There are times in life when one is left wondering about whether there is anything to look forward to. Often, they get stuck in a loop of looking back at past mistakes, obstacles, and struggles and wallowing in them again and again. However, Viola Davis’ quote for the day is all about moving past all of this. Speaking from experience, she cites that no matter what the circumstances are, you can move ahead and redefine yourself on your own terms.
Quote of the day by Viola Davis
“My biggest discovery was that you can literally re-create your life. You can redefine it. You don’t have to live in the past. I found that not only did I have fight in me, I had love.”This is an excerpt from the famed veteran actress’s book, ‘Finding Me’. The book is all about how she started in poverty as a young child, and how she managed to overcome all odds to become one of the biggest stars in the industry.The description for the book reads, “In my book, you will meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever. This is my story, from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City, and beyond.”
What does the quote mean?
The quote from Viola Davis comes from a place of understanding. The actress has, over the years, been open about how she lived in poverty for a long time before she properly landed on her feet. The quote’s first line, “My biggest discovery was that you can literally re-create your life”, comes from her own life lessons and how no matter where you are from, there are chances and opportunities in life that can help you re-create it from scratch.The quote mentions that it is up to you to make the choice of moving forward instead of basking in the past. It is on you as an individual to take the reins over your life and “redefine” it any way that you wish to do so. It also means that you get to redefine the narrative of your life. Rather than looking at your past struggles as something that is holding you down, you can look at them as lessons and then use them as stepping stones to move ahead. This meaning comes from her words, citing that “You don’t have to live in the past”, adding that at the end of the day, it all comes down to your choices and actions.In the last line of her quote, Davis says “I found that not only did I have fight in me, I had love”, now explaining that while her struggles made her strong like a warrior, they also did not destroy her ability to love and feel for others. Oftentimes, past struggles and traumas can affect us deeply to the point where we put up walls around us; however, Davis says that this is again a choice about how you are going to let your struggles define you. It presents the question of whether or not you are going to live with your struggles and let them dictate life, or will you forge a path for yourself, all the while leaving said struggles in the past and simply being grateful for the lessons that they taught you.In a nutshell, Davis gives a rightful message of hope, that change is right around the corner, all you have to do is take the first step without looking back at the past.
Who is Viola Davis?
Known for her on-screen presence, her chemistry with fellow co-stars, and how she holds herself in front of cameras, Viola Davis is a raging force who has been working in the entertainment industry for around 38 years. Her beginnings as an actress started in theatre, when she made her stage debut with ‘Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.’Alongside pursuing her career, she even completed her graduation from Juilliard School side by side in 1993. In 1996, she saw a lot of success in her career when she made her Broadway debut with ‘Seven Guitars’. This was also followed by her official debut in cinema with the film ‘The Substance of Fire.’Over the years, Davis has been credited for her acting in more than 140 projects, many of which have managed to go ahead and become blockbuster hits. Not only that, but she is also a part of the prestigious EGOT club, which means that she has won the top 4 most important awards in cinema: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
Viola Davis’ EGOT status
She won her Oscar for her work in ‘Fences,’ which was released in 2016. She won the title for best supporting actress. Other than that, she scored her Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ in 2015. She has also won two Tony awards for her plays ‘Hedley II’ and ‘Fences’ (stage version). Lastly, she also won a Grammy award for the audiobook narration of her memoir, ‘Finding Me.’
