“I no longer need to compete with myself”- When Beyonce opened up about lessons she learned over the years

Beyonce Knowles has surpassed all stardom benchmarks and is reigning as the Queen of R&B music and glamour. Before turning 40, Knowles let Harper’s Bazaar into her state of mind and revealed how she was at a great place in her life. In August 2021, the Halo singer shared her contentment with life.

“I’ve spent so many years trying to better myself and improve whatever I’ve done that I’m at a point where I no longer need to compete with myself. I have no interest in searching backward. The past is the past. I feel many aspects of that younger, less evolved Beyoncé could never f*** with the woman I am today. Haaa!” Beyonce said.

With 32 Grammys to her name, Beyonce Knowles has broken the record of bagging the most Grammy awards in a lifetime. Diving deeper into how she balances out her on-stage persona called Sasha Fierce with her real-life, inner personality, the singer shared:

“Throughout my career, I’ve been intentional about setting boundaries between my stage persona and my personal life. My family and friends often forget the side of me that is the beast in stilettos until they are watching me perform. It can be easy to lose yourself very quickly in this industry.”

Knowles continued revealing how she has mapped out a careful life for herself off-stage which has helped keep herself calm and focused.

“I’ve surrounded myself with honest people who I admire, who have their own lives and dreams and are not dependent on me. People I can grow and learn from and vice versa. In this business, so much of your life does not belong to you unless you fight for it. I’ve fought to protect my sanity and my privacy because the quality of my life depended on it. A lot of who I am is reserved for the people I love and trust.” the singer noted.

---

Beyonce’s life lessons from each decade leading up to her 40th milestone

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter aka Queen Bey, not only rules the world of R&B music but also wears the crowns of motherhood and businesswoman. Diving deeper into what each decade of her life has taught her, the decorated artist reflected on the years gone by and listed how each phase built up to the momentous 40th birthday on 4 September 2021.

Beyonce turned 40 on September 4, 2021 (Image via Getty)

Talking about her childhood, the Single Ladies singer shared with Harper’s Bazaar, how it was the decade of dreaming.

“The first decade of my life was dedicated to dreaming. I spent a lot of time in my head building my imagination. I am now grateful for those shy years of silence. Being shy taught me empathy and gave me the ability to connect and relate to people.”

Queen Bey’s teenage years were nothing like any teen next door. Describing her adolescent years as “the grind”, Beyonce reminisced:

“My teenage years were about the grind. I grew up hearing this particular scripture from James 2:17, “Faith without work is dead.” Vision and intention weren’t enough; I had to put in the work…My energy went into Destiny’s Child and the dream of us getting a record deal and becoming musicians.”

The most exciting years of anyone’s life, Knowles’ 20s were about growing beyond music and birthing her own company.

“My 20s were about building a strong foundation for my career and establishing my legacy. I was focused on commercial success and number ones and being a visionary no matter how many barriers I had to break through. I took control of my independence at 27 and started Parkwood Entertainment.” the singer noted.

Beyonce started her athleisure clothing line Ivy Park in 2016 under her company Parkwood Entertainment (Image via Instagram/ @beyonce)

By the time Beyonce and her alter ego Sasha Fierce turned 30, she had accomplished accolades and success to last an entire lifetime. But, Queen Bey was just getting started with another chapter in her life.

Describing her 30s as more family oriented and giving back to the world, the singer said:

“My 30s were about starting my family and my life becoming more than my career. My 30s were about digging deeper. In 2013, I started BeyGOOD to share the mentality that we could all do something to help others, something my parents instilled in me from a young age—to inspire others to be kind, to be charitable, and to be good. BeyGOOD has become a worldwide initiative for providing support domestically and internationally.”

Beyonce and Jay-Zz with their three kids Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir (Image via Instagram/ @beyonce)

A global pop and fashion icon, mother to three kids, wife to Empire State of Mind rapper Jay-Z, businesswoman, and most of all, a Virgo queen who plays by her own rules, Beyonce Knowles may have hit her 40s but she’s only just getting started.

Winning four Grammy awards in 2023 including Best R&B song for her single Cuff It, Sasha Fierce is getting fiercer on-stage and Beyonce's fans aka BeyHive just can’t get enough with her ongoing Renaissance World Tour which kick-started on 10 May 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden.