NINE, FOUR, EIGHT, ONE, B DAY!

If simply being Beyonce is not enough, these are the TOP TEN REASONS WE CELEBRATE B-DAY for all the lessons she has taught us!

10. Do Not Be Afraid Of Letting Your Light Shine. It was evident to anyone watching Destiny’s Child that Beyoncé was the star. And she owned it! She never made any apologies for shining her light. Being the best at what you do does not require an apology. Standing out doesn’t mean you dislike those around you! Greatness does not need apologies. Do not dim your light in order for other to feel better, Baby you were born to shine!

9. Know When To Let Go. Leaving what you know, what is secure, what is familiar, can be difficult. Stepping into the unknown is scary. However, trust your instincts when it comes to letting go. Beyoncé stepped out with Crazy In Love and shocked the world, and her life has never been the same. In 2011, Beyoncé announced that she would no longer be managed by her father, Matthew Knowles. How do you tell your father, the man that raised you, supported you, shaped you, stood by you during your formative years that you are parting ways? Just like she did. It doesn’t mean that you no longer love them, but it means, for now, you need to leave this relationship so that you can progress. I applaud Beyoncé for this because often some of the most toxic relationships in our life are family relationships. No one chooses their family, but we can choose who we have a relationship with. It is okay to say I love you as my mom, dad, sister, brother, but I need to put some distance between us so that I can be whole.  What are you waiting to do that will shake up the world? Who do you need to cut loose in order to be whole?

8. Always Stay Gracious. When Kanye West stepped onto the stage at the MTV Music Awards in 2009 and interrupted Taylor Swift’s Female Video of the Year acceptance speech, the world was shocked! Was Single Ladies the better video? Of course, it was! I don’t even know what Taylor Swift song won! Hell, I didn’t even know who the hell Taylor Swift was! (Look what you made me do? REALLY?! You need to be thanking Kanye West for doing what he did because he made your name a global brand!) Single Ladies was iconic! Without Googling telling me the Taylor Swift song that was up against Beyonce’s Single Ladies that won? I’ll wait. Kanye just said what many were thinking, but still, you don’t interrupt the winner. While we sat in shock, yet still offering amens, Beyoncé, in her graciousness stepped back from receiving her Video of the Year Award and allowed Taylor Swift to give her acceptance speech. It doesn’t hurt to remain gracious. Beyoncé knows who she is and what she brings to the table. It took nothing away from Beyoncé to allow Taylor to finish her speech. Similarly, it takes nothing away from you to remain gracious even when you feel you have a right not to be.

7. Keep Your Business To Yourself, Unless Your Business Is Profitable. One thing I LOVE about Beyonce is that she does what she does and makes no apologies. She doesn’t explain her motives or actions. When shit went down on the elevator, Beyoncé didn’t explain it, she wrote about it and turned lemons into Lemonade. When there was a fall out with Destiny’s Child, what did she do? She sang,
“Now that you’re out of my life, I’m so much better
You thought that I’d be weak without you, but I’m stronger
You thought that I’d be broke without you, but I’m richer
You thought that I’d be sad without you, I laugh harder
Thought I wouldn’t grow without you, now I’m wiser
Thought that I’d be helpless without you, but I’m smarter
You thought that I’d be stressed without you, but I’m chillin’
You thought I wouldn’t sell without you, sold nine million”
That pretty much shuts it down. Success is the best weapon! Beyoncé makes a statement via her music and leaves it at that. She doesn’t respond to negative attention unless it is for her profit. We are so busy posting every single detail of our lives on social media that we forget some things the world should not be privy to. And IF we make them PRIVY to OUR INNER LIFE, why not profit from it? As Beyoncé let us know, the BEST REVENGE IS YO PAPER!

6. Stop Explaining! Beyoncé says it and does it, and that’s it. She does not explain. She doesn’t write long Facebook posts about why she did something. She doesn’t get on Twitter to explain. She says it; she does it, she performs it and lets the chips fall where they may. When Beyoncé came out with Formation, people that forgot Beyoncé was Black was in shock! The media ran around like a chicken with its heads cut off. “Oh God, Beyoncé’s dancers look like Black Panthers! The world is ending!!!” Beyoncé said nothing. She said it, she performed it, and that was that! If you feel strongly about something, JUST DO IT, and that doesn’t REQUIRE EXPLANATION! Have the courage to STAND in your truth!

5. Move Silently. Beyoncé is the poster child for moving stealthily! If you have an upcoming plan, a book, a CD, a business JUST DO IT and drop it! Beyoncé shocked the industry dropping her CD entitled Beyoncé. What? No advertisement? No social media campaign? Nothing?! She just did it!! Every move you make DOES NOT need to be telegraphed! Move in the shadows while people think you are not doing anything! Do the work and leave others wondering! Your work will speak for itself!

4. Have Confidence In Who You Are. Building off Number 5, you DO NOT just drop a CD with NO advertisement unless you are confident enough that it will sell. In order to have that confidence, Beyoncé had to be confident in who she was as an artist. Stop doubting your abilities! Stop second guessing yourself! Be confident that you can do what you are called to do!

3. Support Your Girls! Arguably, there is not a current star on the planet that is as big as Beyoncé. When Beyoncé performed at the Superbowl halftime show in 2013, she could have easily made it all about her. Instead, Beyoncé chose to share one of the BIGGEST STAGES IN THE WORLD, with her girls! Supporting others will NOT take ANYTHING away from you. Remember #4. Beyoncé is CONFIDENT in who she is! The spotlight is big enough for EVERYONE!

2. Fall Down and Get Up Again Beyoncé make a mistake?! No! The world stood still when video clips of Beyoncé falling down the stairs at one of her concerts surfaced. Beyoncé DOESN’T FALL!! She’s Beyoncé! We watched in horror as Beyoncé tumbled down the stairs. Beyoncé is our idol. Beyoncé is the epitome of excellence and perfection. But yes, EVEN BEYONCÉ CAN FALL ! But what did she do? She got right back up and performed without missing beat! In life, expect to fall. Expect to make mistakes. It doesn’t matter that you fall, it matters that you get back up again! And when you do get up, dance, live, sing, shout!

1.Own Your Truth Many people that look at Beyoncé’s life think that it is perfect. She is gorgeous, talented, a superstar, married to one of the biggest rappers in the industry, a multimillionaire, wears clothes by the finest designers, vacations in exotic locations, has twins and a body that snaps right back, all while performing to sold out arenas. And even with all that, the realities of life cannot escape Beyoncé. A father that allegedly cheats on her mom, a husband that allegedly is less than faithful, a miscarriage, friends that are envious of her success, campaigns to boycott her concert, relentless media scrutiny and still she stands. When the incident of Solange serving Jay a two piece and a biscuit on an elevator surfaced, Beyonce owned it in Lemonade. Admitting that her marriage had problems, I am sure was not easy. Baring yourself to the world is never easy. But there is power in owning your truth. Even if your truth is not beautiful, own it! Do not be afraid to share it! Your truth may be the key to someone’s lock!

Thank you, Beyonce for showering us with your marvelous Black Girl Magic and teaching us so many lessons! I hope you have a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!