The City of Bell, CA is now up in arms over 3 city employees who held a special election which gave the city’s chief administrative officer salary of $787,637, his assistant $376,288 and the police chief $457,000.  Rizzo, who resigned yesterday from his post, was the HIGHEST PAID city manager in the nation. The police chief of this tiny town makes more than the police chief in LA.

How could this have happened?  No one spoke up!  The election was basically ignored, allowing a less than 400-person vote, to decide a financial move that smashed the city budget.  But where were the voices from the city employees who watched this happen?  Why did they not holler to their neighbors, to the press, to whomever would listen about this maneuver? Of course, it also shows how the public must take every election seriously rather than for granted. But I am stunned by the deafening silence that surrounded these three greedy officials.  Leadership requires courage. It appears that there were no leaders in any other part of that city.

“The moment a woman comes home to herself, the moment she knows she has become a person of influence, an artist of her life, a sculptor of her universe, a person with rights and responsibilities who is respected and recognized, the resurrection of the world begins.”
-Joan Chittister, OSB

This August marks the 90th anniversary of  U.S. women getting the right to vote. By getting that vote, women could begin to really shape the world. When you read the story of how  suffragettes were beaten, jailed, and even tortured by police who thought women should NEVER have the vote– you realize the price that was paid for the precious freedom to cast a ballot… to allow our voices to be heard.

How dare anyone– particularly a woman–  run for public office who didn’t even registered to vote until the age of 46. I live in California. It matters not the political party. What matters is the nonchalant dismissal of voting.  To me, it makes my voice even more significant. You can check out the candidates for yourself.

Wander Woman: How High-Achieving Women Find Contentment and Direction by Marcia Reynolds, PsyD is the first personal development book focused on the needs and desires of women focused on achieving big goals as opposed to the general population of women. These women do not want to focus on their fears and will probably not balance their lives. They need a book that will address their specific challenges.

Based on the Dr. Reynold’s doctoral research and decades of coaching smart, strong women, Wander Woman identified a growing number of women who are constantly searching for “something more” in their lives. Although these women are confident in their abilities and continue to stack up the accomplishments, at the end of the day they are discontented, disappointed and exhausted.

First, Reynolds defines the societal factors that led to the drive and restlessness these women experience. Then she defines the dark side of women raised to excel—in their constant search for the next great thing, they lose a sense of who they are and what their purpose is beyond their accomplishments and praise.

Once the reader can clearly identify her challenges, the bulk of the chapters in Wander Woman provide practical exercises, powerful questions and case studies to help the reader channel her restless energy into a more fulfilling path. In the end, the reader will release her “burden of greatness” and be free to choose her own life rules and direction.