Happy Place

Poorna Bell: "Women want more, not more to do!" How to put yourself first

Feb 23, 2026
Poorna Bell, award-winning journalist and author who explores women’s issues and reinvention, urges women to aim for self-set goals. She challenges aging stereotypes and celebrates intergenerational wisdom. Conversations cover marriage realities, unequal emotional labor, asking parents deeper questions, and putting yourself first to create joy and freedom.
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INSIGHT

Ageing Can Mean Strength Not Invisibility

  • Ageing myths strip women of visibility and power, but physical strength and activity can overturn that narrative.
  • Poorna Bell used her weightlifting progress and stories of older athletes to realise aging can mean growth, not decline.
INSIGHT

Create Your Own Path Because Institutions Won't

  • Institutions in a patriarchal system will not hand women power, so women must chart their own paths.
  • Bell links financial autonomy and shifting generational norms as drivers enabling women to make different life choices.
ADVICE

Start With A Small Inventory To Reclaim Agency

  • Do an honest inventory of your life and pick one small change that increases your agency.
  • Bell emphasises minor, manageable shifts rather than dramatic reinventions to reclaim choice and safety.
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