Despite its prevalence in our society, pornography is not a topic that is discussed very openly. Without having these difficult conversations, there is no way we can create the cultural shifts needed to move past the issues in the space. 

As someone who has never shied away from tough conversations, Maria Ahlin is on a mission to get people talking. Maria's viral TEDx Talk, Let's Talk Porn, has garnered over five million views, and she has given hundreds of educational talks over the years. Maria also runs her own non-profit, 

Changing Attitudes, which looks to eliminate the attitudes which lead to sex-buying. In this conversation, we hear about Maria's childhood, how her parents fostered her inquisitive spirit was fostered, and the final year high school project she did that opened her eyes to sex trafficking. She talks about some of the lessons she has learned and how her own attitude has shifted along her journey. 

We talk about porn addiction, where Maria shares her refreshing point of view, the importance of teaching children critical thinking skills, and the power of tackling a big issue by taking small steps. Maria's mission is a grand one, and her commitment, tenacity, and open-mindedness around topics that so many of us would rather avoid is incredibly inspiring. Tune in to hear it all!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear about Maria's childhood and her love of horses and books. 
• The leadership lessons Maria learned from looking after her horses. 
• What Maria's home life was like and the independence she had early on in her life. 
• Maria's first exposure to porn when she saw a Playboy at 12, and her reaction to it. 
• The spirit of debate and discussion in Maria's home growing up. 
• Hear about Maria's first involvement with activism. 
• The encouragement Maria has always felt from adults with regard to her writing. 
• Why Maria views her mental health and strength as success. 
• Addiction struggles in Maria's close family. 
• The genesis of Maria's final year high school project which explored sex trafficking. 
• Research Maria undertook for her project and what she learned along the way. 
• How Maria knew that she had found her calling after completing the project. 
• The findings that surprised Maria most about sex trafficking and porn. 
• What happened when Maria Googled porn, putting herself in a curious child's shoes. 
• Two sides to the debates around porn addiction; some people don't acknowledge that it's real. 
• Why Maria decided to start her organization, Changing Attitudes. 
• How Maria's understanding of pornography and sex trafficking has changed over the years. 
• Maria's passion for preventative work and getting to the root cause of issues. 
• A moment where Maria felt discouraged on her journey. 
• The value and the cumulative effect of many small positive steps. 
• Where Maria has seen the biggest shifts occur. 
• Maria's definition of success for her mission; sparking conversations. 
• Advice Maria would give a young person who wants to devote themselves to a cause. 
• The books Maria has written, which will hopefully be released in English soon.

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