My oldest daughter subscribes to a huge stack of magazines.  Some of them are intellectual, most are fashion magazines.  She has a wide taste in monthly circulars.  On Saturday I was flipping through one of the magazines, like savoring a guilty pleasure - taking a few minutes in the morning to check out what star wore what dress to some benefit - before starting my day. 

That's when it caught my eye.  Right there on page 108 in bold, red lettering.  I couldn't believe what I was reading.  It said, "What I think is sexy is women who have incredibly busy lives but somehow make it look effortless."

You've got to be kidding me right?  I guess I should have expected a statement like this to be in a fashion magazine, but this is just over the top. Now, according to the person interviewed (I decline to state the name here), the path to sexy is by going beyond the busy woman who is juggling it all and stepping up the game to be the woman-who-juggles-it-all-plus-extra-and-still-keeps-her-lipstick-on-straight-and-smiles-gloriously-while-doing-it-all.

I call STOP on this idea.  I mean who, really who, wants to be the woman-who-juggles-it-all-plus-extra-and-still-keeps-her-lipstick-on-straight-and-smiles-gloriously-while-doing-it-all? I don't, and I take issue with someone flaunting this as the new way to be. I can barely get through the day juggling lesson plans, and student requests, meetings, and classroom demands. Often, when no one is looking (hopefully!) the makeup goes on in the car while I drive to work! 

Instead, girls and guys out there, we need to plan a counter attack to the new sexy. The new sexy isn't having an incredibly busy life while making it look effortless! No!  The new sexy is getting to school each day and teaching those lesson plans, and supporting those students, and listening to students as they tell you about what happened last night in their house, and working that team in after school sports, and then saving enough energy so when you come home your family doesn't wish you weren't a teacher.  Cause, I know how that goes!  I used to come home so spent, so burned out, and that didn't have much left to give and my temper would be short, and my need to sleep would be long.

The new sexy is taking time for ourselves, even if it's just five minutes to practice deep breathing and calm thinking. (Can you believe there's an app for that now too!) The new sexy is being strong in who you are in your classroom and in your life.

The new sexy is doing something that really makes a difference every day with students.  I hope in my world that means I just showed up. Again and again, I show up and I put my whole heart forward. Put your whole heart forward with me.

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