If you don’t have Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr or simply live under a rock, you may not have taken any notice of the movement, captioned by the hashtag #BelieveInYourSlay. The first time I saw it, I was inwardly annoyed. I thought “great, another venue for people to flaunt their good looks and squash my self-esteem even more.” If you look at what the hashtag involves, sure, you’ll be greeted by some selfies from both men and women but as I started to fully understand what was going on, it dawned on me that it’s not about the selfies and the tweets, it’s about the message behind the selfies. The message that preaches of the slayage.
Before we continue, everyone has to be brought up to speed: do we all know what slay means? There are 3 definitions that I personally agree with:
- Slay (verb) – to annihilate an individual with one’s fabulosity.
- Slay (verb, informal) – greatly impress or amuse someone 1.
- Slay (verb) – to kick ass, to dominate something 2.
Look at yourself, think long and hard, look at the definitions, think again then ask yourself: are you slaying? Are you believing in your slay?
The ability to harness one’s slayage doesn’t just happen, not to me. Before you can slay, you have to have self-confidence, self-belief and self-worth. You have to see yourself as the best thing since sliced bread because you are. Whether you realise it or not, the world is a different place because you exist. You are someone’s child, first of all. You are someone’s brother/sister, friend, confidante, boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, mother/father, soulmate, potential soulmate. Without you, someone/something may not exist, I hope you realise this. Our very presences are chain reactions within themselves. So firstly, understand that you are worth the slay.
Now, you have to believe in yourself in order to slay. I had my first driving lesson last week Wednesday, if you didn’t already know since I’ve been screaming it from the virtual rooftops. All day, I had been buzzing with excitement and feeling totally pumped and ready to join this oh so cool cult of drivers. 4 o’clock struck, I saw my instructor waiting outside my house and I almost felt like I was going to have an anxiety attack. I mean, I thought I knew a bit about cars beforehand, I knew there was a brake and an accelerator and a steering wheel, but just seeing that car waiting for me eroded everything I thought I knew for a few moments. My instructor rode us to a quiet side road, told me to sit in the driver’s seat (which was nerve-wracking in itself), gave me the cockpit drill and told me to drive. And guys, I drove. I drove for about 40 minutes, I didn’t kill anyone, I didn’t stall (even though I don’t think you can stall automatic cars but whatever), I didn’t give anyone whiplash, it was a moderate success. If I didn’t snap out of it and believe that I could slay the hell out of that lesson, I would probably be riding the bus for the rest of my life.
Last but certainly not least, you have to approach the slay with confidence. From mid-October 2013 to early February 2014, I didn’t take one selfie. I don’t care what anyone says, selfies are displays of self-love but it demands confidence in the bucketloads. You have to look at yourself with pride and say “damn, don’t I look amazeballs? I should bless someone with a picture of myself just because.” That is what it is. It’s not a matter of cockiness because that is narcissism and ain’t nobody got time for that. But, you have to see yourself as beautiful which I wasn’t feeling in that time period. Hey, it happens. You have to overcome in order to grow. I’m still growing and forever overcoming but now I do it with love for myself, first and foremost.
The slay depends on no one else but yourself, never leave something as immense as your slayage to be determined by the way others perceive you. Let your slay apply to every nook and cranny of your existence: that exam, that problem, that girl you want to ask out, that guy you want to talk to, that bully who you want to show who’s boss, the future that seems so bleak, the past that seems to have a tight grip on you, everything. Slay it all. This isn’t a matter of metaphorical thirst, this is all about loving yourself. When you love yourself, your light shines brighter. You become a beacon, a force to be reckoned with. Who doesn’t want to kick ass?
If it helps, don’t see it as a movement, see it as an improvement on yourself. Before you know, we’ll all be believing in our slays and boom, the world is a better place already.
Kudos to the curators of this incredibly necessary slogan, @heauxjabi, @PeachesLenoir, @SnatchedXO and SnatchedXO.com (which is live from 31/01/2015). Look what these ladies have started!
Believe, guys. Believe in your damn slay.
Song of the Week: Childish Gambino – The Palisades (Feat. Christian Rich) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW_ysmivrFU This is the song I want to fall in love to despite the fact the chorus literally says “love don’t really happen”, oh well.
Quote of the Week
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
Georgina ❤
References because I’m scared shitless by plagiarism, welp:
1. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/slay (Accessed 10:28pm 21/01/2015)
2. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=slay (Accessed 10:20pm 21/01/2015)
Georgina's Musings 