Do You Really Love Me...Underneath It All?

Every once it a while, it dawns on me that celebrities are just real people. With their faces plasted all over television, magazines and billboards can you blame me? Here's a gift to women and men. Presenting to you, stars without their make-up on.


Dawn Richards


Eve


Kimora Lee Simmons


Nicki Minaj


Lauren London


Rihanna


Tyra Banks


Beyonce


Ashanti

Photo Credits: Vibe Magazine

I Win... You Lose...

In every relationship, there's a person who holds more power out of the two, whether you'd like to admit it or not. It's not usually talked about and sometimes it goes unnoticed because people often like to lie to themselves about their roles in a relationship.

The person with the most amount of power usually gets what they really want when it comes to the relationship. They're also the person who truly has the power to end the relationship. They have a bunch of natural, varying characteristics that make them in charge. They could be anything from the asshole of the couple to the one who knows how to word things in the right way. If they're smart, they know how to compromise and when to let the person with less power have more say.

The person who has less power often tries to display to the public that they have more power than they actually do. | Girls are super guilty of this and I don't know why 'cause half the time they ain't foolin no one but themselves. | The obvious ones in this group are easier to spot because they say they will do this and that and often go against their own judgments. They get what they want not because they want it and can have it but because the power holder is willing to give. Often they see some benefit that the power-holder has that they think they can benefit from and sometimes they feel inferior to their partner.

If you're a strong female, then you're probably the power-holder. No ifs ands or buts. Simply because women are a man's weakness. And by strong I don't mean you can just run off at the mouth to any female. Girls often confuse this, thinking that just because they're not afraid to give their opinion to a female that they have some sort of impenetrable strength. Half of the time those are the same ones that do everything a man says and wants because underneath it all, they're scared of the man. Scared of losing the person they're with. Look at Beyonce and Jay-Z. In "Upgrade You", she reveals that the trick of a strong woman is letting her man have the power publicly but behind closed doors she runs the show. If you're figuring out ways to get power, you just don't have it. And you probably won't so just face it. Not everyone's built to hold the reigns.

And the power can shift depending on the situation. However, it mostly stays consistent over the period of time.

The best relationships have a good balance of power. It can be argued that the best ones are the ones where each respective person knows their role, but I think those weigh down on the happiness of the less empowered of the two. And I apologize in advance if your partner reads this and changes up their whole behavior. If you're the power holder, you'll know how to put this in the right perspective ;)

Kids in Grown-Up Shoes

I've realized that, at 21, this is the age where I would love to freeze time. You're caught in the whirlwinds of fun and misbehavior. The fake ID is out the window and you're ordering rum and redbulls, the occasional amaretto sour, some cranberry concoction or my new original favorite the Malibu Barbie | Cocunut Malibu, Bacardi, pineapple juice and sprite |. Try that and get back to me. Vacations. Youth. Heading into your prime. It all seems care-free. However, with my generation it also seems to be the time where responsibility and chaos seems to knock at the door and say "Hey remember me? yeah, grow up."

As I look at a variation of people around me climbing into adulthood - babies, marriage, the race for employment, apartment hunting... - it hits me that people are stepping into their lives. | Slang translation: It's getting real out here! | Everyone else's agenda can often seem like a cloud of pressure looming over your own schedule of life events. I've spoken to a few friends and they're stressed from the dizziness of trying to build their lives, whether it's family or their peers consciously or subconsciously pressuring them to get the ball rolling.

It's easy to cave in to the feeling of being left behind. But take it from me, an ex full-time futuristic thinker now turned part-time future part-time present thinker, we are YOUNG! Enjoy it! For some reason, our generation has a warped psyche that believes by your mid twenties, you're old. Be happy for those around you and build happiness for yourself. Salute to all moving onto the next stages in their lives and making beautiful strides. Everyone has their own private goals of where they'd like to be, and nothing always goes as planned. Surprises, obstacles and good opportunities are sprinkled all through your life to shape you as an individual. I've come to truly understand this idea of tomorrow never being promised. It's all about balance of enjoying today and being prepared for tomorrow along with everyone's personal goals and measures of bliss. Revel in your accomplishments and steadily reach for what you want out of this life, a day at a time. In basic words, think of the kid in the grown-up shoes; either you can fit those suckers or wait till your feet grows.

We are all here temporarily, so make sure you enjoy enough of life to last you eternally.