5SR - July 24, 2023

Hitha on Afghan women (literally) fighting back, the case for sleeping in, and what depression really looks like

Author

Hitha Palepu
July 24, 2023

Today’s curator is the founder of #5SmartReads, Hitha Palepu. She’s a consummate multihyphenate - CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, author of WE’RE SPEAKING: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris and How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip, and professional speaker. Hitha is an unabashed fan of Taco Bell, Philadelphia sports teams & F1, romance novels, and is a mediocre crafter. She lives in NYC with her husband and two sons.

“Every day, the Taliban restrict more and more for women. It makes it very hard to achieve our goals,” she says, exasperated.

“I think all Afghan women feel it is very hard. Many cried the first time they were not allowed into their school. It was a hard day for them. It is hard to live with no future.”

Despite the dangers, she says judo training helps her to retain a sense of independence and control of her future; “Every time there is a training, I feel there is some hope.”

It’s quite easy for us to take our freedom and our choices for granted. But when I think about women all around the world - especially in Iran and Afghanistan - and the way they fight for their freedom in small and big ways, it’s inspiring and infuriating.

These women continue to fight. And in this case, literally.

Did I set an early alarm to try and bang out some work before the kids wake up today? I did.

Was I successful? I will confess over on Instagram.

But if I’m not, I will no longer beat myself up about it and instead heed Shoshanna Hecht’s wisdom to pay attention to my own energy cycles and align my work blocks with them.

I love how Hecht eases into her day and wraps up at a manageable hour, though my own hours (and yours!) are likely to be different.

August is a slower month for me, so I’m planning on testing a few different routines/work hours to see what works for me before the fall mayhem begins.

I had the great privilege of being interviewed by Shoshanna on her podcast - give it a listen here!

Restricting abortion doesn’t protect life. In fact, it does the exact opposite.

And these three women - who nearly lost their lives because of delayed care because of Texas’ draconian anti-abortion laws - are fighting back. The state, to no one’s surprise, is deflecting blame back to their doctors, who could be punished with a 99 year prison sentence, a $100,000 fine, and losing their license should they not comply with the law.

This is a difficult read, but a vitally important one. Lives are literally on the line, and this agenda is the anti-thesis of the “pro-life” claim their supporters have built their platform on.

I love this series from The Cut so much, and this interview might be one of my favorites due to how real it is.

Speaker Adams wakes up early, but lies in bed for a couple of hours.
She catches up on work in front of a mindless TV show.
She’s transparent and clear about the team (at work and at home) that help her do it all.

I especially loved learning how she got her start in politics, and it inspired me to look up my own community board and get more involved.

“If you’ve ever wondered what one of my episodes are like, this kind of sums it up,” I texted my husband, along with the link to this article.

John and Gisele’s honesty and vulnerability in this interview (which was superbly reported by Molly Ball) will save lives. I feel tears welling up as I write this, because for the first time I don’t feel alone.

Depression touches every single one of us, either directly or because someone we love is living with it.

“While he knows many see him as diminished or disabled, he believes what he’s been through has made him stronger: wiser, more thoughtful, more appreciative. “I thought I was really empathetic before, but after the stroke, and then after this—I think it made me a much better Senator.” What he wants now, he says, is to be the voice that might have pulled him out of the darkness.”

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