Brand New Me
Did you ever hear this song by Alicia Keys? If not check out the video here. I love the song, because I believe we all change all the time. Some people change consciously and some don’t even notice how much they’ve changed. The lyrics and video of this song talk about a woman feeling empowered by her new self. The change has made her stronger and she feels she is a better version of herself.
This all resonates so much with me, because in January 2005 I was in Paris at the top of the Centre de Pompidou in a restaurant called Georges having dinner with Alicia Keys and some of her crew. We had just finished doing promo for the album ‘Diary of Alicia Keys’. I was a little sad, because it was going to be my last time working with her. I told her I was going to leave the music industry and go for my other passion, which was film. Now keep in mind that most people I told this were surprised because they knew how much I loved music. But not Alicia. I can still clearly remember her words back then. She said: ‘That’s good Nancy, change is good.’
“It took a long, long time to get here
It took a brave, brave girl to try”
Change is good. So why are so many of us afraid of change? As I said before in one of my blogs: Change is inevitable but personal growth is a conscious choice. Some women notice their social circle changing after they have changed. But if you develop into the person you really want to be and your environment doesn’t get, then that it is not your problem. You have to look at the woman in the mirror everyday and feel that that woman is you. Like my mother says, you leave behind the people that don’t grow with you.
“if I talk a little louder
If I speak up when you’re wrong
If I walk a little taller
I’d be known to you too long
If you noticed that I’m different
Don’t take it personally
Don’t be mad, it’s just the brand new kind of me
And it ain’t bad, I found a brand new kind of free”
Here it goes: The first step is always the hardest. It’s like starting that diet in your head, but never really starting it. But you also get used to change. I mean, the older I get the more I realize that whatever changes have happened in my life, good or bad, I can always learn something and therefore get something out of it. Now that is called growth, NAME!
“Hey, if you were a friend, you want to get know me again
If you were worth a while
You’d be happy to see me smile
I’m not expecting sorry
I’m too busy finding myself
I got this
I found me, I found me, yeah”
When you do grow and are on the other side of change you will feel empowered. Why? Because you have gone through it! You see all the new possiblities this change has given you. And it excites you!
“I don’t need your opinion
I’m not waiting for your okay
I’ll never be perfect, but at least now I’m brave
Now, my heart is open
And I can finally breathe
Don’t be mad, it’s just the brand new kind of free
That ain’t bad, I found a brand new kind of me
Don’t be mad, it’s just a brand new time for me”
All you need to do is take that one step. Be brave. Keep on growing into your newest and better self. And if you need help with that I am here to get you started.
XOXO,
Nancy