Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Switching Super Heroes or Grab Those Bracelets


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.

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