Growing up in Rochester, New York, Shannon Watts was stirred by the stories of Susan B. Anthony and other suffragists who devoted their lives to women’s rights. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, Watts started Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement to prevent gun violence across the nation. Here, she discusses her new book, Fired Up, about empowering women of all ages.
Q. You distinguish a woman’s fire from her happiness. How do you recognize the difference?
A. Instead of looking for happiness, I encourage women to ask themselves, “What do I want? What lights me up? What is calling me?” It’s a discipline or a practice, an experiment. You can’t be afraid to fail. I had no political experience when I started Moms Demand Action. I wasn’t involved in gun safety at that point. But it’s where I found my people. It felt like touching the divine.
I ask women, “When do you feel like your values, abilities, and desires are aligned? When are they being put to good use?” It’s the feeling that what you’re doing is meaningful. . . . It’s finding people who feel the same way you do, who support you and lift you up.
Q. How did journaling shape the practice you describe in Fired Up?
A. Years ago, I found myself in the emergency room covered head-to-toe in eczema. I was at a crossroads and needed to figure out how to move forward. I was in a marriage that wasn’t working, a career I didn’t love. I couldn’t confide in my husband or afford a therapist. But I had this journal sitting on my nightstand. I decided to start writing about what I was going through and where I wanted to go. I encourage women to keep a journal because it’s an incredibly important and powerful way to become more self-aware, to recognize patterns, to work out what you want.
Another exercise I recommend is listing your accomplishments. It can be as simple as a birthday party you planned. What are you most proud of? Then I encourage readers to take that list to friends and family—people who love [them]—and ask: “What do [you] see as [my] abilities?” So often, women are encouraged to downplay what they’re good at. Or they’re criticized for boasting. It’s important to have a reminder of everything [they’re] capable of.
Q. You emphasize the value of curiosity. What role does it play in finding our path?
A. It’s really important that we let ourselves wander, figuring out where a path is going to take us. Nothing is linear in life. And sometimes if things start to go a different way, we might think, “Oh, this isn’t what I wanted,” or, “I’m lost.” What you’re really doing is learning what you want and then letting it play out. You’re seeing how it changes, how it evolves. That’s not a waste of time. That’s savoring life and looking for opportunities to grow and be curious.
Answers have been edited for length and clarity.