Eve Ensler Asks: Are You "Good" or Are You Great?

The countdown is on for the star-studded V to the Tenth anniversary event in New Orleans on April 11-12. But before bringing Superlove to the Superdome, Eve Ensler talked to BlogHer for an exclusive podcast that covers the past, present, and future of V-Day.

What we love about Eve Ensler's work is that she so effectively connects body image with a sense of personal empowerment and ultimately our ability to make meaningful contributions in the world. Here's how she breaks it down: As women, we have a choice to make. We can be good or we can be great.

Good women are nice, polite, and well-behaved. They don't make trouble and they rarely speak their minds. They live according to others' expectations, spending their energies trying to squeeze into others' beauty ideals.

Great women stand up for what they believe in, speak their own truths, and are aware that there are people who might not like them while there are others who will love them. They embrace whatever size, shape, color, and age they might be. Great women stand proud.

Most of us are raised to be good, so being great is not exactly a breeze. It's something we must work for. And sometimes it's something we must fight for. According to Ensler, we can't afford not to fight for this greatness. "If we really are serious about saving the human species, which is in desperate straits right now, take the energy, the time, the money and attention you spend on fixing your body and direct it toward fixing the world," she advises. Listen to the full interview. [BlogHer]