Mariah Carey doesn’t believe in time (but her assistant does)

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

I don’t often rant on here, but I think I need a ranting moment right now because I just finished reading an article about how Mariah Carey doesn’t acknowledge the passing of time. It was a headline in the news email I receive every morning, and I was intrigued so I clicked. As I read through the article, which later directed me to watching the full interview, I discovered that as part of her not acknowledging the passing of time, she does not celebrate birthdays. She also claims to not acknowledge days, weeks or months but when asked the question - how do you schedule appointments? - she said, "somebody else handles that." I actually laughed out loud when I read it.

The reason Mariah Carey is able to ignore the concept of time is because she has someone else to handle time for her.  She also may not celebrate birthdays, but she will celebrate an anniversary of your life. Not sure what an anniversary of your life is? Well, there are some people out there who call it a birthday.

When I first read the headline, I didn’t click on it looking to make fun of Mariah Carey. I genuinely thought it was an interesting idea - to live in such a way where we are not as bound to the clock and calendar. For a moment, I admired Mariah Carey and felt a little shame for living such a structured life, only to discover that her ability to be less structured was built on the privilege of being a celebrity.

And that’s the part that really stuck with me. Not the diva-level denial of birthdays, but the reminder that so much of what we admire—or envy—in others is shaped by invisible scaffolding: assistants who manage calendars, teams who handle logistics, and resources that smooth out the rough edges of daily life. We see the highlight reels, the curated quotes, the effortless elegance, and we wonder why our own lives feel messier, more chaotic, more tethered to the clock. But we forget that most people aren’t operating solo. They have support systems, financial cushions, or simply different circumstances that allow them to opt out of things the rest of us have to navigate daily.

This isn’t about judgment—it’s about awareness. It’s about recognizing that comparison without context is a trap. When we measure our worth against someone else’s reality, we’re often using the wrong ruler. And when we internalize those comparisons, we risk feeling behind, inadequate, or like we’re doing life wrong.

So, here’s my gentle rant-turned-reminder: your life is valid, even if it’s scheduled down to the minute. Your growth is meaningful, even if it doesn’t come with a glam squad. And your version of success doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s—especially not someone who can outsource time itself. Let’s stop romanticizing the idea of being “above” time and start honoring the way we show up within it. Because showing up—on time, late, or somewhere in between—is still showing up. And that matters.