Channel Your Inner Beyonce

The thumbs-ups were rolling in like mad. The little joke I'd put on my Facebook page was getting tons of love. If you post stuff there regularly like I do, you know that some remarks especially resonate with your pals. I'd joked, "I'm changing my name from Debbie to Debbeyoncé, in hopes that a fabulous Beyoncé-style life will soon follow."

Maybe all that good feedback was a nod to my sense of humor, but it seemed more like a bow to Queen Bey. Really, who wouldn't love to be more like her? And I'm not talking about her voice or her looks (though, personally, I wouldn't turn down a stack of multiplatinum albums and a pair of thighs that could crush them). I'm talking about her attitude. While many others melt down in the heat of the spotlight, Beyoncé always seems carefree and content. How does she do that? She -- along with a handful of other prominent women -- has a spirit we can all admire and emulate as we go about our own admittedly less glamorous business. Next time you're faced with a challenge, try channeling these power players and see if your confidence doesn't soar, too.

Brush 'Em Off, Like Beyoncé
You can't please everyone all the time, and no one knows that better than Beyoncé. She's always taking flak, whether she's accused of dialing in a performance (like when she lip-synched at the Presidential inauguration) or daring to go where few tourists have gone before (Cuba for her fifth wedding anniversary). But no matter how many times she's in the hot seat, Sasha Fierce keeps her cool. She doesn't panic or pout, she just performs and jet-sets some more. And it works: By belting out the national anthem at a pre-Superbowl press conference she quickly shut down any doubts about her ability to perform live -- without resorting to a huffy speech. A big reason Beyoncé's detractors never get much traction is because she ignores them. She's never looking over her shoulder and being defensive; she's too busy moving toward something bigger and better. To paraphrase one of her recent hits: It's this girl who runs the world.

Stay Classy, Like Kate Middleton
Imagine being photographed by paparazzi every minute you're in public. Now imagine being snapped when you think you're in private. That's what happened to Kate Middleton. Last summer snoops photographed her topless while she was on a secluded vacation and the pictures hit the tabloids. It could've been the moment that brought down a beginner-level royal: Instead, it became the turning point when a true princess was made. If she was hurt and humiliated, she never let on, always wearing her serene smile. And she's kept that same regal composure during her oh-so public pregnancy -- ignoring tabloid claims she was "mommyrexic" and not eating enough to be healthy. By keeping her dignity and not letting the critics nick her good spirits, she gained more respect and is a fitting heir to the role of the "people's princess."

Follow Your Instincts, Like Katie Holmes
Not only did Katie Holmes make walking away from a bad marriage look doable, she pulled off another seemingly impossible task: making mommy-and-me fashion look forgivable and even fabulous. Have you seen those snapshots of her and her 7-year-old daughter, Suri, walking around in matching skirts and tops? Awww! The unspoken lessons here: Do what feels right no matter what anyone else thinks, whether it's on your personal runway or in your personal relationships. It's not just those coordinated outfits that make Holmes look good -- it's the happy glow of a free woman.

Come Back Stronger, Like Gabrielle Giffords
When a crazed gunman opened fire on Gabrielle Giffords and others at a Tucson mall in 2011, the shots were heard around the country. At the time Giffords was a U.S. Congresswoman with a loyal constituency. No one would have blamed her if she'd simply faded into private life after her devastating injuries. But even though she's partially paralyzed and has trouble speaking, Giffords has found her voice, becoming an insistent advocate for gun-law reform. Earlier this year she and her husband formed Americans for Responsible Solutions, a group aiming to place limits on the sale of firearms, especially to the mentally ill. Giffords appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee, halting words and all, urging them to consider her proposal. Though the measure failed, Giffords hasn't given up (she was even presented with a Profile in Courage award for her fearless efforts). Something senseless happened to her, but Giffords has shown us it's possible to make something good even out of the inexplicable.

Just be You, Like Jodie Foster
We don't know how it happened, but Jodie Foster's 50 now -- and hasn't spent a single year of that half century being who anyone expected her to be. Yes, she was a child star, but no, she didn't grow up to acquire pierced cheeks, a meth habit, or a mug-shot file at the LAPD. Instead she attended Yale, won two Oscars, and became a well-respected movie director. Yet her most amazing accomplishment may have been her coming-out speech at this year's Golden Globes. Rarely has anyone declared her sexuality so gracefully, first breaking the ice with humor ("But I'm just going to put it out there, right? ... I'm, ah -- single!"), then somehow treating the revelation as old news, even as it unfolded before millions of viewers: "I already did my coming-out about a thousand years ago," she told us. Once again, Foster wasn't who we thought she was -- she was even more inspiring.