November 20, 2011
At the Pennsylvania Conference for Women in Philadelphia in October, feminist and social justice activist Gloria Steinem presented her 5,000-member audience with a list of the top ten ways she learned to live fearlessly (and with courage). In the style of David Letterman, the legendary Steinem read her list backwards.
10. Reverse the golden rule and treat yourself as kindly as you treat others. Take time to nurture your own physical, mental, spiritual and emotional well-being so that you can feel and be your best.
9. View discomfort as a sign of growth. Take yourself out of your comfort zone, and develop and apply your abilities in new and helpful ways.
8. Recognize your emotions as instructive. For example, you may have reasons to feel justifiably angry, such as economic disparity and social injustice. Channel your emotions constructively and do what you can to make a positive difference.
7. Apply your talents and abilities in new and entertaining ways. Laughter is a sign of openness. Einstein laughed at his ideas while shaving and had to be careful not to cut himself.
6. Pursue your real interests, rather than what society tells you is interesting — and drop hierarchical thinking. When professors at a major university picketed for tenure, they partnered with maintenance workers and administrative assistants picketing for a raise. Divided, each group risked termination. United, all three groups achieved or exceeded their goals.
5. Measure by real rather than ideal parity. What is the reality here and now?
4. Recognize the enormous advantages of being female. Qualities once considered feminine, such as empathy and gentleness, are inside everyone. Model these qualities and innovate rather than imitate.
3. Anyone can learn to change. Decades ago, when secretarial pools consisted almost exclusively of women, some men claimed to be incapable of typing. The minute computers became popular, those same men learned how to type overnight.
2. Develop universally enriching partnerships. Surround yourself with people who value and inspire you. Spend time with people who believe in you, encourage you, and help you achieve more than you think you can.
1. Demonstrate self-actualization and nonviolence every step of the way. Abuse during our developmental years can undermine our ability to empathize. Those who suffer from humiliation and violence in the home may attempt to perpetuate humiliation and violence elsewhere. Remember that our means become our ends. Insist on democracy in our homes, offices, and domestic and foreign policies. – AGGIE PERILLI
How have you learned to live fearlessly and with transformative empathy and unity?
Aggie Perilli is president of Aggie Perilli Communications International. APCI creates empathetic and unifying communications and transformative campaigns for nonprofit and for-profit organizations and spokespeople. To engage and align your audience to exceed your expectations while inspiring a world of connection, contact APCI.
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