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Maria Shriver

Maria Shriver

Activist. Author. Journalist. Wife, mother, daughter and sister. A woman and work in progress.

Blog Posts

  • May 12, 2012

    The Power of the Pause

    Remarks delivered on Friday, May 11, 2012 at University of Southern California's Annenberg School Commencement Ceremony

    Good morning, Annenberg graduates -- and congratulations! You’ve made it through one of the most prestigious universities in the world. You are accomplished -- and, yes, you are blessed.

    Blessed to be stepping out into the world with your degrees in journalism, PR, and Communication -- right at the moment when it seems like everything in the world is about communication.

    We’re communicating like never before -- across borders and time zones -- on platforms, devices, computers, tablets, phones, apps, games, you name it.

    Communicating 24/7-- wired and wirelessly -- talking, texting, and tweeting -- trending and friending -- to the other side of the room and the other side of the planet -- spitting out the old, in order to consume the new.

    Every minute you’re awake, you’re reaching out beyond yourself -- waaay out beyond. It feels like the entire universe is an extension of your own nervous system.

    You communicate instantly, automatically, and effortlessly. For you...communicating is like breathing.

    And today, you’re rarin’ to go. Rarin’ to out into the “real” world -- to get a job and transform the world of communication yet again. It’s a race to be next, to be first, to be new. Sorta scary, isn’t it.

    I get that -- because when I close my eyes, it feels like just yesterday that I sat where you are, and I remember exactly how I felt.

  • April 26, 2012

    If You Were President, What Would You Do?

    We recently featured a wonderful essay written by Fawzia Koofi called "If I Were President" and it was one of the most popular pieces of the week.

    Fawzia Koofi is Afghanistan's first female speaker of Parliament and a noted activist for women and children’s rights. She is currently a leading candidate for Afghanistan's presidential elections in 2014.

    The deep love that she has for her country -- and the personal responsibility she feels for making life better for her fellow citizens -- pours out of every word of her essay. She is the very definition of an Architect of Change.

    When I was growing up, my grandmother would always ask my brothers, cousins and myself: If you were president, what would you do?

    Once we would answer, she would go on to the next grandchild. And so on. Eventually, she would be satisfied with our answers and we could go play!

    The truth is: it's a question all of us can ask ourselves. The presidential office is open to all natural-born citizens of United States. Many of us choose not to even consider it, but I think it's an interesting question to ask ourselves in this election year.

    If you were president, what would you do? What would you stand for and focus on? What problems would you try to fix? What would your platform be?

    Think and reflect. Go beyond party. Go beyond the obvious. Narrow it down to three things and share your best ideas below.

    Then, go out and take on those problems anyway!

    Not all of us will run for president, but all of us can run for our lives!

  • April 19, 2012

    Introducing Dan Mulhern, Expert on Everyday Leadership

    Here at MariaShriver.com, we are convening the world's greatest hearts and minds to help all of us navigate our lives to what I refer to as The Open Field -- a place out beyond right and wrong, beyond judgment, beyond expectations, beyond our fears and our comfort zones, and beyond the labels that limit us.

    I was recently joined by my great friend Dan Mulhern for a fascinating conversation on leadership.

    Dan is an expert on "everyday leadership" and he has agreed to be one of our "Guides" on better leadership -- at home, at work and in our communities.

    Being an everyday leader, being an Architect of Change, starts from within. So, I asked Dan: What are three things that anyone can implement today to put them on the path to leading?

  • April 4, 2012

    A Political Conversation that Addresses the Modern Realities of American Women

    Now that the Republican primary campaign seems to be winding down, I've been thinking about our current political discourse and how little it reflects the actual needs and modern realities of American women and families.

    I spoke recently at a Harvard Kennedy School "Forum on the Road" event here in Los Angeles. It was a fascinating bi-partisan conversation and we had a huge turnout.

    One of the messages I tried to convey was the importance of moving beyond the divisive political discourse that so many of us see on television and hear on the radio, so we can get to what really matters, to what can make the lives of Americans fundamentally better.

    For the last few months, women have been at the forefront of the political discourse for all the wrong reasons (see: contraception debate).

    Yet our country is in the midst of a cultural and societal upheaval that is impacting all facets of women's lives.

  • March 23, 2012

    Let's Create a State Within Ourselves

    Last night, I had the pleasure of speaking at the launch event for the California Arts Council's "Create a State" Arts Plate campaign here in Los Angeles.

    California is second-to-last in in the United States in arts education funding per capita, and the Arts Plate is the primary source of California's public arts funding.

    Our goal is to get one million Arts Plates on the road, which will generate $40 million annually for arts education and local arts programs for children, schools and communities.

    Having a chance to mingle with so many artistic thinkers (including the legendary architect Frank Gehry!) inspired me and got me thinking.

  • February 18, 2012

    Calling All Alzheimer's Caregivers: Share Your Story

    I invite you to tune in tonight (2/18) for an Alzheimer's special titled, Glen Campbell Fights Alzheimer's.

    Hosted by Shepard Smith, the hourlong special airs at 10pm EST / 7pm PST on Fox News. It will also re-air next Sunday, February 26 at 9pm EST / 6pm PST.

    The piece will focus on the public figures who, through their living example and advocacy work, have raised much needed awareness of Alzheimer's Disease.

    As I was preparing for the interview, it dawned on me: this will be my first appearance on Fox News. I am thrilled that Fox News is taking on Alzheimer's and I was honored that they asked me to participate. If we are going to defeat this devastating disease, we all need to come together, move beyond political definitions, discuss it openly, and navigate a new path to end it.

  • February 13, 2012

    Valentine's Day Message - What Barriers Have You Built Up Within Yourself?

    Rumi is one of my favorite poets and philosophers. Reading his words always inspires me to move beyond my comfort zone, beyond my fears, and beyond my understanding.

    I came across this thought-provoking message recently and thought it was worth sharing this week for Valentine's Day. I find it to be such a true and profound insight.

    I think all of us, at some point in our lives, build up barriers in response to (and to protect ourselves from) being disappointed, hurt, rejected or excluded. These internal barriers become a part of us over time and we can forget they are even there.

    They typically stay in place much longer than we need them and they can hold us back from letting the fullness of love into our lives.

  • January 1, 2012

    Message for the New Year: Gather Yourselves

    Happy New Year to all you Architects of Change. I hope your holidays were a time of joy, gratitude and awe.

    A dear friend sent me the following "Message from the Hopi Elders" on the last day of this year. It's one of my favorites and I wanted to share it with you. It hits home every time I read it. In fact, I have a framed copy of it in my office next to Mary Oliver's wonderful poem, The Journey.

  • December 7, 2011

    What's At Stake At This Moment For You and Your Family?

    I listened to President Obama's speech about what's at stake for our country in this "make or break moment" and it got me thinking...

    What's at stake at this moment for you and your family?

    We have a crisis in this country. We have a poverty of the soul, a poverty of the spirit, and a poverty of the pocketbook.

    Is there anything that can bring us together, any issue we can all gather around?

    After all, we are the United States of America.

  • November 21, 2011

    The Season Of Gathering

    The holiday season has arrived. And I must say, Thanksgiving is my personal favorite. Why? That's simple: it revolves around food, family, fun and great conversations!

    I used to look forward to going home to Washington, DC to be with my parents. The football games, the walks in the park, the laughter and, yes, even some of our more high-pitched political discussions -- I treasured it all.

    For me, the holidays are about slowing down, being with my family and friends, and hearing what they are thinking about and reflecting on.

  • November 4, 2011

    Truly Funny: Operating Heavy Machinery

    My friend sent me a hilarious email this morning about a mishap she had operating what she referred to as "heavy machinery" in her yard (See picture above).

    The original email was sent to her children, but when she forwarded it to me, she noted that if she ever wrote a book about raising boys, this experience will fall in the chapter titled, It Sucks When They Leave Because the Moms Have to Learn How to Operate the Heavy Machinery.

  • September 23, 2011

    Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day: The Service of Play

    This article was originally featured at The Huffington Post. It's being re-published here for MariaShriver.com readers.

    My mother was a warrior. No, not someone who carried a sword and went into hostilities to harm, but rather a warrior for good, and for the well-being of people with intellectual disabilities worldwide.

    My mother's battlefield was the Special Olympics organization she founded in 1968. Her weapons of choice were compassion, an enormous heart, a sharp intellect and a competitive spirit. She used her full arsenal of talents to fight for those who were not viewed by society to be capable, to be fully human, to be deserving of the opportunity to play, to compete, and to contribute to their community worldwide.

    This Saturday, September 24, over 100 countries will celebrate the second annual Eunice Kennedy Shriver (EKS) Day. Athletes, families and fans from around the world will play unified -- people with and without disabilities playing sports together -- to teach the world how to live unified.

  • September 14, 2011

    Q&A with Caroline Kennedy on "Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy"

    In 1964, just six months after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy sat down with historian Arthur Schlessinger, Jr. and recorded more than eight hours of recollections, insights, observations and lessons about her life with the President, all to preserve his legacy. The tapes of those sessions were then sealed and stored at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.

    This never-before-heard conversation and historical record -- captured in an illustrated book and 8-CD set -- is being released today by Caroline Kennedy and the Kennedy family to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of President Kennedy's Inauguration.

    In this Q&A with Caroline Kennedy, one of the few interviews she granted, she recalls her mother's intellectual curiosity and love of reading, discusses her mother's initial apprehension about becoming First Lady, and marvels at how far women have come.

  • August 31, 2011

    Trying to Achieve a 'Balanced Life' Always Makes Me Feel Off Balance. How About an Integrated Life?

    I've been thinking lately about the idea of living a balanced life. Everybody I talk to seems to be struggling in their lives with this mythical thing called balance.

  • August 22, 2011

    Got Me Thinking: The Power of Being Part of a Team

    Last night, I hosted a "Team Maria" fundraiser for Best Buddies, an organization my brother Anthony founded in 1989 to create friendship, employment and leadership opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

    Seeing my family, friends and colleagues at this beautiful event put a smile on my face. I was happy to be working with so many staunch advocates to further a great cause.

    And it was beyond wonderful just having the "team" back together.

    It got me thinking about the power of being part of a team.

    A friend recently gave me a card with a picture of a group of friends on the cover. The card read: "Call it a tribe, a clan, a network; whatever it is, you need one."

    That's true, isn't it? It is a fundamental human desire to feel as if we belong -- and are included -- with people of like minds and like hearts.

    Is being being part of a tribe or a team important to you?

  • August 8, 2011

    Got Me Thinking: What Do Recent Events Reveal About Our Common Humanity?

    During the last week, the front pages of the New York Times featured a series of gut-wrenching headlines and arresting images all in such a rapid succession.

  • July 16, 2011

    Has a Stranger Ever Made Your Week, Becoming a Friend in a Split Second?

    Reflecting back on my week, the highlight was meeting Wilfred, a parking attendant in an office building here in Los Angeles.

  • July 15, 2011

    Gloria Steinem on Women, Politics, Dreams, Love, Marriage, Self-Esteem & Living with the Elephants

    If someone gives you a chance to interview Gloria Steinem, you take it. The word "legend" is probably too often used, but it hits the description bullseye in Gloria's case.

  • July 8, 2011

    Statement from Maria Shriver on the Passing of Betty Ford

    "Mrs. Ford was a courageous pioneer, a groundbreaking First Lady, and a forceful advocate for anyone suffering from addiction or breast cancer. America fought her struggles with her and learned alongside her. She was brave, outspoken and kind. As a journalist, I had the opportunity to interview her several times and she was just fascinating. She was a wonderful woman who stood up for any human being struggling in the shadows of their personal pain. One of my highlights as First Lady of California was to honor her with a Minerva Award in 2005. My heart goes out to her entire family. Her daughter Susan is a dear friend of mine and continues to carry on Mrs. Ford's work in such a powerful way."

    - Maria Shriver

  • June 25, 2011

    My Thoughts on Community at the Special Olympics World Summer Games

    At our Special Olympics Board Meeting this morning, we continued exploring the idea of a Dignity Revolution that is focused on uniting and inspiring people in communities all around the world to move us in a more open, inclusive and tolerant direction.

  • June 24, 2011

    My Thoughts on the Eve of the Special Olympics World Games Opening Ceremony

    It's wonderful being here in Athens for the Special Olympics World Summer Games. There is an incredibly strong spirit of unity here and I'm looking forward to tomorrow night's Opening Ceremony and the Parade of Athletes, 7000 strong. My brother, Tim, talks often about launching a "Dignity Revolution" throughout the world and you can definitely feel that in the air.

    My friend, Special Olympian and fellow Special Olympics Board Member, Eddie Barbanell, wrote me a beautiful note before I traveled to Athens that made me feel so good. He said that he knew I was going through a rough time but he wanted me to know that I "will never be left out".

  • June 2, 2011

    Join Team Maria for The Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle

    It’s Time.

    That was the theme of last year’s Women’s Conference and I think that message is as relevant today as it was then.

  • May 9, 2011

    Got Me Thinking: Is the Model of Masculinity Changing in America?

    CNN's John Blake analyzed "What 'Situation Room Photo' reveals about us" from many cultural angles, but I was struck most by what the photo might say about the evolving model of masculinity in America.

  • April 12, 2011

    What Can We Do to Take On Alzheimer's?

    I would love to hear from you on this issue. I filmed this short video after being interviewed by Larry King for his upcoming special on Alzheimer's.

  • March 15, 2011

    Behind the Scenes at O, The Oprah Magazine

    Back in early February, as guest editor of the special April poetry edition of O – The Oprah Magazine, I got together with the O editorial staff at the OWN Network offices in Los Angeles.

    I invite you to join me and watch these behind-the-scenes videos of our meeting.

  • January 31, 2011

    Share Your Poem with O, The Oprah Magazine

    Poetry can help us through hard times and bring us closer to our joy. Poetry can be prayerful and somber or irreverent and playful, but what runs through all poetry is the search for meaning and understanding that connects us together. While a poem may bring us deep personal meaning, it always seems to get more meaningful when we share it with others, and that is why O, The Oprah Magazine and I are asking readers to submit their cherished poems to www.oprah.com/poetry. 

  • December 17, 2010

    Our New National Goal: To Defeat Alzheimer's in 10 Years

    On the heels of the passage of the National Alzheimer's Project Act, the Washington Post published this OpEd written by me and Sandra Day O'Connor calling on the nation to set the goal of defeating Alzheimer's within the next decade:

    "Every American president must take on a defining challenge to mobilize the American spirit and advance the American story. The too-brief presidency of John F. Kennedy is remembered for a commitment to land a man on the moon within a decade. And this we did. Ronald Reagan declared that a resolute America would "transcend" communism. Less than a year after he left office, the Berlin Wall fell without a shot being fired.

  • December 13, 2010

    12 Holiday Tips from a Top Interior Designer

    This year, you still have time to rethink how you prepare for and celebrate the holidays. A festive home and thoroughly celebrated holiday (with lots of time to connect with friends and family) don’t require a lot of work or money. With these 12 tips, you can add warmth and style to help live your holidays to the fullest.

  • December 7, 2010

    Remembering Elizabeth Edwards

    I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my dear friend, Elizabeth Edwards. My heart goes out to her loving family. Elizabeth was a mighty warrior, and I've long admired her courage, her compassion and her personal quest for truth. She was a public servant, a dedicated mother, a tireless advocate and a loyal friend. She showed up to speak at The Women's Conference every time I asked, and our audience was always moved by the open and honest way she would share the struggles she faced along her journey. I hope her children know their mother was an inspiration to women everywhere -- a truly great woman.

    Elizabeth devoted herself to helping others, working tirelessly to further important social causes such as the welfare of children, breast cancer awareness and healthcare reform. She was also a committed mother, accomplished attorney and published author. She inspired countless women with her two best-selling books, Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers and Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life’s Adversities.

  • November 3, 2010

    Join Me on A Whole New Journey

    IT’S TIME – the theme of this year's Women's Conference – means different things to each of us. For me, IT'S TIME… to move on and embark on a whole new journey.

    The job of First Lady has transformed me from the outside in. Today, I think of myself first and foremost as a woman – standing on her own two feet – trying to live a life that's both authentic and meaningful. These last seven years have helped me come into my own, to find my own way, to recognize and grow into my own voice. At long last, I realize I don’t have to try to fill anyone else's shoes. I have to fill my own shoes.

Maria Shriver © 2012. All rights reserved.

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