Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.

Build something that's yours first

There's a practical wisdom here that goes beyond just career ambition. The real insight isn't that you should choose work over love—it's that you should choose agency over dependency. When you build something that's yours, whether that's a career, a skill, or an independent life, you're not rejecting relationships. You're refusing to make someone else the foundation of your entire existence. That's actually what makes you a better partner when you do find one.

The sting in Lady Gaga's punchline works because it's true: people leave. Promotions rarely do. But the deeper point is about what happens to you when you haven't invested in yourself. If your entire identity is wrapped up in someone else's presence or approval, you're not really building anything—you're waiting. And waiting for another person to validate your life is a recipe for resentment, whether things go well or badly.

This doesn't mean careers are better than love. It means the people who tend to have the most fulfilling relationships are those who were already fulfilled before entering them. A dream—whether it's professional or creative or personal—gives you something that's entirely yours. That's not selfish. That's the thing that actually lets you show up as yourself.