensed social worker and pioneered in teaching sex education in Baltimore schools. She had a refined, melodic way of speaking and was born in Boston.

One day, the author noticed a photograph of a woman wearing a sari (unusual dress) in India. Grandmother explained that she was an undergraduate and received a fellowship to study in India in the mid-1930s. Howard Thurman, a theologian, professor, and civil rights activist, met with Mahatma Gandhi on the same trip. Thurman and Sue, an activist and author, were so important to Marion that they became godparents to the author's aunt Sondra, who was present at Dr. King's historic I Have a Dream speech at the March on Washington in 1963.

The author recounts their childhood in Marion Banfield's house, where they had a simple life with set jobs and a child. Marion Banfield was a gardener who turned the mundane into magic, incorporating everything she had into her garden. The author's grandmother, Marion Banfield, was a gardener herself, and the author spent hours exploring the garden, building imaginary restaurants, and making mud pies. They also enjoyed traveling on their Big Wheel, crossing the garden to different sections.

The author found new treasures every day, such as a rose garden, vegetable garden, and strawberry patch. The author was in love with the rabbits and baby bunnies, but was warned not to touch them. Instead, the author took on the responsibility of monitoring the rabbits and ensuring their safety.

Marion's garden provided evidence of everything growing if given the right sun, fertilizer, and water. The author helped her plant purple pansies, orange marigolds, tulips, and mint, which the author planted when they started their own garden.

Reviews for Summary of Worthy By Jada Pinkett Smith

[olaoluwaadeyi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic book
I love this author,keep up the good work.