I don't know who needs to hear this, but what's meant for you won't pass you by. Let that sink in for a minute. Another woman's bag doesn't make yours any less secure. While culture tells us that we have to grind our way into our destiny at any cost, in a recent interview on Netflix's Strong Black Lead podcast, Kyla Pratt reminded us that there's enough money out here for all of us, sis.
The actress, who jump-started her career in the entertainment industry at only 8 years old, told the host that she learned the importance of choosing collaboration over competition early on:
"It wasn't that bad, I think, because my life was still so normal. I was still in regular school, especially at that age. To me, the fun part was the auditions, and I wasn't really thinking, 'Are they gonna like me?' It was kinda like, well, I like myself and I think this is fun. Let me see if they like me for this. And then I had other little actress friends that I'd be like, 'Oh, maybe she'll get it.' And I think it just helped me growing up because now I look forward to seeing a lot of actresses work."
It was because of this childhood mentality that Kyla has been able to emotionally thrive (even in the face of rejection) as an adult.
"Sometimes, people will be like, 'Well, you didn't get that part. Are you mad?' I'm like, no! I have always looked at things like, it wasn't meant for me. It was meant for them. Everybody's on their own journey. And even if I go through times where I haven't been working, it's kind of like, OK, things are going to happen when they're supposed to."
I get it, sis. You're out here hustling for your piece of the pie—doing everything you can to bring home the bacon (and the bread and butter, too). One scroll on Kyla's Instagram feed will have you questioning all of your life decisions, but she wants women to know that there's room at the table for us all to eat.
"I feel like in this industry you have to think like that because we'll go crazy. You cannot hate every beautiful woman that walks past you, that enjoys what you like to do. Of course, I prefer the much nicer women to book things. So if I see someone who I know is a genuinely dope person book something, it's just like, no, you get excited for other people."
The con of comparison will have you out here looking crazy if you let it, and Kyla says that instead of feeling challenged by another woman's win, you should use the opportunity to champion your good sis.
"I think people will keep saying that to try to pin us against each other and make us feel like I have to feel challenged by this person, when that is not it at all."
Kyla added that while society may try to pin Black women against each other, she's here to dispel the myth that there isn't room for all of us at the top:
"I'm weird because I see people whose energy is off and I'd be like, 'Hi, how are you doing? What you doing? Oh, you reading? OK,' like just to loosen it up. So like, let's chill. Somebody gone book it. You gon' get yo' money here. I'll get my money there. We straight and then everybody eats."
Featured image by Instagram/@kylapratt.