Now that we’re nearing the end of Women’s History Month, we have Gina Barreca, a distinguished professor and author, to share her wisdom about finding that power to not care about whether people like you or not.
Gina was the third class of women to be admitted to Dartmouth. She was also the first girl in her family to graduate from high school in a timely fashion. Today, Gina talks about how feminism is not about the things you cannot do, but about the things you can do, how power lies in the ability to not have to please anyone, and finally, how you can leverage feminine humor to get your message across.
I’m also sharing with you these two podcasts that are lifting up other women who are metaphorically making a good kind of trouble in their spheres of influence.
Gina’s Biography
Gina Barreca, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Connecticut, has written ten books, including the bestselling They Used to Call Me Snow White, But I Drifted, as well as Babes in Boyland: A Personal History of Coeducation in the Ivy League, and It’s Not That I’m Bitter: How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Visible Panty Lines and Conquer the World.
Gina has edited eighteen other books, including Fast Funny Women: 75 Essays of Flash Nonfiction and the new 2022 collection Fast Fierce Women. Translated into Chinese, Japanese, German, and Spanish, her scholarly and trade books have helped establish the study of women’s humor as a Thing.
Barreca has been published by The New York Times, The Independent of London, Cosmopolitan, The Harvard Business Review. She has appeared, often as a repeat guest, on the Today show, CNN, the BBC, PBS, NPR, 20/20, and Oprah. Gina's "Psychology Today" blog has well over 7.5 million views.
Share this conversation with your best friends. This episode is sure to tickle their funny bone and help you have more authentic and honest conversations. You’re in for a treat today!
Highlights
Creativity: Telling the truth is in the details. Gina spoke about chin hairs and she did with a lot of specifics. If you are a writer or storyteller, that could be one way to express your tale when you’re able to hone in on a detail that often isn’t spoken about.
Curiosity: Be curious about why you say or do the things you do as well as why you hold your tongue sometimes. Is that based on an old impression of what a woman should do or not?
Courage: Feminism is about what you can do….not just want you cannot do.
Truth: Tell the truth now. It doesn't matter how smart you are or how sophisticated you are, or how simple you think you are.
Power: Power is the ability not to have to please. You want people to respect your work but you're not there to please them. We're all raised to be good girls, even those of us who have abandoned the project 30 years ago.
Authenticity: Don't get into the habit of faking your laugh. Let the real noises come out and life will be much easier and better for everybody.
Humor: Women's comedy is so subversive because it's often hidden inside like a nice voice but underneath that, you're undermining every single system with your own intelligence.
Blueprint: Every woman over 38 wants a permission slip to tell her she's not crazy. She's not the only one and she's not too much. If you feel you're too much then you need to open up stuff around you. And if the walls are closing in, then get out and rebuild. Get a new blueprint.
Privilege: You can’t apologize for the good things that happen in your life. Make the most of what comes and the least of what goes. You can't apologize or fate will take that back. If your good fortune seems like it's taking away somebody else's good fortune, that's not a healthy relationship.
Dream: Dreams are always an authentic reflection.
Control: Things scare you when you feel like you're out of control.
Energy: Plug yourself into other sources. It's not all self-generating. It comes from lots of places.
Links to continue to learn from:
Website: www.ginabarreca.com Twitter: @theginabarreca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GinaBarrecaRecommended Podcasts:
Neighborhood Twin Mom
https://open.spotify.com/show/4iLCLM4pvjZfAcC6RSbYio
The Grace Fueled Wife
Want to grab your free copy of the Courage Makerspace (™) Playbook?
Download the Courage Makerspace(™) here www.melissallarena.com/courage
Boost your courage in 7-days using the exact courage design tools that have worked for both me and my clients. Grab your free playbook instantly so that you can discover how to:
Figure out what makes you tick Be more accountable and not procrastinate Overcome imposter syndrome Stop caring about what others think Progress despite self-doubt Manage anxiety Ask for helpYou will have a step-by-step playbook to help you finally fulfill your life purpose! Do not miss out on this free opportunity as it will not be available for long.
Love An Interview With Melissa Llarena podcast?
You can now support my time in producing the show with Patreon. If you find that the podcast inspires you and you’d like to help support this labor of love, please consider supporting me on Patreon for a couple of dollars per month. You’ll get early access to my video-recorded episodes featuring unreleased guest insights; your name and/or business will be mentioned during an episode. You’ll also see how I have connected with powerful world leaders so that you can network more effectively in any field or help you pitch hard-to-reach guests on your own platform. Then if you are feeling extra generous for only $10/a month, you’ll get everything previously mentioned plus be invited to my monthly LIVE 30-Minute “Ball Juggling” Group Calls where I’ll field your business or work-life questions, podcast/guest questions, and share with you courage hacks and imaginative tips so you can feel sane, level-headed, and stay on track pertaining to your upcoming goals.
Want to continue the conversation?
Find me on Instagram! You can read my daily mini-blogs centered on the same three topics that my podcast features: creativity, courage, and curiosity. I believe that without all three it would be impossible to solve the challenges we were each uniquely made to solve. Wouldn’t you agree? I’m easy to find on Instagram @melissallarena
Rather keep it professional?
Let’s connect on LinkedIn. I encourage every single podcast listener to connect with me.
