--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can be busy for three years and you may…" description: "\"I can be busy for three years and you may not even know what I'm busy doing because you only see me in a few scenes here or there, but I've been workin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/viola-davis-1174_busy_i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-ma_3132054.png" --- # I can be busy for three years and you may not even know… ![“I can be busy for three years and you may not even know what I'm busy doing because you only see me in a few scenes here or there, but I've been working my tail off because there's just not a lot.” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/viola-davis-1174_busy_i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-ma_3132054.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/viola-davis-1174_busy_i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-ma_3132054.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/viola-davis-1174_busy_i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-ma_3132054.png) > “I can be busy for three years and you may not even know what I'm busy doing because you only see me in a few scenes here or there, but I've been working my tail off because there's just not a lot.” [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She works tirelessly behind the scenes, often unnoticed, because opportunities are scarce and she must maximize limited chances. **In simple terms:** Hard work often goes unseen when chances are few. Key Takeaway Persist despite limited visibility. Themes hard work visibility scarcity perseverance Mood determined reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - acting auditions - networking - skill development - advocacy for representation Key Concepts career entertainment inequality Questions to Reflect On - How can you showcase effort when exposure is low? - What strategies increase visibility in scarce fields? A Different Perspective Limited opportunities can demotivate and cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Films are tricky because for years you're getting told you're about to make it and you're about to be busy for four or six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/films-are-tricky-because-for-years-you-re-getting-told-you-re-about/) [Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/) > [I know how I like to be treated, so I always start by saying, 'Could you give me a moment of your time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-godfrey/i-know-how-i-like-to-be-treated-so-i-always-start-by-saying-could-you/) [Arthur Godfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-godfrey/) > [Busy is good, you know. Busy is better than bored, and there's more recognition. Like, I try to feign the anonymity which I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-k-brown/busy-is-good-you-know-busy-is-better-than-bored-and-there-s-more/) [Sterling K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-k-brown/) > [I love Christmas. A time to slow down and enjoy life and be with my family and friends. In busy years, it keeps me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jo-putney/i-love-christmas-a-time-to-slow-down-and-enjoy-life-and-be-with-my/) [Mary Jo Putney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jo-putney/) > [I've been so busy these years that I've sacrificed too much time with my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-ve-been-so-busy-these-years-that-i-ve-sacrificed-too-much-time-with/) [Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/) > [When I don't have any story in my mind, I am busy doing foundation work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudha-murty/when-i-don-t-have-any-story-in-my-mind-i-am-busy-doing-foundation-work/) [Sudha Murty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudha-murty/) > [We live in very busy times. All of us have much to do. However, we should ask ourselves often what is it that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-wright/we-live-in-very-busy-times-all-of-us-have-much-to-do-however-we/) [Randall Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-wright/) > [I keep myself busy by doing things, but everytime I pause, I still think of you. 8)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dub-tepper/i-keep-myself-busy-by-doing-things-but-everytime-i-pause-i-still/) DUB$TEPPER > [- I'm so busy doing what I must do that I don't have time for what I ought to do... and I never get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-m-so-busy-doing-what-i-must-do-that-i-don-t-have-time-for-what-i/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Get some good rest after doing the rush hours. Don't get yourself too busy or unless you don't know being busy means... B-being U-under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crosby-kwaw/get-some-good-rest-after-doing-the-rush-hours-don-t-get-yourself-too/) [Crosby Kwaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crosby-kwaw/) > [All you have to do is wait,” I explained. “Sit tight and wait for the right moment. Not try to change anything by force,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/all-you-have-to-do-is-wait-i-explained-sit-tight-and-wait-for-the/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I know you are busy… But I want WE to be busy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandesh/i-know-you-are-busy-but-i-want-we-to-be-busy/) Sandesh > [How can one ever know anything if they are too busy thinking?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/how-can-one-ever-know-anything-if-they-are-too-busy-thinking/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [I don't really know why I'm so busy, but I like it. Sometimes I think I need to slow down. And then I'm even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-brown/i-don-t-really-know-why-i-m-so-busy-but-i-like-it-sometimes-i-think-i/) [Brianna Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-brown/) > [I know you are busy today sweetheart :( but can you add one more thing to your to-do list? Me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-know-you-are-busy-today-sweetheart-but-can-you-add-one-more-thing/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) ## More by Viola Davis > [I look back at pictures of myself and I remember thinking, "I was so fat when I was growing up. I was 165 pounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-look-back-at-pictures-of-myself-and-i-remember-thinking-i-was-so/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I am not a glam woman - this definitely is a mask I put on for the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-am-not-a-glam-woman-this-definitely-is-a-mask-i-put-on-for-the/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I was bullied at school. The black girl in Central Falls, Rhode Island, in 1973. There'd be 8 or 10 boys; I would count…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-was-bullied-at-school-the-black-girl-in-central-falls-rhode-island/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [That's why there's so much bad acting out there, because you could see actors watching themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-why-there-s-so-much-bad-acting-out-there-because-you-could-see/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I want my work to reflect my level of gifts and talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-want-my-work-to-reflect-my-level-of-gifts-and-talent/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I don’t want anyone putting any limits on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-don-t-want-anyone-putting-any-limits-on-me/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [ I think that's why August \[Wilson\] named her Rose \[in "Fences"\]; I really do. She's a rose in her sweetness and her kindness and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-think-that-s-why-august-wilson-named-her-rose-in-fences-i-really-do/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [When you're working as an actor, you don't think that when you get out of school, it's going to be so hard to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/when-you-re-working-as-an-actor-you-don-t-think-that-when-you-get-out/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I suffered from low self-esteem for much of my life. And now to feel like maybe something that I'm projecting or saying could mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-suffered-from-low-self-esteem-for-much-of-my-life-and-now-to-feel/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I tell my daughter every morning, 'Now, what are the two most important parts of you?' And she says, 'My head and my heart.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-tell-my-daughter-every-morning-now-what-are-the-two-most-important/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I started a production company out of necessity, the need for great narratives for actors of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-started-a-production-company-out-of-necessity-the-need-for-great/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [That's always the biggest surprise when people meet me: how buoyant I am and how fun and light I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-always-the-biggest-surprise-when-people-meet-me-how-buoyant-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [When you're working as an actor, you don't think that when you get out of school, it's going to be so hard to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/when-you-re-working-as-an-actor-you-don-t-think-that-when-you-get-out-2/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [ It was hard, that confrontation scene \[in "Fences"\], that was a hard one. I felt like it was relentless, I never felt like I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/it-was-hard-that-confrontation-scene-in-fences-that-was-a-hard-one-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I am addicted to any facial product that's anti-aging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-am-addicted-to-any-facial-product-that-s-anti-aging/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Explore all 279 Viola Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) ## More Busy quotes > [Success doesn't have a downside for me. I'm busy, but I've always been busy whatever job I've had. My very first job working in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-derbyshire/success-doesn-t-have-a-downside-for-me-i-m-busy-but-i-ve-always-been/) Victoria Derbyshire > [I remember till 997th film, but after that I got so busy with multiple projects; I'm not sure which one released as my 1,000th…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brahmanandam/i-remember-till-997th-film-but-after-that-i-got-so-busy-with-multiple/) [Brahmanandam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brahmanandam/) > [I love to work in football, so for me it's not work. I'm not here first in the morning and last in the evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/i-love-to-work-in-football-so-for-me-it-s-not-work-i-m-not-here-first/) [Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/) > [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [I am on sabbatical as of right now, been too busy to think of about my OWN needs as of late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-diamond/i-am-on-sabbatical-as-of-right-now-been-too-busy-to-think-of-about-my/) [Jim Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-diamond/) > [“I don't envy "busy." Busy means having a schedule, not living life. What I really covet is leisure and peace of mind. Those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/i-don-t-envy-busy-busy-means-having-a-schedule-not-living-life-what-i/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [Focus on being productive instead of busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/focus-on-being-productive-instead-of-busy/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/) [Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/) > [I like acting too much and it's too, I'm just too busy doing that and I'm too hungry for it, to get behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-weisz/i-like-acting-too-much-and-it-s-too-i-m-just-too-busy-doing-that-and/) [Rachel Weisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-weisz/) > [The hollow horn plays wasted words, proves to warn that he not busy being born is busy dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-hollow-horn-plays-wasted-words-proves-to-warn-that-he-not-busy/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Films are tricky because for years you're getting told you're about to make it and you're about to be busy for four or six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/films-are-tricky-because-for-years-you-re-getting-told-you-re-about/) [Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/) > [Never be too busy for the people you love. Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relationships. Love is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-willis/never-be-too-busy-for-the-people-you-love-never-allow-pursuits-or/) [Dave Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-willis/) > [“Get busy live'n, or get busy die'n”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-shawshank-redemption/get-busy-live-n-or-get-busy-die-n/) The Shawshank Redemption Browse all 3,372 Busy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can be busy for three years and you may not even know what I'm busy doing because you only see me in a few scenes here or there, but I've been working my tail off because there's just not a lot.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viola Davis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-may-not-even-know-what-i-m-busy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Busy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-may-not-even-know-what-i-m-busy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/viola-davis-1174_busy_i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-ma_3132054.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/viola-davis-1174_busy_i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-ma_3132054.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fd/viola-davis-1174_busy_i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-ma_3132054.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I can be busy for three years and you may not even know what I'm busy doing because you only see me in a few…” — Viola Davis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Viola Davis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I can be busy for three...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-may-not-even-know-what-i-m-busy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-can-be-busy-for-three-years-and-you-may-not-even-know-what-i-m-busy/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```