Melissa Etheridge: "Why did I waste all that time thinking I wasn't good enough?"

In the latest episode of Next Question, Katie Couric talks with Grammy award winning singer songwriter, Melissa Etheridge. Melissa Etheridge has written two memoirs now. Her new one is Talking to My Angels. For many people, writing more than one memoir might seem excessive, but Etheridge has lived a lot. She’s reflective on just how much she’s learned between 40, when she wrote her first memoir, and about 60 where she’s writing from now, especially how a definitive spiritual experience (thanks to what she calls a hero dose of cannabis) really separated her life into “before” and “after.” On the other side, Melissa finds herself happier and more centered than ever. She’s articulate and sure about how she found that peace, and seems to have an amazing capacity to learn from and process the not-so-peaceful events in her life. And of course music is the thrumming throughline underpinning everything from her career to her memories of childhood, to what drives her now after so many challenges that could have broken many. But Melissa seems to ground herself even deeper in times of trial, and has a lot to teach anyone about resilience, grit, and grace. Sign up here for daily email updates from me, Katie Couric, on the news that matters most to you: https://katiecouric.com/wake-up-call/... Subscribe to my channel:    / katiecouric   Follow me on Instagram:   / katiecouric   Subscribe to my podcast: ApplePodcasts.com/KatieCouric Follow me on Facebook:   / katiecouric   Follow me on Twitter:   / katiecouric   0:00 Intro 0:11 How did Melissa write two memoirs? 00:52 What happened during Melissa's spiritual awakening? 03:09 What new understanding did Melissa come to? 05:10 How did her spiritual event change Melissa? 07:36 How do you discipline yourself to see things through love? 11:30 Melissa's relationship with her mom 15:45 Melissa's story of abuse 17:35 How music was a lifeline for Melissa 19:53 Melissa's father's love of music 21:36 When Melissa realized that she would become a famous musician 23:02 Was Melissa a natural born singer? 24:58 How Melissa's voice is unique 25:52 How hard was it growing up as a lesbian in the 1960s? 30:54 Melissa's first relationship with a woman 33:39 Melissa's relationship with Julie Cypher 36:33 How we waste too much time comparing ourselves to others 39:03 Melissa's breast cancer journey 44:06 Melissa's son Beckett and his struggles 47:48 Melissa's new Broadway show 50:52 How does Melissa feel about not being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? 54:24 How Melissa came up with the title for her new book 55:28 Melissa's Broadway show, "My Window"