Blake Lively Perfectly Defines "Having It All"

In an age where we seem to catch unwitting celebrities spewing less than desirable, sometimes misconstrued remarks during an interview, you'll be happy to know that Blake Lively's ruminations are decidedly uncontroversial and almost... enlightening. In a recent interview with Allure, Blake Lively talked candidly about life in the public eye and the like, but the most compelling aspect of the talk was when she delved into the topic of women, family, and careers. I know, I know. This is where it usually gets dicey. But rest assured, this renaissance woman has one incredibly astute head on her shoulders.

As Allure's headline ("Blake Lively On Her Version Of 'Having It All'") points out, Lively delves into what "having it all" means:

Most of the things I do are all-consuming, but somehow I find a way to do it all. But it's dangerous to dilute that to a catchphrase. Having it all could be having a happy, healthy family, and you could be a mom who stays at home, and that is the most admirable thing you could do. Or it could be having a profession that you really believe in, and not having a family, and doing what fulfills you. What's risky is reducing anyone's lifestyle choice to a sound bite. If it's not a part of a conversation with someone face-to-face, those bites are why women tear each other apart or why the media will tear people apart.

How'd you get to be so wise, Blake? You see, no matter how simple and obvious her assertions on women and their futures seems to be, it's just what I wanted to hear, especially from a celebrity I have always looked up to. And the actress' words are as profound as they are due to the simplicity of the statement. So often we see celebrities or public figures try and tackle this trope of "career vs. family" and over-complicate it, and as Lively points out, those "sound bites" are where we run into trouble.

But Lively's message is clear and concise: there is no contest. One thing isn't more important than the other, it's what best for you as an individual. Because you cannot speak to what makes someone else whole and happy. Yes, that can be just a career. Yes, that can be just a family. And yes, even the revolutionary notion that it can be both:

I don’t believe I have to choose — who says so? Who says we can’t do anything that we set our mind to? You may not be the best at it. You may not be the most successful. But, you can try your best. That's what having it all means to me — not letting anyone tell me no but myself.

Despite dipping her toes into many different waters, the magazine makes it clear which specific thing in her life trumps it all. Allure explains,

Lively recently welcomed her first child with husband Ryan Reynolds, and she considers her family to be her number-one priority. "I feel like I've figured out the most important thing to me," she says, "and everything supports that."

See her wording there? What's most important to her. Because, like she so eloquently put it, having a family is a lifestyle choice, not a mandate. And you know, with that sort of healthy, unbiased, and open-minded attitude, I think she'll be just fine finding the perfect balance for her own life.

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