Archive for the ‘Women’ Category

“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.

Sally Ride was born in 1951 and was a talented athlete.  She graduated from Stanford University with degrees in physics and English and went on to earn a Ph.D. in astrophysics.  Sally applied to be an astronaut in 1977 after NASA announced it was looking for mission specialists.  Sally was one of six women chosen in addition to 29 men.  Sally became the first American woman in space in 1983 when she was chosen as a mission specialist on the Challenger.

Sally went into space one more time in 1984 and became a member of the presidential commission looking into the Challenger Explosion.  The Stanford University Center for International Security and Arms Control offered Sally a fellowship and she left NASA in 1987.  Sally founded Sally Ride Science™ in 2001 to support girls’ and boys’ interests in science, math and technology.