Suddenly you’re in a jam. You get a call at work that your child is unexpectedly ill at school.  An aggravating co-worker presents your idea as his own at a project meeting.  Your friend begs you to give her a hand on a volunteer committee that kicks off in three days.

Especially as a woman, you are faced with potentially awkward and difficult situations every day.  What do you do about your 3 pm meeting if you leave work to take care of your child?  How do you instantly respond to the co-worker who steals your idea?  Should you help your friend and volunteer, even though your calendar is over-flowing?

Here’s an idea to get you thinking about how to respond and to muster up a shot of moxie:  Ask yourself “What would Wonder Woman do?”  Wonder Woman always seems to do the right, best thing in every situation to overcome evil and stand up for justice – and herself.  You may not have her perfectly curvaceous body or fab superhero outfit, but no worries.  There’s an alternative that’s just as powerful and requires not one sit-up or session with an image consultant.  Imagine yourself with your hands wrapped around a can of 4WD.  Consider it your personal can of whoop-ass. 

Though this isn’t your typical can of WD-40, it does have some of the same properties.  Similar to the oily-spray, 4WD also “Stops Squeaks,” “Cleans and Protects,” “Loosens Rusted Parts,” and my fav “Frees Sticky Mechanisms.”  When you wrap your hands around your can of 4WD and ask yourself “What would Wonder Woman do?” you will immediately feel a sense of clarity and confidence to handle your circumstance.  As the Wonder Woman of your life, you will suddenly know what to say and do.

You will find someone to fill in for you at your meeting or participate by phone.  You will speak up at the project meeting saying “Thanks, John, for supporting my idea that I suggested a few minutes ago.  Here are some more details that I wanted to share.”  You will tell your friend that you just can’t commit to being a full committee member, but you’d be happy to help her with small tasks to lend a hand.

So, the next time you’re in a jam, don’t panic.  Think 4WD.  Having a handy can in your purse is a good move as well.  Because you know at some point soon you will have to loosen things up and free a sticky mechanism or two.