Quiet confidence. Backing yourself without needing to shout about it. Settled, plain and sure of what you have to offer. The track that captures that feeling for me is This Is Me (The Reimagined Remix) by Keala Settle, Kesha and Missy Elliott.
Two ideas, one feeling
This one sits alongside two ideas I've been writing about. Marcus Aurelius asks whose opinion of you gets the final say. Hopkins asks whether your marketing sounds like you talking to one person. Both point to the same place: backing yourself, quietly.
Keala Settle first sang This Is Me in The Greatest Showman in 2017. This remix, with Kesha and Missy Elliott, came out in November 2018 on The Greatest Showman: Reimagined.
Missy's verse
For me, it's two lines in Missy Elliott's verse:
You can put your mind to do whatever you wanna do
Missy Elliott, This Is Me (The Reimagined Remix). Song written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Just tell yourself that you capable, too
There's a really simple message in this. If you don't believe in yourself, why would anyone else believe in you? And if you don't trust yourself, it's hard for anybody else to trust you.
It starts with you, and then it continues with the people you surround yourself with. That's where the rest of her verse goes, on to the friends you keep.
It doesn't matter if you're battered and bruised. Stay brave. You are who you're meant to be. Never apologise for being yourself.
Press play on the track above and give it a proper listen. Then think about the other songs that carry the same message for you, the ones that remind you to back yourself. Send me yours. I'd love to hear what's on your list.
