I guess it’s basically the year of Jane the Virgin at LMU with an appearance from Justin Baldoni as mentioned previously in this article, and now a speech from Emmy-award winner, Gina Rodriguez at LMU’s 2017 Girl Boss (originally called Title IX week) to celebrate and inspire “empowered women to empower women.”
Originally, upon hearing about this event, I had been intrigued by the idea and the possibilities for empowerment activities, but I had not necessarily related to the concept of women empowerment and feminism, as I struggled to identify myself as a feminist. It is often difficult for people and millennials of the 21st century to disassociate feminism with a radical sense of equality, so I had found myself caught in that loop until I had begun to expose myself to opinions contrary to popular belief in group interactions and leadership classes where I came across a one hour long round table interview with the Hollywood Reporter where Gina touched on materialistic beauty, waiting for the right opportunity and learning to understand the matrices of feminism. I had known her from Jane the Virgin, but to see her in such an empowering, cultured and understanding capacity as Gina, not Jane, was truly eye-opening. It absolutely shaped my own personal view of feminism because if anything, it offered me some clarity (in terms of feminism we can only speak for ourselves). The video is a must see and is worth every minute (especially, for some elements of comedic effect) because it will shed some light on perspectives of women that would have never crossed your mind until you witness it yourself.
Regardless of my research and Gina obsession, going in to the talk with or without my rose colored glasses (and if you’re a Jane the Virgin fan, you’ll get the additional reference to that), wouldn’t have made a difference in the impact her words made on the 100+ people in UHALL 1000 that day.
1. Just try- at the end of the day all you can do is keep trying and when asked how Gina became so successful and how she seems to have life figured out, she casually acknowledged that she just tries. That’s it – that’s the key folks- persistence. When you humble yourself and acknowledge that you’re just human, you will realize that the best thing you can do for yourself is to continue to try new things, new ways of making things work and when it doesn’t work out, remembering that given the circumstances, that was the best you can do. There’s no need for judgment, no need for punishment, solely a need for compassion that being human is enough.
2. You are no better or less than anyone else- This phrase reminded me a lot of Selena Gomez and her humility, but most of all it awed me how grounded these celebrities could be amongst all the ego feeding flattery and body shaming conformity of the media and the industry. They kept their worth validated, but did not fall into the social comparison dilemma that we all often do in this day and age. When it comes down to it, they can barely believe their success themselves, and maybe that’s just what makes them so famous- that sense of humility in the 21st century.
3. Empathy is key – Gina mentioned that this year was the year of empathy for her, especially in our current political climate. She emphasized to just work hard and be kind and eventually it will come back around to you and return the compassion you have given out to the world.
4. Don’t get to the door first because you want to compete but because you will open the door to let others in – when addressing girl on girl competition, it’s important to remember to empower others. After all, the GirlBoss slogan for the week was that empowered women empower women. We are not the judges of another’s success, or their worth, but we are responsible for reminding one another to stay true to who you are along the journey to the top.
5. She is as real as can be and funny too- Gina was very upfront with her college audience and answered much of her questions authentically, telling it as it is in the industry and in life.
6. Feminism is love – above equality is love, and it is always love. The love componente here is very key because it leads to my next lesson learned and epitomized how we must address feminism from both men and women so that it is not such an unattainable association one makes to a radical implementation.
7. Don’t see color, don’t see gender, see hearts and see people and eventually they will see your heart too- I mean I think that’s pretty self explanatory
8. You are more than a number- now this also rings so very true for me within this day and age, especially with social media. And it goes off the last point too, because it doesn’t matter how many followers you have or how many likes you get on the filtered still of your life you choose to let others see. At the end of the day, that does not make you any better or any less than anyone else. And as hard as it is not to subscribe to that philosophy, it’s important to know that it is possible not to give in to the quantified self worth as is evident by an individual whose job probably partially depends on the amount of attention you can garner on social media. It’s important to live above that and if you do have a high number of followers, use it as a platform to share your unfiltered passions for life and be mindful that what you share can start a chain reaction of love and appreciation for the world that someone who’s following you might really need that day. And if anyone tells you different, they don’t care about you, they only care what you represent.
9. Stay ambitious and go for what you want – when asked how she got to where she is, Gina compared herself to a jackhammer that was always like go, go, go when it came to opportunity and pursuing her dream. However, it’s important that when you go for what you want, you keep in mind those who helped you get to that point and acknowledge those around you who are also striving for the same dream. And rather than easily falling into your competitive nature to beat others out to prove you’re the best, get to the door to use it as a platform to speak your truth and help spark that same passion in others or help those who already have the passion to reach new heights.
10. Everything is a choice- If something is not working for you and you don’t love doing what you’re doing as much as you used to, then try to find something else you love. That’s the caviat to staying ambitious- to know when it’s time to redirect that ambition toward another love in life. And there’s nothing wrong with that because you made the house to do what’s best for you in that moment and to change gears. Because no matter what you do in life, you will always have at least two options, so whichever you choose, own it and do not blame or judge yourself for making that decision. Mistake or not, you still were the one to decide if that was the next step you were going to take – YOU are in control of blazing your trail in life.
At the end of the day (yes, I know I say that a lot), she is way ahead of the materialism of our time and relates to us millennials in a transformative way that makes us feel empowered and understood. I am utterly tickled by the fact that I not only got to the stand in the same vicinity as her but meet her as well. For those who didn’t get the chance to meet her and hear her words of wisdom, I hope you do one day and read this feeling inspired to love others, love yourself and power through the adversity and discrimination and judgment in your life because you can. And if you’ve already met her, then I hope you continue to share her message and be the person for others you needed 10 years ago, 1 month ago or even yesterday when things weren’t going your way. Share your story, share your love and maybe we can all start to see the day when we know we are going to be okay.