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(Cassie)
Look at these women!
Do you notice anything different?
I’ve researched and researched and finally found the cause for WWS (Wonder Woman Syndrome)!
Note: Symptoms of WWS vary, but may include, 1) taking on more than you can handle, 2) gauging your self-worth on how many items you can mark off of your daily TO DO list, and 3) removing things like sleep, fun, and creativity from your life because “they don’t fit.”
Based on the pictures above, it’s apparent that somewhere along the line, we’ve been gypped out of our extra set of arms! We’re still expected to do the same amount of work of a multi-armed woman, but have barely the resources.
The problem has gotten so grave that WWS sufferers are turning to “TO DON’T” lists, just to make themselves feel better.
We can send people to outer space and clone small animals. So, why can’t someone give us a hand . . . or two?
Maybe sets of mechanical arms will soon be available, so that we can cook and do dishes at the same time?
If none of this works, maybe we’re going to need to adapt to the fact that we need to slow down. Do one thing at a time. Only take on what feels good and is doable.
Food for thought.
(BTW…I mean no disrespect to the two fabulous Eastern Goddesses above, Durga and Lakshmi.)
I’ve been nagged by this idea of Wonder Woman vs. Wisdom Woman for over a month now, so I decided to begin a series of blog posts to talk about the subject (see past few posts).
Ironically, at the very same time, my own sister was LIVING the “overachiever” dream (nightmare) and telling me how excited she was about all the new ideas she has for she and Mark, and the new gallery, and the new art classes and on, and on, and on.
A CLASSIC case of Wonder Woman Syndrome (WWS) was going on right under my nose and I didn’t even realize it! What kind of a sister am I?
Jess went missing for a while, buried under the weight of her own creativity and Mom and I were posing questions like, “Wisdom Women wonder where Wisdom Woman #ONE, turned Wonder Woman, has wandered off to.”
As is very common with WWS, she suddenly surfaced to share her innermost thoughts in “Diary of an OverAchiever.”
The comments seem to suggest that this syndrome is widespread and in fact, pandemic!
I think I’ve found the cause and the cure. I”ll share it with you in tomorrow’s post.
Dr. Cassie
(Cassie)
Close your eyes and imagine feeling this peaceful and serene.
Wisdom tells us that this state of being is achievable.
That makes me wonder. When does wisdom actually wander into a woman’s world?
Is it at the point when she desperately needs to be saved?
Is the life of Wonder Woman (outlined in the past two blog posts), a personal choice?Or, a choice imposed by our culture?
Both?
It doesn’t really matter. What does matters is that we begin to listen to our own voice of wisdom and allow wellness and balance to seep in to our daily existence.
But how we do that?
(Cassie)
Happy Birthday, Jessica!
I know I’m not alone when I say that I’m glad you were born!
You truly are Wisdom Woman #1 in my book.
In fact, the Wisdom Woman blog-a-zine is actually the many faces of YOU; master artist, photographer, gardener, chef (yes, you are a great cook, even if you don’t love to do it!), Mac Deva and lover of life!
Thank you for paving the way for many of us to learn those things we previously thought “un-learnable.”
Celebrate this day, Jess. Because we’re all celebrating you!
Love you, sister.
(Cassie)
Except for the outfit and hair color, this looks just like me, on any given day of my career in corporate sales, just a few years ago! All a blur today.
Fighting off the competition.
Upholding good.
Abolishing evil (mostly within the management staff of MY employer!)
Defending the rights of the unheard and over-goaled.
I could leap tall quotas in a single bound and was considered by most, the fearless leader. She who would carry the heavy load of complaints and demands up the perilous corporate ladder, to the attention of the enforcers.
That was my “super life.” Wonder Woman indeed. I often wonder how I made it out alive.
During the off hours (which were few and far between), I was mild-mannered Cassie Schindler. Mother of two, wife of one, jogger, shopper, cooker, cleaner, kiddy carpooler, homework helper, laundry folder (except socks! I don’t do socks!), team mother, PTA-goer and chardonnay connoisseur.
I used up all my super powers to juggle these roles and to appear on the outside, like I had it all together on the inside. Not so!
Alas, the “WW” on my chest took on a new meaning, “weak and weary.”
But how does one escape the super heroine role, when so many depend on her for their existence, and clean underwear?
Is there a Wonder Woman in your life?
Is it you?
Are you Wonder Woman?
How’s that going for you?
The super heroine, Wonder Woman was first featured in DC Comics in the early 1940’s!
Wonder Woman was a member of an all-female tribe of Amazons (based on the Amazons of Greek mythology) who was created by Dr. William Moulton Marston as a “distinctly feminist role model whose mission was to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality to ‘a world torn by the hatred of men.’”
Her powers included super strength, super speed, stamina, and flight. She often used her Lasso of Truth (which forces those bound by it to tell the truth), a pair of indestructible bracelets, and an invisible plane, which was later replaced with an ability to fly unaided.
Lynda Carter made the Wonder Woman character a household name in the 1970’s,
 about the same time that women were flooding into corporate America, and struggling to share the workspace with their ever-so-competent male counterparts.
Even with her super powers, the real life Wonder Woman was challenged to perform at levels she had previously never imagined.
The Wonder Woman cultural trend created the need for women to become mega-multi-taskers. Especially if they were moon-lighting as Moms, homemakers, lovers and community activists.
Alas, throughout the years, the term Wonder Woman has evolved into more of a badge of honor than an T.V. and comic strip super hero from the past.
Typical scenario:
She packed lunches and took the kids to school this morning, sped to her own job, barely making it on time, worked through lunch without eating, was forced to leave early (again!) to pick up one of the darlings from the sick couch in the school office, stopped by the grocery store to pick up food for dinner, picked up the remaining kids from sports and cheerleading practices, unpacked groceries, cooked dinner, washed dishes and answered questions that exceeded her math capabilities while switching laundry loads, ushered everyone through bath, brushing and bedtime stories, only to find herself exhausted, with an unfinished report due in the a.m. and a partner who wants to tell her what a tough day he had at the office, and how nice a backrub might be about now!
The “undoable” feats of the modern Wonder Woman are recognized, applauded and rewarded by our culture. The more she does, the more she’s worth!
Wonder Woman is tired. She desperately needs a break. She needs to know that doing “her best,” can only be achieved if she’s feeling “her best.”
When can she give herself permission to slow down and breathe?
When can she take a few things off of her plate (platter) and feel like she’s worthy of hers and others praise?
When?
(Cassie)
VS.
Who are these women?
Do you recognize them?
Can you relate to them?
What do they have in common?
What are their differences?
Wonder Woman vs. Wisdom Woman.
Stay Tuned.
(Cassie)
Have you ever seen a drunken raisin?
While they can be belligerent as hell, their value far overweighs their shortcomings.
Drunken raisins, otherwise known as gin & raisins or gin soaked raisins are a totally natural way to help relieve arthritic pain and other body aches. And they really work!
The formula is simple! 1 box of California Golden Raisins and Gin.
 I’ll explain why I have three varieties of gin shown here in a minute.
So, just how can this odd couple actually work together to help you feel good? And where did this idea start?
My research shows that Paul Harvey (radio personality) first touted the magic of drunken raisins in the early 1990’s. Since then, Good Morning America featured the dynamic duo on a show called, “Home remedies that really work…but we don’t know why.”
I’m not sure who first combined these two ingredients, but after it’s debut on Paul Harvey, people began mixing up their own batches and telling their friends, who in turn told their friends, and so on, and so on.
My Mom overheard a discussion some twenty years ago in a restaurant and has been faithfully eating a spoonful of these magic bullets every day to relieve the severe pain she had in her neck/shoulder area after a car accident she had been in a few years before.
Mom SWEARS by this formula and brings a batch (in a peanut butter jar) with her when she travels to mine and Jessica’s homes for her annual visits.
Some say it’s the juniper in the gin. Others suggest that it’s the medicinal powers of the golden raisin, and YES, you have to use the GOLDEN raisin in this mix.
I personally think it’s the combination of all of that, plus the positive energy and intention of taking the raisins to relieve aches and pains.
Are you ready to try them out? I have to tell you that I DON’T LIKE GIN! But, I love the taste of the raisins once they’ve plumped up, absorbed the gin and have gotten a bit sweet and syrupy. YUM.
OK, let’s make a batch together.
First, you’ll need 1 full box of the raisins.
Place them in a shallow bowl that has a lid.
Now, you’re going to pour gin right up to the level of the raisins. Don’t cover them with the liquid, just add enough to have the liquid come up to the top row of raisins.
The reason I’ve shown three different varieties (and price points) of gin in the picture above, is because some folks (Mom included) prefer CHEAP gin and think it makes the raisins taste sweeter. We (hubby and I) like to use a medium or high grade of gin because we don’t mind that KICK that we get when we eat our raisins.
Now, it’s going to take 1 week for your raisins to soak up your gin and be ready to eat. Here’s what I do. I have an apothecary jar that holds my “ready” batch. When it begins to get low, I start another batch and put a post-it note on the top with the date they’ll be ready.
When the batch in the shallow bowl is ready, I’ll dump it into the apothecary jar and mix them together. They can sit right on the counter. They do not need refrigeration.
Each day, take a clean spoon and scoop out 9-12 raisins. You don’t have to count them, this is not an exact science! Just use a teaspoon and make it heaping.
Eat them in the morning (but your breath might smell like booze…oops!), or at night. Anytime of the day is fine. Just remember to dip in each day.
It might take 4-6 weeks to really start feeling the benefits of the drunken raisins, but it’s worth the wait.
For me? I’ve got some stubborn issues I’m working with in the hip and psoas region and I need a TABLESPOON at a time. I’ve just begun taking them religiously and am loving every bite.
We take our “medicine” right after dinner and it often takes the place of dessert!
Give these little wonders a try! It can’t hurt!
(Cassie)
This is the scene my Mom (85 years old!) and I witnessed after opening the front door of my house when we got back from the Farmer’s Market on Saturday.
“Oh My,” she said.
The last we had seen this outfit, Dennis (hubby) was wearing it, on his way out the door for his first run of the year.
Mom went into the guest room to hide. I followed the trail upstairs and was able to locate the body.
Too much info? Sorry.
My hubby isn’t usually this funny. I had to share.
(Cassie)
I just love opening my inbox and seeing a treasure that I know is going to be uplifting, or at the very least, thought provoking.
I’ve recommended the Daily Om in the past, but it’s worth a reminder.
The Daily Om is a site dedicated to nurturing the mind, body and spirit. You can sign up to receive a free daily horoscope that’s delivered to your inbox each morning.
Click here to sign up.
Certain days, the horoscope seems written just for me and expands on thoughts I’ve been entertaining.
Here’s a portion of my (Taurus) Daily Om Horoscope for today:
January 10, 2010
Finding What Fulfills You
Taurus Daily Horoscope
A sense that you ultimately control your destiny could make you feel independent today. You may be intensely confident as you use your personal power to make decisions that propel you toward your goals. You’ll likely feel secure in your choices and thus free to accept or disregard the guidance of others as you see fit. Your independence could inspire you to grow and change in ways you may never have thought possible. Reconsider the dreams you once put away and the visions of self you once discounted because they did not fit into a particular pattern of behavior or evolution. Today could be the perfect time to reexamine those dreams and visions to determine whether you truly wish to pursue them.
******
These words were just what I needed this morning to inspire me.
Along with the daily horoscope, you can also sign up to have the “daily inspiration” sent your way – directed to the general audience.
I don’t know about you, but this is the kind of message I love to receive just before I brave the world each day.
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