This is part 2 of the Viola Davis book review, if you haven’t already, go and read the previous blog: #83 – Viola Davis book review pt 1: Catharsis through art
Why are you running?
I never stopped running. My feet just stopped moving
Viola Davis
Some of us are running and we don’t even know it.
Similar to Viola, physically you may not be running, but mentally it’s a different story.
What are people running from you may ask?
Their past. The shame of their past. The person they used to be. People from their past.
But there’s only so far you can run before things start to catch up with you.
Regardless of how much you try to suppress things, they will come up eventually. When it does, it could manifest in various ways, including a mental breakdown or health issues.
Some of you need to just stop. As in, right now, just stop. Pause.
Ask yourself if there’s something you’re running from, or something you’re not trying to confront. Something that when it comes up, you quickly try to forget about it, or compartmentalize.
Maybe next time try to unpack it. Ask yourself: why am I trying to forget about this? Who hurt me? Who do I need to forgive?
You could do this by yourself, by writing in a journal. Or with a trusted friend. Even with a therapist if you can.
Processing your pain can be very painful. But similar to Viola, you will find purpose in your deepest pain. You may understand yourself more and why you relate to certain people.
While processing you also need to show yourself grace. It may take a while to heal, or you could heal overnight. But just take time with yourself.
A real-life example
So, back in 2019 I did a placement year in Spain, or Espana should I say, as my people dem say it. I didn’t realise but I mentally tried to run away from some of my problems. I was running away from and trying to ignore the issues I had with certain friends and even within my own family. But I couldn’t run away from my mind. The thoughts were still there, the pain was still there. Geographically I was in a different place, but mentally things were still the same.
(insert meme – nothing changed)
It wasn’t until I got stuck in the UK during the pandemic that I was forced to deal with all my problems. I guess, because I was in a different country before, it was easy to distract myself and try to forget about my ‘UK problems’. In short, you can try to run from your problems, but they will eventually catch up with you, sooner or later.
You better go and find yourself
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.
Viola Davis
Viola was able to find herself, hence the title of the book ‘Finding Me’
Similar to being in bondage and not knowing, you can be lost and not realise. You can be so used to the chaos
