Having founded the US’s largest grassroots organization against gun violence, Shannon Watts knows what it means to live on fire. But that hasn’t always been the case. Before becoming an activist, organizer, leader, and speaker, she realized she wanted to live with more authenticity, intention, and purpose.

In her new book, Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, Shannon shares her own story and the stories of women who have created a fire out of their desires, values, and abilities. It’s a relief to know that we don’t have to find our one purpose, but rather, we can live purposefully with more joy and impact than we could have imagined. It’s never too late (or too soon) to live into your values, find your people, and live with intention. When more women get fired up, the world becomes a better, brighter place.

“This is the fierce clarity that can come from living on fire; it brings your life into focus by asking you to look at whether you’re living by your values, honoring your abilities, or if you’re actually hiding away your most profound desires and aspirations.”

“Instead of judging yourself for wanting to create a meaningful life, remember that you don’t have to follow the rules of a system that prevents you from feeling at ease. With practice, it’s possible to learn to differentiate between the voice of self-judgement and the voice of truth.”

“Your fire is not a purpose; it’s being purposeful—it’s paying attention and then acting with intention. In the end, your life will not be determined by some mysterious, magnificent purpose but by all the smaller, more mundane things you choose to pay attention to along the way.”

I loved the idea of “losing forward” and seeing failure as feedback. Why is it important to redefine failure and success when trying to start fires and live with authenticity and purpose?

When we lost a battle against a bad bill in a statehouse, we’d recap all the ways we won. Maybe the chapter grew because it attracted new volunteers, or maybe we established new, meaningful relationships with lawmakers. Instead of looking at a failure as a total loss, “losing forward” is looking at a loss as valuable feedback to teach us how to proceed and come closer, if not win, the next time.

You explain that to live on fire over a long period of time, we need to incorporate things like rest, movement, community, and boundaries into our lives. What are the practices that help keep your fire going?

I’ve learned the hard way that self-care protects you from burnout by restoring the energy you need for firestarting. I keep a very organized schedule that includes time for breaks, physical exercise, and leisure activities like reading. I’m also a regular meditator and I enjoy traveling with my husband and visiting my adult kids where they live. I’ve also learned to say no to things that don’t light me up.

If you could give one piece of leadership advice to women of any age, what would it be?

You will have to endure the unfair and inevitable consequences that come with living audaciously. That blowback may feel like anger, rejection, disrespect, or ridicule. But remember that all of the criticism you’ll get is predictable, and none of it is personal. And ultimately, the degree to which you can grow your fire is directly proportional to the amount of blowback you’re willing and able to withstand.