“C#cks*ck*r mother f*cker” was my favorite expression and at eight years old, I used it defiantly.”
This is the opening line to a wonderful newly released autobiography.
Welcome to the universe that is Viola Davis.
This exceptional autobiography provides insight into the actress of the 21st century.
Whether dealing with bullies, self doubt or a system with no idea what to do with her, Ms. Viola has seen it all and thrived despite the world’s insistence that she disappear.
What a wonderful testament to what can happen when you commit to your calling (being fully human and an artist) and add in a healthy dose of self esteem, a loving relationship and become a Joy Revolutionist.
According to the wonderful Oneika Mays, the Joy Revolutionist is a state of being whose main concern is living in the moment and taking on all of life by owning yourself and approaching the world from a state of worthiness and community.
As a Joy Revolutionist, Ms. Viola has not had an easy life. Growing up in rat-infested apartments and surviving extreme violence, Ms. Davis decided early on that she would find a way out and make success her only option.
Here is where it gets interesting…
Times Up!
Even though she endured unspeakable and horrific events, Ms. Davis adopted a “so what, now what” attitude and kept moving towards and with her calling.
She didn’t give herself reasons to not succedd so what is your excuse?
Ms. Davis attacked her calling (storytelling and supreme character work) at a young age. After being seduced by the performance of the sublime Cicely Tyson in the Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Ms. Davis saw a way out and followed the beacon.
My heart stopped beating. The shame, pain, fear, confusion, all those negative feelings I had about my life and my situation were blasted through a brand-new doorway. It was like a hand reached for mine adn I finally saw my way out. The beauty of that moment was that my sisters saw an exit too. I experienced the true power of artistry. At that moment, I found my calling. How Miss Tyson transformed from 18 to 110 years old was supernatural . I wanted to be supernatural. I wanted my life to mean something, and this was it.
To best understand her allegiance to building and maintaining healthy self esteem, bell hooks, another godddess, must be introduced with a quote from her incredible collection, Rock My Soul.
Self -esteeem is confidence in our ability to think; confidence in our ability to cope with the basic challenges of life; and confidence in our right to be successful and happy; the feeling of being worthy,deserving, entitiled to assert our needs and wants, achieve our values, and enjoy the fruits of our efforts. Without self-esteem people begin to lose their sense of agencey. They feel powerless. They feel they can only be victims. The need for self-esteem never goes away. And it is never too late for us to acquire the healthy self- esteeem that is needed if we are to have fulfulling lives.
And let’s not forget the exceptional reward the universe brought Ms. Davis in the form of the luscious and powerful husband, Mr. Julius Tennon. Clearly Ms. Davis
is a manifesting fool and a true practioner of the Law of Attraction. Kind, generous and unabashedly in love with Viola before the fame, he is a role model of practicing the concept of true love for your betrothed.
To truly live and love life, we must learn to navigate life.
Successful navigation requires us to own ourselves and our crap while dealing with the drama that is daily life.
My powerful mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, sums it up with this encouraging quote.
” Many things happen in life. There are joyous days and times of suffering. Sometimes unpleasant things occur. But that’s what makes life interesting. The dramas we encounter are part and parcel of being human. If we experienced no change or drama in our lives, if nothing unexpected ever happened, we would merely be like automatons, our lives unbearably monotonous and dull. Therefore, please develop a strong self so that you can enact the drama of your life with confidence and poise in the face of whatever vicissitudes you may encounter.”