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How do you, as an individual, see your place in the world? In this episode, children’s book author Suzanne Hemming shares her thoughts about having a sense of equality, confidence, and self-esteem.
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Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Raising awareness of the lack of gender equality in the world
- What we can do to get more equality
- The messaging that we give young children about masculinity and femininity
- Toxic masculinity and how the feelings of inequality affect children’s wellbeing and their mental and physical health later on in life
- How getting connected to her own personal values improved Suzanne’s wellbeing
Key Takeaways:
- Examples of toxic masculinity, according to Suzanne, are people using phrases like “Man up”, “Don’t cry like a girl”, “Don’t run like a girl”, “Just toughen up”, “Take it like a man”, “Boys will be boys.”
- Suzanne views toxic masculinity as society’s desire for men to behave a certain way, a way that is seen as masculine, strong, capable, not showing emotion. It’s toxic because of the impact that it has on both the wellbeing of men, the wellbeing of women, and how they interact with each other.
- Anyone who is not living as their authentic self – who they are, how they feel, what they think – regardless of their gender or their age, is going to be living with a certain amount of unhappiness.
Action Steps:
- Help build awareness of the messaging we give children about masculinity and femininity and its impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
Suzanne said:
“Little boys who believe that they shouldn’t cry, that they should not do anything like a girl, that they should be manning up all the time and being tough all the time… they’re going to be living with a certain amount of unhappiness.
“Boys who are told not to show their feelings when they’re little boys will grow up into men who don’t feel that they can show their feelings as men. They will grow up into men who won’t cry, who will ignore feelings of sadness, of despair, who will treat each other differently…”
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More from Suzanne Hemming:
More from Leanne Spencer:
Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page
Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne Spencer
Rise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer
