Lissa Rankin – Inspiring FB info…

I met Lissa at Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts and came across her inspiring FB profile:

I am an OB/GYN, an artist, a writer, and a workshop facilitator. I am also a mother, a practitioner of yoga, a wife, a chauffeur, a sister, a candlemaker, a jeweler, a hiker, and a cook. First and foremost, I am a woman, and like many women, I once thought I had to put myself in a box and choose who to be. But I now accept that, while I am all of these things, no single identity defines me. I am more than what I do. As women, we all struggle with who we really are and whether our lives reflect our truest selves. I now strive to be authentic, in all aspects of my life, whether I’m writing or painting or healing or teaching, and I encourage others to do the same.

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Children vs. Career: Brazen Careerist

I just read a terrific post by the fabulous Penelope Trunk.  The reality is that life is not binary, it’s not absolute.  It’s messy and complex.  Life can not be boiled down to a mathematical equation [if this then this].

This is not an issue of whether abortion is right or wrong, it’s about the myth of having children being bad for a career.

I got two abortions to preserve my career. To keep my options open. To keep my aspirations within reach.

I bought into the idea that kids undermine your ability to build an amazing career.

And here I am, with the amazing career.

But also, here I am with two kids. So I know a bit about having kids and a career. And I want to tell you something: You don’t need to get an abortion to have a big career. Women who want big careers want them because something deep inside you drives you to change the world, lead a revolution, break new barriers.

It doesn’t matter whether you have kids now or later, because they will always make your career more difficult. There is no time in your life when you are so stable in your work that kids won’t create an earthquake underneath that confidence.

What I’ve Been Reading…

Ever noticed what’s going on with women in the media, literature, fairytales etc?  It usually involves either being rescued by a prince (Snow White) or having something horrible happen to them (Madame Bovary).  What about the successful, happy, self reliant women?  Right now I don’t have the time to wonder WHY this is the way it is or get angry or sad over WHY this is the case.  I’m too exhausted.  I’m totally happy to see something like this and it’s fun and confirms my deep belief that you really can do anything you want.

I came across The Hot Mommas Project when I was about to have my baby.  This was a project where women who created case studies on how they became successful in their field.  I had forgotten it and then recently stumbled upon it again. These stories are terrific, the women are courageous and they get what they want.

As an actress, it’s very easy to get bogged down by negativity and the challenges an acting career throws at you.  Add being a mother into the mix and sometimes I wonder if pursuing an acting career is worth it.  Hearing stories of other folks who persevered definitely helps.