2014 Theme Song: “I Woke Up Like Dis…” + $100 MAC giftcard

If you’ve been reading Mamademics for a while you already know I’m a HUGE Beyonce fan, so it makes sense that my theme song for 2014 comes from her new album. I’ll admit that when my friend from Whitley Brooks asked me to participate in her theme song of the year link-up I was hesitant. This is the only album I’ve been listening to lately and at first I didn’t think I could represent my thought process for the entire year with just one song from her album. So, we started chatting about my goals for the year and pretty much at the same time we typed “Flawless.”

Over the last couple of years, I feel like people have started to doubt my commitment to building a career because I made the choice to step back for a while post baby. I also feel like I’m constantly explaining to people that this doesn’t make me any less of a feminist. Really because it seems like most people don’t even understand what it really means to be a feminist and think if you don’t fulfill all these bullet points you can’t be a feminist. I was very surprised to see Beyonce include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s talk on Feminism on the “Flawless” track, but it also made it a perfect choice for a theme song. I usually use a bell hooks definition of feminism when I’m explaining to people, but Adichie’s last line on the song is perfect “Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.”

I took some time to live my life
But don’t think I’m just his little wifeSo, yes I stay home with our son and probably will with our second child as well. Yes, I make my husband lunch everyday. Yes, I get giddy about learning new baking recipes and sending cookies to my husband’s coworkers, but that doesn’t make me any less of a feminist. Having the time to slow down actually helped me figure out the path I really wanted to take, and that does not include being super woman academic of the year. Instead I’m setting out to create a career on my own terms, while being the best wife and mom possible. It seems like women are under the impression that in order to truly be a feminist you have to “do it all” when in actuality the feminist movement boils down to having the choices/options available to “do it all.” “All” is different for everyone by the way…

Clearly, I’m digressing from my explanation of why “Flawless” is my theme song for the year, so back on topic.

You wake up, flawless
Post up, flawless
Ride round in it, flawless
Flossin on that, flawless
This diamond, flawless
My diamond, flawless
This rock, flawless
My roc, flawless
I woke up like this
I woke up like this
We flawless, ladies tell ’emI know people hear the above chorus of the song and start saying “you didn’t wake up like dat… you ain’t Beyonce… blah, blah, blah.” In my opinion, you are all missing the point of the song. The very first line says “You wake up, flawless…” I mean sure Beyonce has a great glam squad, but I’m pretty sure they are not applying makeup and curling her hair while she sleeps. Being flawless is not all about how you look on the outside, it’s just as much about how you feel on the inside. It’s about waking up ready to move forward with your goals and ambitions.

When I say “I woke up like dis…,” I’m saying I woke up intelligent, ambitious, and motivated to not only fulfill my dreams, but to help my family fulfill theirs as well. Sure, I need to wash my face, brush my teeth, and throw on a little makeup for the outside world to see that I’m “flawless,” but ultimately it truly is what’s inside that matters. Having immaculate makeup and gorgeous attire is not going to build my career, but being smart, well-rounded, and focused will.  Besides, when’s the last time one of your little ones cared about how you look when you go into their room in the morning?

If you want to work on being “Flawless” on the outside too, entire a joint giveaway that I’m doing with some of my awesome friends for a $100 MAC giftcard…

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