Glennon Doyle, a bestselling author and activist known for her powerful book *Untamed*, joins the discussion to explore the liberation of shedding past identities. She shares her transformative journey navigating faith, addiction, and societal expectations. Glennon emphasizes embracing fluid identities as a form of empowerment, redefining anger as a pathway to understanding self-worth, and the importance of vulnerability in personal storytelling. Her insights invite listeners to rethink their own identities and challenge the norms that bind them.
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Glennon's Evolving Identity
Glennon Doyle's identity shifted from addict and broken to wife, mother, and Christian, but those labels felt confining.
After her husband's infidelity, she realized that neither "good" nor "bad" girl identities worked, leading her to abandon labels altogether.
insights INSIGHT
Identities as Constraints
Identities can become restrictive, hindering personal growth and exploration.
Embracing new identities can be freeing, leading to self-discovery and development.
insights INSIGHT
Deconstructing Identity
Belonging to a group often requires sacrificing individuality.
Deconstructing assumed truths and leaving groups can be scary but ultimately liberating.
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In 'Untamed', Glennon Doyle shares her personal journey of breaking free from the societal and cultural expectations that had defined her life. The book is divided into three parts: 'Caged', 'Keys', and 'Free'. Doyle discusses her struggles with eating disorders, addiction, and her initial marriage, as well as her transformative experience of falling in love with Abby Wambach, a retired professional soccer player. The memoir explores themes of self-discovery, empowerment, and the importance of trusting one's own voice and intuition. Doyle reflects on her experiences with gender roles, mental health, and cultural conditioning, encouraging readers to reject the status quo and live more authentically. The book is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing call to action, urging readers to set boundaries, honor their emotions, and embrace their truest selves[2][4][5].
Author and activist Glennon Doyle used to say “I am a Christian. I am straight. I am an addict.” Now she simply says “I am.” In this episode, Doyle sits down with Adam to discuss letting go of past identities — and rethinking the idea of identity as a whole. They explore insights from Doyle’s bestselling book, Untamed, on dealing with unpleasant emotions, redefining weaknesses and redefining ourselves. Warning: their conversation might lead you to start redefining yourself. For more from Glennon, check out her new podcast We Can Do Hard Things. You can find the full transcript at go.ted.com/WLTranscript45. WorkLife is made possible with the support of LinkedIn, Logitech, Morgan Stanley, SAP, and Verizon.
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