There are two words that can make me whip my neck around and begin listening faster than any other in the English langauge: Taylor Swift. For many years now, I’ve admired her lyrics, professionalism and ability to control the exact direction that she wants her career to go. My love for Queen Taylor is so tremendous that I spend a sizeable chunk of my time trying to convert anyone not a fan of Swift into a bonafied “Swiftie” like myself. Sure, I could play “Shake It Off” for them 100 times and show them my favorite videos from her tour, but I had to face the fact that her music just might not be for everyone. That’s when I realized that part of my love for T-Swift goes beyond just her music. Taylor has shared small bits of wisdom and insight during interviews and conversations for the past decade. Here are some of the greatest life lessons me and millions of others have had the pleasure of learning from Ms. Swift.
Take risks – if you don’t change, you don’t grow.
One of the amazing things about Taylor is her ability to always switch things up, but always remain “classic Taylor” in her music, style and life choices. Taylor tells her fans she “will never change, but never stay the same either.” We must strive to remind ourselves that we can try new things without it being a drastic overhaul of who we are – whether it’s trying on a new look or stepping out of your comfort zone to hang out with some new friends. We can grow and change from new experiences, while still remaining true to who are.
Regret nothing.
We all have those late nights, lying on our bed, staring at the ceiling, questioning every life decision we’ve ever made. Why did I choose my major? Why did I fall for him or her so easily? T-Swift reminds us that every experience we’ve had and every bad choice we’ve made has taught us something and we wouldn’t be where we are today without both experiencing both the highs and the lows.
Not everyone is going to like you – don’t waste time trying to make them!
We all like to be liked, but we can even see that Queen Tay has haters out there! We could stress ourselves out like crazy trying to get ourselves on their good side. But in the end, we should pull a Taylor and use that negative energy that comes our way, channel it, and put it to good use to come out on top, like she did in her song “Mean.” Tay called out a critic who ripped apart her music on his blog.
You don’t always need love to be happy.
Being single doesn’t have to be as negative as you think it is. Sure, we all want to be happy and find the perfect person to spend forever with, but revolving your life around someone else is not a healthy way to live your life. In your twenties, it’s all about finding yourself and discovering who you are, and after a few failed relationships, Taylor has sworn off dating until someone “really spectacular” comes along. She’s said she’s happier than ever being single as she has learned more about herself than ever before. If Taylor can do it, so can the rest of us!
Supporting each other goes farther than the opposite!
Feminist Taylor is one of our favorite sides of Taylor because she speaks the truth! In so many ways, females are pitted against each other. T-Swift hits the nail on the head when she says the more we support each other, (instead of trying to top one another) we will only make more opportunities and triumphs for females everywhere. Don’t hate other girls for what they do or don’t do – it’s time to celebrate each other’s achievements like Taylor does with all her famous friends (though we can still be a little jealous of that!)
Taylor has provided us with a lot to think about over the years. What’s your favorite piece of wisdom you’ve gotten from the greatest philosopher of our generation?