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
Donning some of the drippiest pieces we have ever seen, they help pen her cultural love letter to Black women and men. No one does this better than actor Glynn Turman. We know him from hit shows like A Different World, The Wire and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom but he is also a champion for Black cowboys and the rodeo. Alongside him, you find his granddaughter, Melinda Siegel, who was influenced by Turman to ride horses at a very young age.
Beyonce more than understood the assignment and this is why we stan. She does nothing without intention. The collection: 58 women's and unisex pieces, tons of accessories, and five footwear selections. Ranging from $45 to $200, there's something in this treasury for everyone. In a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, Beyonce touched on the inspiration behind the forthcoming IVY PARK rodeo drop:
"One of my inspirations came from the overlooked history of the American Black cowboy... We were inspired by the culture and swag of the Houston rodeo. We combined classic elements with the athleticwear of IVY PARK x adidas, adding our own spin, monogrammed denim, chaps, and cowhide."
In the teaser promo, we were instantly drawn to the pieces below so we can't wait to see what else is in store when the collection drops next week.
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Beyonce has us roped in! It's all going down Thursday, August 19th so set your alarms now.
For more information on the collection, head over to IVY PARK.
Featured Image IVY Park's Rodeo collection teaser Credit: YouTube/IVY Park
