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Virgo season is approaching and the queen Beyonce has stepped forth into the spotlight to grace us with her presence. On the heels of her 40th birthday, the 28-time Grammy award-winning artist is reflecting on her iconic career over the last decade and in her new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, we can all take a few lessons from the self-proclaimed “Savage” on how persistence and hard work make for the key ingredients to success.

The artist famously dubbed “Sasha Fierce” knew she was destined for stardom at a young age. Beyonce recalled being on stage at the age of 9 and being the only Black girl in the room during singing competitions. It was at that moment that she knew she would have to work “twice as hard” and exhibit a whole lot of “stage presence, wit, and charm” if she wanted to win at becoming a performer. Her teenage years were dedicated “to the grind.”

“I grew up hearing this particular scripture from James 2:17, “Faith without work is dead,” the star explained of her ruthless work ethic.

“Vision and intention weren’t enough; I had to put in the work. I committed to always being a student and always being open to growth. No one in my school knew that I could sing because I barely spoke. My energy went into Destiny’s Child and the dream of us getting a record deal and becoming musicians. If something wasn’t helping me reach my goal, I decided to invest no time in it. I didn’t feel like I had time to “kiki” or hang out. I sacrificed a lot of things and ran from any possible distraction. I felt as a young Black woman that I couldn’t mess up.”

While her 20’s were all about pushing creative boundaries and acquiring new skills like her passion for storytelling and film editing (she directed the entire I Am World Tour might we add)  Bey revealed that her 30’s help shaped her into the woman she is today. It was during this time period that the NAACP award recipient birthed her BeyGood foundation, an initiative that has spearheaded change and charity in hurricane relief, given a wealth of scholarship funds to colleges and universities, and even assisted families with housing needs. The change-maker was able to work through some of her own generational traumas.

“I’ve spent so many years trying to better myself and improve whatever I’ve done that I’m at a point where I no longer need to compete with myself. I have no interest in searching backwards. The past is the past. I feel many aspects of that younger, less evolved Beyoncé could never f*** with the woman I am today. Haaa!” she expressed.

Perhaps what fans love so much about Bey is her sense of allure and mystique. Every time you see the star dancing and singing with her effortless powerhouse vocals on stage it’s like watching a masterpiece, and these days as a busy mom of three and entrepreneur, it’s rare to see the former Destiny’s Child member front and center in the media. It’s intentional according to Bey.

“I’ve fought to protect my sanity and my privacy because the quality of my life depended on it,” the star said citing how the music industry can be detrimental to artists. “A lot of who I am is reserved for the people I love and trust. Those who don’t know me and have never met me might interpret that as being closed off. Trust, the reason those folks don’t see certain things about me is because my Virgo ass does not want them to see it….It’s not because it doesn’t exist!”

And that’s on that—PERIOD!

Beyonce has undeniably changed the face of music throughout the last decade and her strong resilience and unwavering confidence are a reminder for us to be relentless in our pursuit of happiness and wholeness. You can read the full interview here.

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