She bravely shares so much. She wants to connect and communicate to the reader what’s it’s like to come from poverty, to live in fear, to fight for your life. She wants you to understand that even winning this fight is not enough, because what matters most is coming to terms with all you’ve been through to experience true freedom. She encourages us to face what is to heal, and takes us through what she had to face. She believes in change, saw it with her own eyes in her father. She does not color rose over childhood glasses — she saw her daddy’s drunken beatings of her mom to within an inch of her life — yet, she can love the man he becomes without punishing him for his past. Through you through me to others it’s my hope whoever is touched will find Hope. Peace. Joy in the wounds of why they are, too. If I had to choose three words to describe the kind of person I'd love to be, what would those words be?" Adventurous? Accepting towards few? Open? Honest? Hilarious? Optimistic? Unreliable? Don't be afraid to choose words that are considered negative because that proves you're a real person, and not a lopsided combination of parts other people want to be known for. I was being catapulted into adulthood. Coming from a childhood of trauma, I needed a radical transformation. I hadn’t been taught how to navigate the world. I hadn’t been taught what could help me grow or live better. I’d been taught to run from the world. I’d been taught how to hide and fight. I hadn’t been taught how to love and be still.”

When I heard last year that Viola Davis had a memoir coming out in April, I excitedly added Finding Me to my TBR list and also thought, I actually don't know that much about her but I do know I'm a huge fan — I loved How to Get Away With Murder. Viola Davis is one of the best actors of this generation and has won multiple awards in acting, like Oscar, Emmy, and Tony. She tells her extraordinary journey filled with poverty, love, hatred, racism, and achievements in her life in this book.This must be one of the most straightforward and brutally honest memoirs I have had the pleasure of reading. Viola’s childhood was tough- and it wasn’t just that her family was poor- but that she lived in a home where substance abuse and violence prevailed. I mean, look at her! She’s formidable, passionate and can do any acting role that’s given to her. She’s a f’ing badass.

I also love her story about her hubby, chiiiiiiile— AINT NOTHING LIKE A SOUTHERN MAN… I too, tend to lean towards them as well because they simply understand so much! This is not a diss to any other men in the world, cause #IYKYK 😘 and there it is. STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND RUN, RUUUNNN TO THE BOOKSTORE AND BUY THIS BOOK, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!! ITS A TOPS!!! 💚💚💚 This book flew by. Viola is an amazing storyteller and I bet she would be just as amazing writing fiction. I now realize I forgot to add to the review. Please accept my apology. It’s a fantastic book on audio 😁) Start trusting your own judgment and decision-making processes, mistakes and all. We all make mistakes, but through mistakes we find ourselves growing, learning, and reaching our real selves.This isn't an exercise in wallowing. It's about clarification and identification of issues. These issues might be keeping you from reaching your present potential and letting your true self blossom. I own everything that has ever happened to me. The parts that were a source of shame are actually my warrior fuel. I see people—the way they walk, talk, laugh, and grieve, and their silence—in a way that is hyperfocused because of my past. I’m an artist because there’s no separation from me and every human being that has passed through the world including my mom. I wanted to celebrate her joy, her eye-opening insights….her passion….her love…her loyalty to truth….to integrity….her authenticity…..her boldness, bravery, and discovery into FINDING HERSELF… Finding Me” is the 35 year integration of a career spanning the corporate world in various consulting and commercial roles, and a clinical career with several thousand client hours. This unique combination has resulted in an empathic, practical and business savvy coaching style, able to work across a wide variety of individuals. Coaching is not about giving advice but about raising awareness, encouraging change and growth through a process of reflection, observation, challenge and experiment. Unlike therapy, coaching is committed to the business and stakeholder goals, as defined at the beginning of the work. Whilst it will inevitably touch on personal issues, this is not the primary focus of the coaching nor the objective.