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 it's unbound, it's 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.

My guest today is Melissa Fibos. Melissa is the author of Girlhood, a collection of essays about

her journey through adolescence into adulthood. It's a book about transformation and a harrowing

examination of how women are conditioned to be complicit in their own sexuality. Her book combines

her own experiences, interviews with other women, scholarly research, and cultural examples.

Today, Melissa and I talk about the messages we receive as young women or girls. We talk about

how important it is to slow down and acknowledge our emotions and how the things that happened to us

and the early part of our lives are in many ways inextricably linked from who we are as adults.

The only difference is awareness and the ability to be softer and gentler to ourselves.

I learned so much from Melissa about taking care of your body, the supportive qualities of

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