<p><em>New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.</em></p> <p> </p> <p>We're going to start experimenting with these Friday episodes. Historically on Fridays, we've dropped guided meditations – and we will still do that – but we're also going to try some different formats, including some shorter episodes with guests that might not be a fit for our traditional Monday and Wednesday shows.</p> <p> </p> <p>Today we've got Dan's new friend Geena Rocero. She has an incredible story about what it's like to live with an all-encompassing secret.</p> <p> </p> <p>Geena was born and raised in the Philippines. There, she became a star on that country's thriving transgender beauty pageant scene. Then she moved to America to launch her modeling career. But here, in this new country, she was justifiably very worried about letting anybody in the fashion world know that she was transgender. So for many many years, she lived with a secret -- one that could destroy her livelihood at any moment. In 2014, she decided to come out publicly in a TED Talk that now has more than 4 million views. She's now a public speaker, trans rights advocate and an award-winning producer/writer/director.</p> <p> </p> <p>She is also an author, just out with a new memoir, called <em>Horse Barbie</em>. You'll hear her explain what that title means. We also talk about the cost of living with a secret, why she decided to come out, and the overlap between gender and spirituality.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Where to find Geena Rocero online: </strong></p> <ul> <li>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/geenarocero?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">twitter.com/geenarocero</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/geenarocero" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">instagram.com/geenarocero</a> </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Book Mentioned:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/706036/horse-barbie-by-geena-rocero/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Horse Barbie: A Memoir</em></a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Other Resources Mentioned:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://ted.com/talks/geena_rocero_why_i_must_come_out?language=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Geena's TED talk: Why I Must Come Out</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: <a href="https://10percenthappier.app.link/install" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://10percenthappier.app.link/install</a></p> <p> </p>
Actionable Insights
1. Channel Your Inner Strength
Identify and name an awesome, empowering part of yourself (like Gina’s ‘Horse Barbie’ spirit) to rely on during difficult times, as it can serve as your inner dignity, strength, and certainty in your own goodness. This practice, supported by science, can help rewire unkind self-talk and is enhanced by practices like loving kindness meditation.
2. Confront Long-Held Secrets
Recognize that living with a significant secret for a long time can lead to a loss of self, emotional turmoil, inability to form deep relationships, and self-medication; confronting this secret is necessary when the suffering becomes unbearable to reclaim your true self.
3. Utilize Yoga for Healing
Consider practicing intense yoga, particularly with a focus on breath work, as it can help address medical conditions rooted in psychological trauma and tumult, and provide a profound sense of peace and healing.
4. Prioritize Purpose Over Fear
When facing a terrifying or risky decision, cultivate a strong sense of ownership and purpose, allowing it to become bigger than your fear and propel you forward despite potential challenges.
5. Master Public Speaking Intimacy
When speaking publicly, especially about personal truths, accept that once revealed, your story cannot be unsaid. Focus on your breath to calm yourself and create intimacy with the audience, remembering that sharing your truth is a gift.
6. Embrace Gender Fluidity
Explore and challenge rigid binary understandings of gender, as embracing fluidity can lead to greater personal freedom, reduce suffering, and allow individuals (including cisgender people) to access a wider spectrum of personality aspects like sensitivity and compassion.
7. Cultivate Communal Bonds (Kapwa)
Actively foster a sense of communal connection, recognizing the Filipino concept of ‘kapwa’ (inner self shared with others), as an overly individualistic approach can cause harm, and strong relationships are a primary source of human happiness.
8. Acknowledge and Lean into Coincidences
When significant coincidences occur, acknowledge and ’lean into’ them, as they can be interpreted as meaningful signs or affirmations that you are on the right path.