Beyonce Says The Motivation Is Nice, But No, You Don’t Have The Same Hours In A Day As Her
Picture this: you're an entrepreneur, at home working hard, grinding out, and trying to build your business. You feel yourself tiring out, and decide to find a stopping point. You make the choice to lay down and get some rest, and cleanse yourself of the day. The world collectively cheers for you and you're proud of yourself, as you've given yourself a little grace. And then after your shower, you hop in bed, only to scroll social media. And while scrolling, you see it, the one thing that can give any woman/business owner/mom/aspiring superwoman the peak of anxiety: a meme.
And not just any meme, one that hits you riiiiight where it hurts.
"You have the same 24 hours in a day as Beyonce."
GiphyDamn. You sit your phone down, sulk in overworked millennial culture, and get back up to get more work finished.
Sigh.
It's a vicious cycle--a cycle of constantly being reminded that if you want to be as successful as Queen Bey, that you have to compare and align your journey with hers. Right? Well....wrong. Wrong AF, actually.
In fact, Beyonce wants you to know that she can't do it all by herself either, by basically letting us know, 'this motivation is cute, sis, but it's far from true.'
To explain, in a resurfaced clip, while getting her hair wanded by stylist Neal Farinah, she opened up about her work and work ethic. And in her usual poised demeanor, she says, "Producers and studios and the networks are all panicking and hyper and over-stressed and I'm just like...press record." The interviewer then boastfully asks if she now realizes that all she needs is herself, to which she responds:
"Well, I don't. It's not true. All I need is 'not me.' Because...I can't do it by myself."
Whew, poetry snaps. Alllllllll the poetry snaps. But ladies, listen, it's true. We can't do it all by ourselves. Some (most) of the most successful women in the world, need help. And Queen Bey has lots of it. In fact, it reminded me of sex and intimacy expert Shan Boody's take on the subject:
And sis spoke all the facts, because we don't have Beyonce's time, schedule, or high-profile knowledge. She has nannies, chefs, assistants, production staff, general staff, and so much more in order for her well-oiled machine to operate. So, in knowing this, it made me wonder: why the comparisons, why do we put this amount of pressure on ourselves?
We all get 24 hours, sure, but powerful people dohave more control over the way they spend them, which is a key difference. Add money into the equation, and we absolutely are not on the same level.
A CEO can cancel a meeting or hire staff for their personal needs, whereas an entry-level employee doesn't have that option. Hell, many of us don't have that option.
Additionally, you don't have a staff of allegedly 80 people on your payroll, meaning you likely don't have a nanny, a home chef, and someone to run your errands for you, or make sure you have the proper elements in place to fill your day with being the best person that you can be at your clothing lines or various other business ventures.
Beyonce has famously thanked her staff, husband, mother, and sister for their constant contribution to her success. She told Elle in 2019:
"I think the most stressful thing for me is balancing work and life. Making sure I am present for my kids — dropping Blue off at school, taking Rumi and Sir to their activities, making time for date nights with my husband, and being home in time to have dinner with my family — all while running a company can be challenging."
In other words, I-have-a-full-staff-that-helps-me-in-my-day-to-day-and-I'm-STILL-stressed-about-it.
So, if you haven't figured it out by now, me and Beyonce are asking you to give yourself grace. You may not have the same hours in a day as Beyonce, or Mariah Carey, or any other famous star in the world, but you've got this.
Watch the clip below of Beyonce telling us what we need to hear!
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Featured image by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney
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Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage