Don't hold anything too tightly.

Just wish for it, want it, let it come from the intention of real truth for you, and then let it go.

For me, our soul is like its unbound, its limitless, but we will use words to limit ourselves.

When people stop believing that somebody's got your back or Superman's coming, we turn to ourselves.

And that's where you become empowered.

Courageous participation attracts positive things.

I'm Gwyneth Paltrow, and this is the Goop Podcast, where we bring together thought leaders, scientists, healers, creatives, and seekers.

I'm so grateful to be able to interview these bright minds and share their incredible wisdom with you.

And I especially love listening to the conversations that are led by my brilliant co-host and friend, Erica Chitty.

Erica is the CEO and co-founder of Loom, and she's been a part of the Goop family since the beginning days.

We believe it's simply asking questions and listening has the power to change the way we see the world.

I'll let Erica fill you in on her guest today.

Jessica Gross is an opinion writer at the New York Times and the author of Screaming on the Inside, the unsustainability of American motherhood.

In her book, Jessica examines parenting and the unrealistic pressure that we place on mothers to work, birth, be caregivers, and do it all flawlessly and joyfully, while living in a society that is woefully lacking when it comes to supporting them.

Today, Jessica and I unpack the roots of our societal expectations on American mothers and her hopes for what the future might look like for parents and non-parents alike.

Okay, let's get to Jessica Gross.

So you write an amazing parenting column for the New York Times and you've essentially devoted your career to examining parenting issues and basically, you know, digging into your own life.

And looking around at other people's lives and experiences and creating context for us all is how I interact with your column.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you found your way into this beat?

Absolutely. So I have been a journalist for almost 20 years, which seems absurd and how am I old enough?

I'm just a baby. I haven't been doing this for 20 years. But I always had a main interest in what's known as women's issues, or gender issues.

And there, that's not really a great way to describe them because they are everybody issues, caregiving, the economics of caregiving, things like abortions, every single person, whether you are a caregiver or not, interacts with these issues.

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