Spread Ideas Move People

View Original

308 - Learning to Love Yourself with Reema Zaman

308 - Reema Zaman

See this content in the original post

Listeners, we are back this week with Reema Zaman

Reema Zaman is an award-winning author, speaker, and coach. Her books include the critically acclaimed memoir I Am Yours and the forthcoming novels Paramita: A Dystopian Matriarchy and Woman in Flight. I Am Yours was adopted into the curriculum of several high schools through a Collaboration Grant by the Oregon Board of Education. Reema has been featured and published in The New York Times, Vogue, Salon, The Guardian, and many other outlets. You may recognize her from her TedxTalk "The power of your no and the authority of your yes" or her viral interview with Cheryl Strayed on the Dear Sugars podcast. She was Oregon Literary Arts Writer of Color Fellow in 2018 and is a consultant and coach for other writers and speakers looking to write their books or elevate their careers to the next level. Born in Bangladesh and raised in Hawaii and Thailand, she lives in Portland, Oregon with her rescue chihuahua, Fia the Fierce.

During our conversation we talked about:

  • 02:04 - Her heritage

  • 03:24 - Coming to the US and the culture shock of landing in a predominantly white college

  • 05:50 - Her parents relationship when she grew up

  • 07:47 - “I think I blossomed into my feminist voice because I needed to say something”

  • 08:42 - Cultural expectations for women

  • 11:20 - “Feminism at home is harder than out in the world”

  • 12:48 - Self-sabotage and self-harm as a response to disempowering situations.
    TW: Anorexia is discussed

  • 14:25 - Continuing the cycle with toxic and abusive relationships

  • 16:50 - Gaslighting

  • 18:10 - “We can never outrun our past”

  • 18:28 - Self esteem and self-love

  • 19:46 - “I have a life beyond what I thought”

  • 21:12 - Deciding to end the relationship

  • 25:29 - “We leave when the pain of staying is greater than the fear of the unknown”

  • 28:04 - Safety vs. Possessiveness

  • 33:06 - Detoxing harmful habits

  • 36:04 - “The woman I can become if I allow myself to leave”

  • 42:13 - Her next projects

Follow Reema on all things social:

Instagram

Twitter

Follow Cafe con Pam on all things social:

Instagram

Facebook

http://cafeconpam.com/

Join the FREE Cafe con Pam Challenge

Join our Discord space and let's keep the conversation going!

 

Subscribe, rate, review, and share this episode with someone you love!

And don't ever forget to Stay Shining!