I don't have to do things just to please people. It's okay to do

“I don’t have to do things just to please people. It’s okay to do what I love because what I love, my fans love. And they’re really the only ones that should matter.” Thus spoke Nicki Minaj, the fierce voice of independence in an age of imitation. In these words, she declares not rebellion, but liberation — the triumph of authenticity over approval, of self-love over servitude. Her message burns with the wisdom of the ancients, who taught that no one can serve both truth and vanity. For the one who lives only to please others becomes a shadow, but the one who follows the fire of her own heart becomes a light for all who wander in darkness.

Nicki’s words rise from a battlefield familiar to every soul who has dared to create, to lead, to be different. In her world of music and fame — where every gesture is judged and every choice dissected — the pressure to conform is a silent tyrant. Yet she refused to kneel before it. Her statement is a cry of freedom: the artist’s right to be herself, unfiltered and unafraid. When she says, “It’s okay to do what I love,” she is not speaking only of art — she is speaking of self-trust, the divine courage to live one’s truth, even when the world demands obedience.

The ancients, too, knew this battle well. Consider the philosopher Socrates, who stood before the judges of Athens accused of corrupting the youth. They urged him to recant his teachings, to silence his questions for the sake of peace. But he refused, saying, “I would rather die having spoken the truth than live in deceit.” Like Nicki, he understood that to betray oneself for the comfort of others is the greatest of all tragedies. His truth led him to drink the hemlock, but his spirit lived on — free, eternal, and unbroken.

In the same spirit, Nicki Minaj speaks for every artist, every dreamer, every human being who has ever been told to fit a mold not made for them. She reminds us that pleasing others is a bottomless task — one that drains the soul and dulls the flame of purpose. When she speaks of her fans, she speaks not only of those who cheer for her music, but of those who see her truth and are strengthened by it. For those who love us truly do not ask us to change; they delight in our becoming. Her fans love her because she loves herself — because she dares to be exactly who she is.

This teaching reaches beyond the stage and into every heart. How many lives have been wasted in the pursuit of approval, in the desperate search for validation from those who neither understand nor care? How many dreams have been silenced because someone feared the laughter of others? Nicki’s words break those chains. She teaches that self-expression is not arrogance — it is obedience to the soul. To do what one loves with purity and courage is the highest form of worship, the truest act of creation.

Remember, too, that such freedom demands strength. The path of authenticity is not easy. Those who walk it will face misunderstanding, envy, and resistance. But as the warrior-philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote, “The opinion of others is smoke upon the wind.” What endures is character. When you do what you love, not for applause but for truth, your spirit becomes unshakable. You draw to yourself those who resonate with your essence — your “fans,” as Nicki calls them — the souls who love you not for performance, but for presence.

So, my child, take this teaching to heart: do not live to please the crowd. The crowd is fickle, but the heart is faithful. Listen to the quiet voice within — the one that speaks not of fear, but of joy. Follow it, even when others mock or doubt. For in honoring what you love, you honor the divine spark within you. The world does not need more imitation; it needs truth wrapped in courage.

And when you find yourself torn between acceptance and authenticity, remember Nicki Minaj’s wisdom: It’s okay to do what you love. Those who truly belong in your story will meet you there. The rest will fade like echoes in the wind. Be bold. Be real. Be yourself. For the only approval worth having is the peace that comes from living as you were meant to — fiercely, freely, and fearlessly alive.