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Growing up in Terrell, Texas, Jamie Foxx's grandmother recognized his musical talent at a young age and made sure he took piano lessons. Despite being a little boy in a small southern town, Foxx's grandmother encouraged him to go across the tracks and play classical piano for people on the white side of town. She taught him confidence and the importance of being himself. Foxx reflects on the impact his grandmother had on his career, from playing music in clubs to receiving an Oscar nomination for his role as Ray Charles in the movie 'Ray'. He attributes his success and confidence to the lessons his grandmother instilled in him.
Foxx shares his grandmother's wisdom on facing fear and being bold. She taught him that there is nothing on the other side of fear and that people are often nervous for no reason. This lesson has stayed with him and he passes it on to his own children, encouraging them to be confident and not let fear hold them back. He believes that instilling this mindset early on can help children overcome shyness or lack of confidence and embrace their full potential.
Foxx's early talent for impersonations was recognized by his second grade teacher, who rewarded the class by allowing Foxx to perform impersonations of celebrities like Richard Pryor on Fridays. Foxx recalls mimicking jokes and impersonating famous personalities, such as Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. His teachers, including Miss Reeve, encouraged his creativity, and these experiences laid the foundation for his future career as an entertainer.
For a young couple raising a child of color in a non-diverse neighborhood, it is important to live your lives authentically and have open conversations with your child about diversity, identity, and inclusion. Embrace the opportunity to help others understand different cultures and perspectives by being positive role models and promoting unity and acceptance. Encourage your child to be proud of their heritage and teach them to celebrate diversity. Foster a sense of community by connecting with other families who value diversity and creating opportunities for your child to engage in multicultural experiences.
The speaker highlights the importance of staying true to oneself and maintaining personal growth. They emphasize the value of being authentic and not compromising one's values or beliefs for the sake of popularity or external validation. The speaker encourages individuals to prioritize their own fulfillment and find meaning in their own lives rather than seeking constant approval from others. They emphasize that personal growth should be a continuous process and that individuals should strive to better understand themselves and their place in the world.
The podcast episode delves into the delicate balance between productivity and presence. The speaker discusses the challenge of navigating a culture that often values efficiency and performance over personal well-being and fulfillment. They explore the tension between wanting to create meaningful work and the pressure to constantly please a large audience. The speaker shares their own experience of writing for a wide audience while still striving to stay true to their personal values and authentic self-expression. They ponder the trade-offs between productivity and being fully present in everyday experiences.
The podcast delves into the significance of self-care and setting personal boundaries. The speaker emphasizes the importance of prioritizing sleep and recognizing its vital role in cognitive functioning and overall well-being. They challenge the notion that sleep deprivation is a badge of honor and encourage individuals to prioritize rest and take care of their physical and mental health. The speaker also discusses the value of setting boundaries in order to maintain a sense of presence and prevent burnout. They advocate for maintaining a healthy work-life balance and taking time for personal relationships and leisure activities.
Literature is like the original internet, filled with references and citations that act as hyperlinks to other works. By following these tangential references, readers can discover hidden gems they may otherwise have missed. This practice allows readers to expand their knowledge and escape their filter bubbles, pushing the boundaries of their understanding.
Through a series of unexpected references, the podcast host stumbled upon the works of Seneca the Younger, a Roman philosopher. Initially mistaking Seneca for a Native American elder, the host's curiosity led them to dive deeper into Seneca's writings, which hold profound insights into the struggle between productivity and presence. Seneca's writings continue to resonate with modern readers, addressing timeless themes of distraction and the importance of living in the present moment.
When it comes to note-taking, the podcast host employs various hacks to streamline their workflow. They use the Kindle app to highlight passages, copy those highlights into Evernote for easy access, and even email screen grabs of highlighted pages for optimal organization and searchability. While acknowledging the lack of tools specifically designed for heavy reading, the host's combination of existing technologies allows for efficient and personalized note-taking.
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Welcome to The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out their routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life.
This time around, we have a very special edition with two hit interviews from the podcast’s back catalog. It features two incredible guests: Jamie Foxx and Maria Popova.
My goal is to introduce people to interviews they might have missed over the years and encourage them to enjoy household names but also sample lesser-known people I consider stars. You can think of this format as my personal, curated selection of the best of the last 10 years, or at least some of my favorites.
Jamie Foxx (@iamjamiefoxx) is an Academy Award-winning actor, a Grammy Award-winning musician, and a standup and improv comedian. He is one of the most consummate performers and entertainers that I have ever met. This conversation was voted Podcast of the Year in 2015.
Maria Popova (@brainpicker) is the creator of The Marginalian (long ago named Brain Pickings), which is included in the Library of Congress’ permanent web archive of culturally valuable materials. The Marginalian is Maria’s one-woman labor of love—an inquiry into how to live and what it means to lead a good life. From Mark Twain to Oscar Wilde and everyone in between, Maria finds the hidden gems. She is prolific and consistent—The Marginalian was created on October 23, 2006, and it has been running strong for 17+ years.
What do you think of this format? Please let me know on Twitter—or X, as the cool kids say—by tagging @tferriss.
Please enjoy!
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Order today at Cometeer.com/TimTim. Listeners of The Tim Ferriss Show will receive $25 off their first order.
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This episode is also brought to you by Shopify! Shopify is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies. Shopify is designed for anyone to sell anywhere, giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great-looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. No coding or design experience required.
Go to shopify.com/Tim to sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period. It’s a great deal for a great service, so I encourage you to check it out. Take your business to the next level today by visiting shopify.com/Tim.
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This episode is also brought to you by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, the go-to tool for B2B marketers and advertisers who want to drive brand awareness, generate leads, or build long-term relationships that result in real business impact.
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For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.
For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors
Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.
For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.
Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.
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LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss
Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.
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Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode