Are you a Cassandra?

Lisa is a Cassandra. It's a blessing and a curse.

Being a Cassandra means that Lisa has a sixth sense about people and situations. She can spot danger a mile away. But the problem is that when she tells other people, they don't believe her.

The concept of a Cassandra comes from Greek mythology. A beautiful, young woman named Cassandra rejects the seduction of Apollo, a Greek god. Angry, Apollo curses her by making her prophetic, but having no one believe her.

Lisa's discernment is now known as the Cassandra Complex or the Cassandra Curse. When I use the phrase, I don't mean that Lisa is psychic. She cannot predict earthquakes and hurricanes. I mean that she has a well-honed intuition; she can put pieces together and read the writing on the wall.

So, for instance, when Lisa's friend, Amy, was dating a man, Lisa immediately sensed that he was bad news. Although he outwardly seemed okay, Lisa intuited that he was a narcissist.

She told Amy, who scoffed at Lisa's concerns and accused her of jealousy. Amy was completely caught off guard when she found out that he was cheating and addicted to drugs.

Are you a Cassandra? If you are, then you probably know the gift and the burden this entails. You may have had countless incidents where you knew something bad was going to happen, but people didn't believe you.

Take heart. Being a Cassandra is a real thing. It's a blessing and a curse. For instance, people continually dismissing your concerns or belitting you can hurt.

However, if you feel a sense of danger about a person or a situation, don't let anyone talk you out of it. And if you know a Cassandra, you'd be wise to pay attention. She may not always be right; but much of the time she is.