Instagram/@iamshaunie
Following this post from Miss Shaunie Henderson (AKA: One of the “Basketball Wives”), many fans still keep on conversing. The post reads, “Distance yourself from things that do not align with your well-being and growth sans the guilt, shame, or fear of being misunderstood,” and the stark black text rests upon a white back-drop. The caption drives the point home even further: “Type: ‘I choose me’ because you don’t need permission to protect your energy. Even if it means walking away from what once felt familiar. Your well-being is not up for debate.”
Advertisement
With a positive majority flooding the comments box, people welcomed the post with their acknowledgment of putting themselves first. “This student asked me for advice today and this is literally what I told him,” one posted, stressing how celebrated this opinion really is. Others chimed in, “Say it Loud for the people in the back pretty lady!! Thank you Mrs. Henderson I Choose me!!” And the contagion spread: “I choose me!! I needed this and its validation of how I’ve been feeling lately.”
This wasn’t a fleeting quote for Henderson; this was her measuring stick for herself and her life. The TV personality has been downright open about the journey of personal transformation and evolution she embarked upon since her divorce from NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. She remarried; she has joined in a world far broader than just reality television to also undertake executive producing and public speaking endeavors. And so, this post feels like yet another expression of that evolution: a reminder that it’s okay to practice self-preservation and that it must be done.
Simplicity is what works for the image-the text on a white background. No distractions: just the unedited message. People are grabbing screenshots of this to keep for days as a reminder to prioritize themselves. From the reactions, it appears to be happening.
A couple of others seemed to take it quite a bit further, with one commenting, “I Choose Me!!! Absolutely 100%,” while another kept it brief: “I choose me every day!!!” The overwhelming energy of these responses is one of the few positive things seen on social media in days. There are no arguments or negativity-there is just agreement on a few of the strongest actions that can be made: sometimes just walking away.
Henderson’s strategy has always been to connect with her audience through television and her unfiltered self on social media. This one proves the same. It is not merely about her; it is about every person who has ever felt trapped by an action no longer serving them. And judging from the responses, a whole bunch of people needed to hear that.
Advertisement
So what comes next for Henderson? If that post is anything to go by, pushing messages of empowerment will be something she won’t stop doing anytime soon: One way or the other, either through the platform or one of her many projects, the key point is that she is choosing herself and encouraging others to do so. And honestly? Everybody can vibe with that.