[Podcast #271] Playing Big with Tara Mohr (Part 1)

Brave Writer Podcast

What is it that holds women back when it comes to taking risks or living authentically? How can we raise our daughters so they don’t have to struggle as much as we have?

Tara Mohr, an expert on women’s leadership and a homeschooling mom herself, joins the show today to discuss this topic and share her book, Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead.

Tara Mohr
Tara Mohr

We discuss developing self-trust and the difference between preparation and improvisation.

Be sure to stay tuned for Part 2!

Show Notes

Developing Self-Trust

Women tend to not trust themselves—not trust their abilities, not trust their analyses. Of course we should all practice humility and self-reflection, but rather than starting from a place of loyalty to our fears, we should start from a place of loyalty to our dreams.

Preparation vs. Improvisation

Girls often get praised for preparation and following the rules, especially in their school environment. This can give them a sense of control–if they are prepared and follow the rules, then everything will be ok.

Problems arise in their adult lives when they’re not given clear rules, when they’re in situations they can’t fully prepare for. These situations often arise in the workplace, especially at leadership levels. In these situations, improvisation is as highly valued as preparation. We need to strengthen our daughters’ confidence in their improvisation skills.

Naming the Inner Critic

Girls develop a strong inner critic voice at a very young age. Often, when they express it, well-meaning adults respond by trying to argue with that inner critic. For example, when a girl says “I’m ugly,” the typical adult response is “No, you’re beautiful.”

Rather than trying to argue with the inner critic, we can teach our daughters a much more effective way of dealing with it: notice and name it. When a girl says “I’m ugly,” you can say “That sounds like your inner critic” and then help them develop ways to separate that inner critic from their true selves.

Tara gets into all this and more in Playing Big. We encourage everyone to read it!

Resources

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Brave Writer Podcast

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