“There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty.” –Steve Maraboli
Taylor Swift has taken over my social media feeds over the past few weeks. This week, there’s been a lot of buzz building around her new album. Last week, this video of her hanging out and singing with a precious 6-year-old patient at Boston Children’s Hospital went viral. Before that, it was the story of her giving a fan some money for Chipotle. And before that, it was the heartwarming, sincere advice she left in on a fan’s Instagram post.
Every time I hear one of these stories, I’m a bit shocked. For a few minutes, I think, “Wow! How crazy is it that an international superstar would take the time to do things like this?” But then I remember it’s Taylor Swift we’re talking about. Then I’m not so surprised. Because it’s Taylor Swift. And Taylor Swift does things like that.
Regardless of how you feel about her music or her highly publicized love life, you have to admit—there’s something more to Taylor. More than love songs, fancy awards and enviable wardrobe.
Some people call it “charm.” Others call it “charisma.” I call it “guts.”
The thing about Taylor Swift is that she is unapologetically Taylor Swift. She’s not afraid to bust out her goofiest dance moves while sitting front row at the world’s biggest awards shows. She fearlessly releases album after album, exposing her heart to the world. She finds things she loves—from her cats to the number thirteen—and loves them boldly. And she doesn’t apologize for any of it. Because she doesn’t have to. And neither do you.
You don’t have to feel bad for being who you are. You’re allowed to express your feelings. You’re allowed to have opinions, and you’re allowed to make them heard. You’re allowed to take up space. And as scary as it sounds, you’re allowed to be unapologetically you.
Now, this isn’t to say Taylor is completely self-confident and naturally unapologetic. There’s evidence of this in her music. She still battles with her insecurities. She still struggles with her self-esteem. Because she’s only human. And learning to be yourself—in the most honest, unapologetic way—is hard. It’s something everyone struggles with, no matter your age, profession or background.
But every day, Taylor wakes up and chooses to replace the noise—the critical comments, the negative reviews, the judgmental gossip columns—with love. Love from her family. Love from her friends. Love for herself.
This love is what empowers her to keep being Taylor Swift—the bold, generous, unapologetic popstar who surprises fans at their bridal showers.
And what about you?
What’s keeping you from being unapologetically you?
How will you replace it with love?
By Briatni West I’m an over-caffeinated copywriting nerd, steering wheel singer and night owl who loves cheesecake, boy bands and twinkly lights. And like every living, breathing human being should be, I’m a dedicated dog person.
www.briatniwest.com
