Mo'Nique won the Oscar for best supporting actress in the film... Precious: based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire last night.
I have not seen the movie yet. It did not play where I live. I am waiting for the DVD to come out. What I have read is that Mo"Nique takes your breathe away with her portrayal of an abusive mother.
I watched the Barbara Walters special before the Oscars and Ms. Walters interviewed Mo'Nique. Mo'Nique said she based her role on her older brother who abused her. What was compelling to me was her response about the effect that abuse had on her. Now I am para phrasing here because I did not have paper and pen to write down exactly what she said...but this is what I remember...
She said something like it ain't heavy if you set it down. I was quite stuck by that. It ain't heavy if you set it down. She was able to set down what happened to her.
I immediately thought that is a great "quake prevention" key. In order to be as strong as possible. As centered as possible in your life... you have to set down things in the past that have negatively affected you and not carry them with you.
I have written about doing that in the past but her framing of it was so simple..so clear...so powerful. And she said it with light in her eyes which to me means she practices it and it is serving her well.
If your arms are so full of the "things" from the past...the more you carry...the heavier they all feel. And soon you are so focused on balancing all the pain of the past you are left unequipped to deal with the present or the future. If you are so preoccupied you can be flatten and buried under a ton of "stuff' including old unresolved things you simply could not, or would not put down.
Any new "quake" then will not have to work very hard to topple you. The key...a big key is to keep your hands free. Set all the old stuff aside. Be balanced in today. Then if something happens you can use your arms to help balance you in the now.
And your hands will also be free to grab hold of someone else's hand if you need some help getting back up.
Congratulations Mo'Nique and thank you for sharing your powerful truth. I am grateful.
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