Beyonce has not always been the embodiment of strength as we know it today.

The 43-year-old Cowboy Carter singer and mother of three opened up about a variety of topics in a new interview with GQ, but when the interviewer urged her to be introspective about her career and what she hopes her legacy will be opened up about some of the drawbacks that come with building a career.

“I am proud of what I have done, but I also recognize the sacrifices. There was a time when I pushed myself to meet unrealistic deadlines.”

Beyoncé reflected on a time when she did not take the time to reap the benefits of hard work, and looked back to the very beginning of her career, the Destiny's Child era, and noted that the music industry (and honestly, society at large) did not value mental health and emotional wellbeing as it does today He pointed out that the music industry (and, frankly, society as a whole) did not value mental health and emotional wellbeing as it does today. As a result, the “16-car” singer says she had difficulty with firm boundaries back then.

“Not many people have been taught to focus on mental health since the late 90s,” she said. 'Back then I had very few boundaries and would say yes to anything. But I have been rewarded a hundred times over. I have worked harder than anyone else. And now I'm working smarter.”

As for her future legacy, Beyoncé focused on what her work and art can do for others, saying that influencing others is what makes her happiest.

“Ultimately, the greatest reward is personal joy,” she said. I ask myself, “Did what I created inspire others to think freely and believe in the impossible? If the answer to that question is yes, then that is the gift.”

Don't think that Bey's constant legacy building means she is a workaholic.

“Singing is not work for me. I sing for myself. I love music and I love to sing. It's a deep passion. There is a magic in the singing voice that I feel in my throat, a resonance that vibrates me.” She believes that her voice is her companion in life, and that singing heals and stabilizes her. Singing is one of the deepest joys of my life, as essential as breathing. Without singing, without music, without creation, I would be a walking corpse. Creating music is not a job for me; it is what I was born to do.”