Taylor Swift’s new documentary Miss Americana aired on Netflix this year. It is vulnerable, raw and just a little more than surprising. 

Coming from the girl that used to write 13 on the back of her hand and practice the famous hair flip in front of the mirror, she could have spoken about her love of cats for an hour. 

Thankfully, there was more to learn than her devotion to cats. 

Taylor says, “one of the major themes about the doc is that we have the ability to change our opinions over time, to grow, to learn about ourselves.”

Through Taylor’s experiences, her highs and lows, her insecurities and vulnerabilities, the viewer reflects on who they are, what they stand for, and the effect their words have on others.

Here are 4 facets of inspiration to take away from Miss Americana.

Respond to disappointment with determination. 

When Taylor finds out that her album Reputation wasn’t Grammy-nominated for any of the major categories, she is visibly disappointed. But her immediate response is determination. “I just need to make a better record,” she says, “I’m making a better record.” 

Good things can come from your lowest points. 

Taylor dropped off the map after the “Taylor Swift is over party” in 2016. Thankfully, after a year of being MIA, she bounced back, creating beautiful music from her darkest days. 

Don’t be what people want you to be. 

Standing up for what’s right might go without saying. But Taylor stayed silent because people didn’t want her to have opinions. They wanted her to be a “good girl”, so she was. Until now. She shed her “good girl” persona and now stands up for her beliefs, no matter the ramifications to her career. Instead of seeking approval, she now cares about being on the right side of history. She is no longer afraid to talk openly about her experience with sexual assault, her views on feminism and who she’s voting for in the election. 

Life is transient, so focus on what is real and important. 

Taylor talks about her mother’s fight with cancer and how this changed her perspective. While the world crucified her on social media, Taylor was spending time with her family, especially her mum. She got back in touch with what mattered. Taylor says, “do you really care if the internet doesn’t like you today if your mom’s sick from her chemo.” Ponder that. 

The premise of this article is that I basically resonated the heck with Taylor’s doc and felt all kinds of inspired afterwards. The message that spoke loud throughout was precisely what I needed to hear. If these points to ponder resonate with you, then I highly suggest giving it a watch, even if it’s just to see her mum’s gigantic dog or her backpack specifically made to carry her cat around.  

P.S. Taylor also did Todrick Halls nails for the VMAs. Iconic.