I see you sis; handling your business and looking like a whole snack out in these streets. We're in Chapter 12 of a year where you've been stacking bills, closing deals, and meticulously curating your meals. You've been working your ass off to be the multifunctional force of nature the culture didn't know it needed, and in a lot of ways, it's paying off.
But no matter how hard you hustle to be everyone's cup of tea, there will always be someone out there who prefers coffee. You just can't let that stop you from securing a bag.
Just ask The Masked Singer's Michelle Williams, who recently opened up about overcoming her insecurities and realizing her power as an underdog. According to Michelle, despite nearly two decades of experience in the music industry, fame doesn't make you immune to the comment section. She told Billboard:
"I've done a lot of gospel, so I'm kind of insecure because mainstream [fans] don't know my voice. And sometimes social media... it's bad when you read the comments. I like engaging with people on social media. I don't want to not talk to the people that are being gracious all because there are some mean ones out there. But sometimes before you get to the nice ones you have to get through a couple mean ones. Apparently I don't have the most commercially appealing voice or whatever. People have their favorites, but vocally I was not a favorite in the group, and that stuck with me."
While Michelle says that feeling like a less popular member of the group may have been in the back of her mind, she didn't allow this mentality to block her bag. On a recent episode of The Real, she said:
"It's not that I was second-guessing, I'm just aware. Some people are like, 'Oh my God, they said it stuck with her.' No, it didn't stick with me. You know, sometimes you're just aware that you're not everybody's favorite and that's okay. I still got paid! I'm just saying, I'm aware but I didn't lose sleep. That was not contributing to any sadness of mine. I'm just aware."
Although Michelle is now working on ignoring the criticisms of others and becoming the butterfly she was born to be, it didn't come without taking a hiatus in the name of self-work. Last year, Michelle very publicly opened up about her struggles with mental health and vowed to take a hiatus to focus on self-care. The singer said that the anonymous singing competition was the perfect opportunity to re-enter the music industry without the stress of people-pleasing.
"When I was revealed, I just felt like I made it. I felt like I overcame something. I felt like, overcoming the fear of performing again. Because I voluntarily took this entire year off. The only reason why I did the show was because they were like, 'You would be masked. No one would know who you are.' So that's kind of why I did it. I didn't have to have my hair and makeup done. When I had to go to rehearsals, I could just be who I am. Let my skin breathe. I just felt free. I felt loved on. I felt like if I decide to pursue music full-time, I have a place here."
Michelle also had this advice for those of us who may be dealing with seasonal depression during the winter months:
"I'm feeling good. Especially around the holidays, because [for] people with depression, the holidays can be very difficult. If you've lost a loved one, if you've lost your job, or some people just have seasonal depression. My therapist, she texted me the other day. She said, 'Hey, I just want to check on you.' And I'm actually doing well. I feel like when you intentionally create new memories around a time of year that brings you sadness, next year you can be like, I went skiing, because I'm intentionally creating a new memory. I hung out with loved ones, as opposed to isolating myself like I normally would do."
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Featured image by Instagram/@michellewilliams.