‘What are your a-ha moments?’: It’s question time on The Women’s Podcast

Each week on the podcast, we ask listeners a question and in keeping with the epiphany theme of the latest Nollaig na mBan episode, we want to know about your moments of inspiration: This week’s presenter Róisín Ingle asked: “What are the moments that changed you or at least changed your approach to life?”

You can email your responses to the Question of the Week on thewomenspodcast@irishtimes.com or message us on facebook and twitter @itwomenspodcast

On the Nollaig na mBan episode, women including broadcaster Olivia O’Leary, spoken word artist Clara Rose Thornton and lawyer Simone George shared their epiphanies.

George spoke of the box of shoes she spotted in a women’s refuge which made her question her own prejudices. Thornton explained how being treated badly in a relationship resulted in the realisation that while it was important to be cordial, being “nice” was only useful “up to a point”.

Finally, O’Leary shared her insights around being treated differently in her senior newspaper reporting job in this newspaper after having her first child. “I was no longer one of the boys,” she said.

Last week’s podcast question was about New Year’s resolutions. We asked about your resolve or lack of it at this time of year.

While most of us are trying to watch less TV, author Louise O’Neill tweeted us to say she is giving up her TV-free ways and committing to watching at least one hour of telly per day. “I watched Sherlock and it’s great,” she said.

Comedian Alison Spittle said she was trying to eat healthier and that she snacked on beetroot but also spent a day tweeting about her love for garlic cheese chips.

Maureen Heath told us she was resolving “to be grateful for the past, to live in the present with confidence and to be enthusiastic for the future.”

And finally Rachel Wright emailed us to say: “I’m not into punishment disguised as resolutions but I do think a New Year is a good time for a new start. So this year, my resolutions are to check if clothes are dry clean only before I buy them, be compassionate (starting with myself), and spend more time doing what I like.”

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