Exclusive: Taraji P. Henson Shares Her Friendship Deal Breakers

Actress and mental health advocate Taraji P. Henson is on a mission to create the world she desires to see. The star is currently doing this through the use of her influence to facilitate difficult conversations, whether it’s about mental health or pay equity. Henson’s latest enterprise is a brand new kid’s book, which became available on June 18.

The book tells the story of the predominant character, Lil TJ, who struggles to make friends on his first day of college, but finally ends up breaking the code and helping others do the identical. Henson says the predominant character reflects her inner child.

“Little TJ is me, my little girl, whom I heal on daily basis and provides voice to when the unhealed Taraji taped her mouth shut and threw her in a closet. But I’m healing her,” he says. “And this is what little TJ looks like when he is healed. She is full of life. She understands love. He understands himself and embraces himself,” explains the Oscar-nominated star.

Some of the predominant themes covered on this book are empathy, advocating for yourself, friendship, and the work it takes to take care of relationships.

“You think that simply because you get up in the future and say, ‘I would like to have friends,’ every part can be really easy. NO. I’m 53 years old and it’s still difficult for me to seek out my way in numerous relationships,” says the actress.

The 53-year-old entrepreneur designed the book as a tool for kids and their parents, especially as adults guide children through the challenges of rejection and bonding.

“What was really important to me was to give parents the tools at the back of the book. What happens is that when your children are hurting, you feel the pain more than they do and you want to go into fix-it mode,” he says. “But how can you fix something if you don’t have the right tools?”

He also adds that oldsters have to be good friends in the event that they are to show their children how one can be good companions to others. As a mother of 1, Henson recalls helping her son, Marcell Johnson, make friends and sharing a few of the lessons she taught him.

“Friendship takes work,” he says. “You get more flies with honey. Sometimes you may clash with friends and you will have to determine if that friendship is essential enough to work on. You know, to see if you happen to can settle your differences, because sometimes you will not have the option to.

The actress herself has been blessed with a small circle of solid friends that she has known for a long time. Her best friend since seventh grade now manages her non-profit organization, Boris Lawrence Henson Foundationwhich was established in 2018. The foundation helps provide access to mental health resources for the black community.

Henson believes that today, people have to learn to provide more grace in friendships and provides one another space to be themselves, even in the event that they live a life that’s different from yours.

“Just leaving space for grace. And when I say this, it’s not just about a space of grace for friends, but a space of grace for yourself,” he says. “And when you allow space for grace, then empathy takes over. You know? Because we can even judge our friends.”

Henson also talked about individuals who broke friendship agreements. These included women who feel the necessity to compete, individuals who aren’t truthful, and those that are in constant conflict and can’t find joy.

“I do not have room for this. Life is just too short. And if I’m here and I’m attempting to shine a lightweight on you and all you do is bring down this dark cloud, I would like to get wet,” he says. “I like sun. So if you happen to cannot see the sun and if I can not make you see the sun, then possibly I’m not a friend for that. I’m going to must allow you to go because I can not allow you to do that.

Friendship was a fundamental a part of Henson’s life, and he or she says it gave her a way of security and far more.

“It’s a safe space where I don’t feel like myself. I can go to my friends and they’ll give me life. They’ll throw me off balance. They’ll give me that extra energy that I need to achieve everything I’m trying to achieve in life,” he says. “I don’t know where I’d be without my friends. I’m telling you, it’s essential. You must have friends.