What I really like about Tracee Ellis Ross is that she’s obviously talented and comes from a famous family but she’s also unapologetically herself. At least that’s how I see her. She’s not afraid to make herself look silly. She’s not afraid to wear her big hair and show off her big smile. She’s not afraid to show off her fashion sense. And, perhaps most importantly, she’s not afraid to speak her mind. I respect the hell out of that. Too often we (women, black people, black women) are taught to play small for fear of being branded “angry” among other things. Well, life is too short to play small.

That’s not really what this video is about though.That was just my intro into why I even took the time to watch it in the first place. This video is about giving yourself permission to be yourself, love and appreciate yourself and your place in life despite maybe feeling like something (your weight, job, love life, etc.) is not perfect. Just take a beat and do what you’re doing while you’re doing it.