Words Matter: How To Turn Your Story into Herstory and Action

Author Rebecca Sive at a recent event in New Orleans.

“Every story has value, every woman has value and can make her valuable contribution, not just the rich, famous and powerful,” says Rebecca Sive, author of the new book, Make Herstory Your Story: Your Guided Journal to Justice Every Day for Every Woman.

““Every story has value, every woman has value and can make her valuable contribution, not just the rich, famous and powerful,” says @RebeccaSive, author of the new book, Make Herstory Your Story: Your Guided Journal to Justice Every Day for Every Woman. #womensart”

 A women’s rights activist and author of several books including, Vote Her In: Your Guide to Electing Our First Woman President and Every Day Is Election Day: A Woman’s Guide to Winning Any Office, Sive offers this new journal and workbook designed to help women of all ages and interests to imagine, create and organize their stories for a greater goal.

Using that triptych of intentions as a framework for the book, Sive delivers prompts and guidance in a workbook that highlights 45 illustrations that serve as prompts for inspiration and tools for self-discovery and planning.

Particularly as the Great Resignation and Reshuffle of the past two years have disrupted and reimagined what millions of Americans (especially those identifying as women) do as a result of the ongoing pandemic, Sive contends this is a perfect time to reflect and project for the future.

“Particularly as the #GreatResignation and Reshuffle of the past two years have disrupted and reimagined what millions of Americans do as a result of the ongoing pandemic, @RebeccaSive contends this is a perfect time to reflect and project for the future. #books #HerStory”

“I want to sit back in my space and think about what I am here for and what do I want to create.” She adds, “Until you tell your story, you don’t situate yourself, or emotionally and intellectually grapple with what is important in your life.” A past lecturer at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, Sive often writes on American women’s politics and power and is a motivational speaker, analyst and strategist.

Writing the truth for yourself or for a public platform enables that clarity, she says.

“Words matter… When making Your Story as Herstory, the words that matter most are inspirational and concrete. Speaking this way will motivate others to join you to make Herstory,” Sive writes.

“There is a gulf between and among women on attitudes toward fundamental concerns of equal pay, reproductive rights, and childcare. We have to sit down and figure out ways to traverse the gulf,” says Sive, a former lecturer at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and a statewide governmental official. Sive co-produced and co-hosted the podcast series, #VoteHerIn, with Two Broads Talking Politics, a “best political podcast,” according to Parade magazine.

““There is a gulf between and among women on attitudes toward fundamental concerns of equal pay, #reproductive #rights, and childcare. We have to sit down and figure out ways to traverse the gulf,” says @RebeccaSive. #womensissues”

This aligns with the 9 Leadership Power Tools developed by Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead. Feldt’s ninth power tool is: “Tell your story. Your story is your truth and your truth is your power. Others need and want to hear it as you want and need to hear theirs.”

Read more in Take The Lead on Rebecca Sive

Using this journaling book as a catalyst for personal change and impetus for movements and change, Sive says every woman has the need to access the power of her voice.

“Using her “Make HerStory Your Story” #journaling book as a catalyst for personal #change and impetus for movements and change, @RebeccaSive says every woman has the need to access the power of her voice. #womenleaders #selfexpression”

“On these fundamental issues if we could articulate our own stories, however small they can seem to be,” it is an important contribution, Sive says.

“I think what’s critical is the message of the book that you can create a path, your story is part of a larger story. Stories are not in a vacuum. You can follow a map, get from here to there and plot out the best way to do that,” Sive says.

For decades, journaling and expressive writing have been instrumental in some forms of therapy. A pioneer in the field, James Pennebaker, Regents Centennial Professor of Psychology at University of Texas-Austin, has been researching since 1986 the connection between well-being and journaling. He launched the Pandemic Project to assist people through difficult times brought on by the pandemic through writing prompts and exercises.

Journaling is a marketable trend noted in book publishing. The Guardian reports, “There are journals designed to delve deeply into hobbies, or straighten out specific personality kinks. Some favour style over substance – expensive hardbacks with minimal prompts – while others offer a wealth of theory between exercises. “

Read more in Take The Lead on Writing To Save Your Life

No longer relegated to smaller publishers, journaling books have expanded, The Guardian reports. “The bigger publishing houses are basing journals on their bestsellers, such as Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Journal (HarperCollins) and Michelle Obama’s Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice (Penguin).”

Particularly during the chaos created by the pandemic, journaling can be helpful on many levels.

“For decades, #journaling and expressive writing have been instrumental in some forms of #therapy. Particularly during the chaos created by the pandemic, journaling can be helpful on many levels. #selfcare ”

According to Women’s Health, "Journaling can help to build self-awareness and understanding when we write down and explore our experiences, thoughts, and feelings," says Rachel Evans, PhD, a chartered psychologist based in Derbyshire, United Kingdom. "By simply transferring thoughts from swirling around your head to written form, it can provide an emotional release and help you to see a situation more clearly. When we journal, we are separating ourselves from the thought and processing it in a different way."

While millions practice journal writing, there is significant research behind the benefits of the practice.

Read more in Take The Lead on Rebecca Sive

According to Courtney Ackerman, writing in Positive Psychology, “Effective journaling is a journaling practice that helps you meet your goals or improves your quality of life. This can look different for each and every person, and the outcomes can vary widely, but they are almost always very positive.” She writes, “Journaling can be effective for many different reasons and help you reach a wide range of goals. It can help you clear your head, make important connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and even buffer or reduce the effects of mental illness.”

Sive says her own experience with journaling and writing informed her research for this new book.

“When I first started I trained as an historian and one of the things I learned was you have to be willing to share your personal story to mobilize other people. If you can take nuggets of your personal knowledge and put it in a broader context, you see it is not about you, it’s about everybody,” says Sive who was a founding gubernatorial appointee to the Illinois Human Rights Commission and is included in the encyclopedia, Feminists Who Changed America.

Over 50 years as an activist, organizer, author and strategist, Sive says, “In a half century of work, in every project I’ve fostered or led, I’ve learned from women around me.”

“Over 50 years as an activist, organizer, author and strategist, @RebeccaSive says, “In a half century of work, in every project I’ve fostered or led, I’ve learned from women around me.” #womenleaders #womensart”

In her book, Sive writes, “There is no wrong way to be a woman.” She continues, “Now more than ever, as millions of women of every kind are eager to be employed once again, in positions that respect their life choices and pay equally, there is no wrong way to be a woman if every woman is to have equal opportunity and respect.”

Sive is hoping her new book can be part of the wave of interest in those who are looking to journaling for purpose.

“My dream is get this into the hands of a woman walking into the grocery store.” She adds, “If people use this journal both for their own personal development and then share it with others, they will mobilize.”

She adds, ”The larger key point is history has not told women’s stories. There is an enormous need to articulate her story and share it. Every woman has the power to do good. That’s my firm belief and this is a book for helping them do this.”

“”The larger key point is history has not told women’s stories. There is an enormous need to articulate her story and share it. Every woman has the power to do good. That’s my firm belief and this is a book for helping them do this.”—@RebeccaSive, author of “Make Herstory Your Story.” #booksforwomen”