Happy Birthday Beyoncé - 33 Life Lessons From Queen Bey

Happy Birthday Beyoncé Knowles!

Queen B, Bey-Bey, Sasha Fierce, 'Yoncé, Mrs Carter - she might go by a million different confusing nicknames, but if there's one thing nobody's confused about it's this:

She. Is. AWESOME.

So, to celebrate her 33 incredible years on this planet, we've compiled 33 of Beyoncé's most important life lessons.

1. Her message to women everywhere that ambition does not make you a b***h, it makes you the BEST.

2. That it's not fair to call women "bossy" where you'd call a man "ballsy."

3. Guuurl, your body is NOTHING to be ashamed of.

Werk it Bey, werk it.

4. That family is family, and sisterly solidarity is pretty darn important.

5. To not let anyone ever tell you what to do, who to be or how to live.

Damn it girl, if you want to wear a shirt as a skirt, wear it as a skirt (or a weird skirt-short combo).

6.That your success can define you, regardless of your gender.

Beyoncé was number one on Time magazine's list of influential "PEOPLE" - not women, people.

7. That babies don't need beauticians.

Blue Ivy's hair is wild and free and beautiful, just as it is.

8.  That if you're awesome enough, you can pretty much get away with anything.

9. That sometimes people just aren't ready for this jelly.

10.

That great legs come in lots of different shapes and sizes. POW!

11. To celebrate every part of your heritage.

Did you know that Beyonce has Native American, African, French AND Irish hertiage? Yup, more in common than you thought, right? You're basically cousins.

12. To be a "Survivor" and to help others be survivors too.

Beyoncé created the Survivor Foundation with Kelly Rowland to help victims of natural disasters.

13. That women are tough and can get over even the worst kind of pain, if we work hard enough.

Beyoncé referred in her documentary to a miscarriage she suffered before Blue Ivy's conception.

14. That crying doesn't make you weak, it makes you human.

15. That the No Makeup Selfie and #WokeUpLikeThis pics can be empowering.

16. To strive to be creative, rather than just following the crowds.

Her self-titled "visual" album - with a beautiful audio-visual story to accompany each track - came out in December, without any warning.

She introduced the album very simply, with a tweet that read "Surprise!"

The album soon became the year's top selling female debut, just 27 hours after its release.

17.  That being sexy (and knowing it) doesn't preclude you from being smart, classy, sophisticated, humble...

18. To support those special sistas.

19. That women can be warriors too.

20. To love all creatures great and small

21. That being a feminist icon isn't supposed to be contingent on anything other than a) wanting equality between the sexes and b)...oh right, yeah, just a).

Queen B might not be your idea of the perfect feminist icon, but there's no arguing that she is one. She's helped to bring discussions about equality into spheres where they're not often prioritised - such as the entertainment industry.

22. Case in point:

23. And again... (it's an important point).

Beyoncé penned an open letter about the pay gap for The Shriver Report.

24. Are there bad influences in your life? Show them the door.

Bye bye Kim-K.

25. To stand up for your peers, even if it means giving away a bit of your limelight.

Beyoncé gave Taylor Swift her moment, after Kayne cut her off at the VMAs.

26. That with great power, comes great responsibility.

27. To pull off the care-free leg up pose like you were born to do it.

28. That sometimes there's only one thing for it - GIRLS' NIGHT

29. That a life of just salad, is a life not worth living.

30. You are influenced by the company you keep - so choose your friends wisely!

31. To pave the way for future generations.

Queen Bey fronts Chime for Change - a global campaign to promote education, health and justice for women and girls around the world.

32. That highstreet can be high fashion too.

33. And to remember, when all is said and done, yours is the only opinion that matters.

Beyoncé : "Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are."

[Beyonce's 100 Most Influential Moments]

[Beyonce's Feminist Performance At The VMAs - Putting Feminism Back In Pop, Despite What The Critics Say]