Why give up before we try Feel the lows before the highs Clip our wings before we fly away I can't say I came prepared I'm suspended in the air Won't you come be in the sky with me
Alicia KeysRead
I'm a very positive person, but this whole concept of having to always be nice, always smiling, always happy, that's not real. It was like I was wearing a mask. I was becoming this perfectly chiselled sculpture, and that was bad. That took a long time to understand.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True positivity involves authenticity, not just a facade of happiness.
In this quote, Alicia Keys expresses the struggle between societal expectations of perpetual positivity and the reality of human emotions. She emphasizes that wearing a 'mask' to appear happy can lead to a loss of one's true self, and that genuine happiness comes from embracing one's true feelings rather than conforming to unrealistic standards.
Themes
PositivityAuthenticityHappinessEmotionSelf-Discovery
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about mental health, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of being true to oneself.
More from Alicia Keys
All quotes →I always want to stay focused on who I am, even as I'm discovering who I am.
Alicia KeysRead
Failure isn't an option. I've erased the word fear from my vocabulary and I think when you erase fear you can't fail.
Alicia KeysRead
Everything you want to be, you already are. You're simply on the path to discovering it.
Alicia KeysRead
I’ve found that the best life has to offer is right in front of me, with my husband and child
Alicia KeysRead
How terrible would it have been if I had come out with some watered-down version of who I am? People fell in love with the real me, and I still feel blessed that that was how the journey began.
Alicia KeysRead
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