ALWAYS SHOW UP AS YOU! Thank you Rihanna for the lesson! ~ William Glenn Bean
No matter where you go, date or time, who's there or not there, no matter the reason or season, if it's formal or informal, no matter...ALWAYS show up as you! Don't bend to social pressures, political vastitudes, what's typical, what's hot, what's not, what your friends want, or what your family suggests. Always show up as you. Authentically you! Beautiful you! Imperfect you. Unique you. Show up as you!
For Rihanna, before Super Bowl 2023, the pressure was on! Even as one of the biggest stars today and one of the wealthiest women on the planet, the pressure was on. Before she performed, She was compared to stars who previously performed at the Super Bowl. Could she measure up? Could she outperform the many unique and special talents before her?
Some were eager to see her perform, but many wanted to compare her, not to herself, but to other artists. There were those comparing her to Beyonce, who herself strides in her uniqueness - unabashedly and unapologetically. And let's be clear, Beyonce had nothing to do with the attempted intimidation of Rihanna, but many used her name, fame, hard work, and artistry as a weapon to belittle and oppress a sister artist.
Artistry is one of the most sacred forms of expression - Scared, personal, and unique. A paint artist paints like no other, a vocalist should perform like no other, and a wordsmith should write like no other. Artistry is sacred. Suppose artists were to succumb to the will of what others wanted or did; liberation, freedom, and creative expression would be non-existent. There would be no William Shakespeare or Myah Angelou. There would be no Aretha Franklin or Pavarotti. There would be no Beatles or The Jackson Five; no Diana Ross or Tina Turner. There would be no Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr. And who would ask Denzel Washing to show up as Robert Dinero or Adel to perform as Madonna! Would you ask Whitney Houston to interpret a song the way you would perform it? Sounds silly, doesn't it. Well, because it is.
Rihanna intentionally showed up on February 12th at halftime of the Super Bowl 2023 as Rihanna! Bravo to her! Rhianna deliberately did not bend to the will of critics and pundits. She purposely did not allow herself to fall into the trap of competing for her personal agency. She simply claimed it and maintained it. Instead of buckling under the weight of small minds or to the pressures of patriarchy, thoughtless pundits, and unrelenting fans, Rihanna did it her way. She sang her mega hits, which we all enjoyed for Free. Rihanna put on her show, pregnant and all. How apropos. Because, as a mother, she gets to teach her children that no matter where you go, show up as you and shine bright like a diamond! ~ William Glenn Bean
#peace #strenghtandconditioning #selfimprovement #selfworth #selflovepractices #selflovecoach
