Do the Hard Thing: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Guide to Speaking, Having Conversations, and Being Brave

What does it look like to speak with courage, even when you're terrified? In this Sendy Mom Spotlight, we explore how Eleanor Roosevelt learned to communicate with confidence, despite being shy, unsure of her worth, and often overwhelmed by motherhood and public pressure.

From awkward dinners to emotionally distant parenting, Eleanor shows us that learning to communicate with your children, your audience, and yourself is a process—one that gets better with practice.

Whether you’re working on emotional resilience as a mom, trying to speak so people will listen, or just hoping to do something every day that scares you, this episode will remind you: brave women aren’t born. They’re built.

Takeaways:

👉🏼 Eleanor Roosevelt was a courageous and resilient woman.

👉🏼 She played a crucial role in Franklin Roosevelt's presidency.

👉🏼 Eleanor's communication style evolved through listening and learning.

👉🏼 It's important to be open and honest in conversations, especially with children.

👉🏼 Eleanor faced challenges in public speaking but improved over time.

👉🏼 She advocated for civil rights and treated everyone with dignity.

👉🏼 Eleanor believed in the power of personal connection to promote peace.

👉🏼 Money should be used as a tool for love, not control.

👉🏼 Eleanor's life teaches us to embrace discomfort and fear.

👉🏼 We should strive to connect with others and promote understanding. 

Chapters:

00:00 Shout Out To Dutch Listeners

01:04 Introducing Eleanor Roosevelt

03:18 Untangling the Roosevelt Family Tree

05:00 Communication and Connection

08:14 Eleanor Teaches Her Children Independence

08:58 Advocacy for Marginalized

Mentioned in the Show:

Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt

Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by J.B. West

Roosevelt Family Tree

HXP.org