This week I realized I’m been going about this life balance
stuff all wrong. All those blogs, articles, books, podcasts, posts, etc talk about
how we are all trying to be Super Woman. All day we try to be all things for
all people. We get up early in the morning for “me” time at the gym, treat
ourselves to a shower long enough to shave our legs, run around getting the
kids ready for the day, go to work all day where we will be brilliant and
articulate (despite always always being sleep deprived), get the kids from their
after school programs, take them to
their next after school activity, make dinner, clean up dinner, do homework,
make lunches, get everyone ready for bed, rest and repeat the next day. We are
Super Women.
But ladies, we’ve been cocking this up. We have been trying
to emulate the wrong super hero. I just saw the Wonder Woman movie and had an epiphany.
We’ve been modeling Super Woman when we should have been Wonder Woman. Now
there’s someone I can get behind. She is a complete bad ass. She’s got some
bitchin’ bracelets, a lasso of truth and one really fantastic shield. She can
accessorize and kick butt. She is my new idol. I don't know why I didn't realize this sooner. I had Wonder Woman Underoos when I was a kid and if I had them now, I'd wear them every day.
First, let’s talk about that jewelry. Her bracelets can
deflect bullets! Her shield can protect her from grenades! What’s not to love!?
It’s fashion and function together at last! And as a mom, who hasn’t felt
someone shooting bullets at her once in a while. Whether they are words, a
brush off, a messed-up deadline at work, forgotten homework or an impossible
schedule to coordinate, we are dodging bullets and grenades daily. And how
often have you stood your ground, braced yourself, bounced those bullets off
your bracelets, and plowed ahead? Probably all the time. You are channeling
your inner Wonder Woman. Don’t get me started on that lasso of truth; what I
wouldn’t give for that!
Did you notice how Wonder Woman really only worked on being
amazing at one thing at a time? She was going to stop war. Granted, it’s a
lofty goal, but still, it’s just one goal. She’s not trying to be a super mom,
a super spouse, and a super career woman. She does one thing at a time. Maybe
we should try to just be really good at one thing and then give ourselves a
pass on being mediocre for the other things. The priority can change daily,
even hourly. But what if we just try being good at one thing at a time? I think
this is what people call being in the present. Can “save the world” be a goal?
Sure, just maybe don’t plan on cooking three course meals on the same day you
save the world. It might be a good day for take-out. No judgement.
And when things didn’t go her way, Wonder Woman took a
moment and completely regrouped. She didn’t charge ahead blindly and she didn’t
have a pity party longer than about a minute. She took some time to realize the
guy she killed didn’t stop the war. We all hit speed bumps sometimes. Don’t we
all need a little time to reflect when we have a setback? Yet how often do we
take a moment to do that? A quick breather, a time out, a moment to just sit,
might be all we need to get back in the game and end war…or whatever battle it
is we are fighting.
So maybe next time we have over filled our plate with too
much to do, too high of expectations and a healthy sense of self-doubt, we take
a moment, change our capes, grab our bracelets and shields, and put on that
fancy Wonder Woman headband. Deflect the bullets, focus on the goal at hand,
and kick ass. Power on my friends.
