[Narration: Beyoncé]
I sometimes wish I could just be anonymous and walk down the street just like everyone else
Before I was famous I was the girl on the heel with the guitar
I was the girl who just wanted a beautiful view of the beach
And now that I'm famous, it's really really difficult to do very simple things
I think it's the hardest thing to give up
But my mother always taught me to be strong and to never be a victim, never make excuses, never expect anyone else to provide for me things I know I can provide for myself
I have dreams, and I feel like I have a power to actually make those dreams a reality
When you're famous no one looks at you as a human anymore, you become the property of the public
There's nothing real about it
Just look at these dazzling women
The finest representatives of our nation
Ready to reach for the stars and grab the crown
You can't put your finger on who I am
I can't put my finger on who I am
I am complicated
I grew up with a lot of conflict, and drama's, and I've been through a lot just like everyone else
My escape was always music and I'm so lucky that that's my job
But if I accomplished all of these things and had no one to share with, it would be worth nothing
You know, you need something real in order for any of this stuff to matter
You have to have something that is forever
Something that's invisible
I was brought up seeing my mother try to please and make everyone comfortable
And I always felt like it was my job to fix the problem
People pleaser, but I'm no longer afraid of conflict and I don't think conflict is a bad thing
Because I know that when you grow up, when you learn a few things , you're no longer afraid of letting go, you're no longer afraid of the unknown
You're no longer afraid of going to certain places in your body and your mind and your soul that may make you feel uncomfortable
And it all starts with if you could look at yourself in the mirror and say "I like that person," you know?
If I hadn't gone through, you know, some of the painful experiences in my life, I would not be me
And I feel like my body is borrowed and this life is very temporary
I watched my friends body deteriorate and to see some one pass on so gracefully put everything into perspective
We do not value ourselves enough
Especially young people don't really appreciate how brilliant our bodies are
I've always been very very specific and very choosy, very choosy about what I do with my body and who I want to share that with
People feel like they lose something when they get married but it doesn't have to be that way
There's nothing more exciting than having a witness to your life
I always considered myself a feminist, although I was always afraid of that word because people put so much on it
When, honestly, it's very simple
It's just when, you know, a person that believes in equality for men and women
Men and women balance each other out, and we have to get to a point where we are comfortable with appreciating each other
I have a lot of empathy for men, and the pressures that they go through and the cultures that have been created, especially for African-American men
I have the same empathy for women, and the pressures we go through
The woman has to provide so many things for their children
I consider myself a humanist
You know, everybody's not good at everything
You know, it's OK to depend on someone
It's actually what we're supposed to do
We're supposed to depend on each other
And when you find the person that you trust and you love
And you feel is going to respect you and take all of the shit you have and turn it around and bring out the best in you and feed you
It is the most powerful thing you can feel in your life
Happiness comes from you
No one else can make you happy
You make you happy
And one thing that's for sure:
The love I have for music, for my husband, for my child,
Is something that will last far beyond my life
