I must admit that I had a little apprehension about being described as a Wonder Woman. Women who are ambitious and high performing are often perceived as being superhuman or not human at all. They are imagined to be imbalanced, untamable, insensitive, unsatisfied, autonomous, not at peace, a liability, unattractive, self-centered, and difficult. And to refer to myself as a Wonder Woman might be perceived as confirming suspicions that I have a big ego. In short, accepting the assertion of being a Wonder Woman could be very off-putting to others.
In many ways, those negative perceptions also cause women who have ambition to doubt their extraordinary power, as they develop their gifts. The truth is that high performing people – though they may never get the chance to tell you — are the most intimately aware of their flaws. I know that I am. In many super heroes’ minds, their greatest competition is with themselves. They are focused on attaining their personal best. As a result, the most effective weapon against them comes from within. Self-doubt is a form of spiritual attack that we launch against ourselves. It is a cunning kryptonite because as we doubt ourselves we dim our light not realizing that we seal our destruction.
And therein lays the tension of being a superhero. It is the complexity of dealing with people’s perception of us versus how we feel about ourselves, while embracing what God is doing in the midst of us. We must remain clear that what people think about us is not the same as what God has called and purposed us to be.
How do we shift focus from our weaknesses and gain healthy confidence? How do we become women who draw people because of God’s mighty work through us? In what ways can we be well-rounded Wonder Women?
As I think of the Wonder Women I admire, I refer to them as such because their presence evokes the question: How is she able to do all that she does?
In Proverbs 31, we find that real Wonder Women inspire awe and stand out because they have discovered their power. They are industrious and good stewards of their time, talent, and treasure. They are vision oriented. They cultivate a great support system. They use their leadership to uplift others. They understand that they have their influence, in order to extend grace to the people with whom they work. And it is the manner with which they deal with critique, as teachable moments that provides an opportunity for their inner Wonder Woman to emerge. They know how to focus and manage others’ personalities, while not being easily offended by adversity. They know that dealing with challenges is a condition of being a wonder.
We bring honor to God when we can graciously learn from challenges. It takes a commitment to the process of becoming better to get profound insight from setbacks. Difficulty alerts us to areas in which we can grow and become better. Wonder women know how to be decent and in order just as much as they know how to stand out. For them, discipline is a daily practice.
Let me caution you. If you are truly making your mark as a Wonder Woman, there will be people whose role is to bring confusion and doubt into your life. It will be guised as critique. God is not the author of confusion. If you exercise wisdom, your careful interaction with those people can sharpen your discernment. Wonder Women understand that those who oppose them are used by God to keep them from being comfortable where they are. They help us to know when seasons change and to keep moving forward. Wonder Women can’t move forward if we are worshipping our present position.
This complex season of emerging as Wonder Women requires support and prayerful guidance. This what we hope to begin to midwife you through in our Wonder Women webinar. Won’t you join us on May 19th? My dear friend Eunice Nuekie Cofie and I will be talking about our strategies to embrace the awe that can only be revealed through the great work that God is doing in our lives.
(To register for our upcoming Wonderwoman Webinar, visit us online at: http://www.thegenerationaleffect.com/news_dtl.php?id=2)
Alisha Lola Jones @Move_And_Shake is the author of “Who Do You Think You Are?” https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/who-do-you-think-you-are/id294945226
She is on our thegenerationaleffect.com Board of Directors and is also co-executive producer of www.geniusformen.org. She has been branded a Highest and Best Life Strategist who enlarges your capacity to do all things well. Presently, Rev. Jones is completing PhD research in ethnomusicology at the University of Chicago with a focus on men and masculinity in gospel music performance.
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