POP, DROP, AND LOCK IT
This past week I was asked to participate in my school's motivational assembly. My colleague Brian texted me Monday night. M&P Presentations was coming to lead the whole school in an assembly on self-confidence and they were looking for a teacher who would be willing to come out on the cat walk and demonstrate confidence.
Um, I need more info on this. So Brian gave them my number.
I had a few days to decide if I had it in me to do this. Could I exude confidence without being a narcissist? Narcissism is just plain ugly. Am I a risk taker?
I decided to go for it. Matt (from M&P) told me he would supply me with props and even ask a few questions. What are you wearing? Why do you look so good?
Oh boy. What did I just get myself into?
Immediately, I consulted my besties in the English department. No one thought twice about it. Erika said, "Jepsen. You don't need advice from me on how to be ridiculous." Power laughing ensued. Amy commanded, "Commit to it. Own it. You always commit." Shatha didn't flinch. "Of course! Why are you doubting this?" Megan giggled, "Oh my God. Yes. This is going to be so great."
Now think about having these same women as your teachers. Beautiful inside and out. Empowering, brilliant, compassionate. They had my back and believed in me. Now I had to believe in myself. After all, this was about the students, and if I could model self-confidence perhaps I could inspire a bit of it in them, too. And, the students needed to see a woman help deliver the message at an assembly.
When I was teenager, I experienced rejection in all parts of my life. I allowed everyone else's opinions to define me. Not only was high school a safe haven for me, but it shaped who I am today. I was fortunate to attend an all-girls high school where the mission truly was cultivating our self-confidence and leadership. I had some bad-ass teachers, proud feminists, who accepted me with all my warts, all my self-doubt, all my feelings of worthlessness.
I work with women who remind me of those teachers. The gals came to my classroom before school and pumped me up. Shatha shimmered my cheeks, Liem shadowed my eyes, Amy took pictures, and, as always, Megan smiled and watched. Then
I did it. It was fun! The students responded with nothing but screaming, cell phone flashlights, and applause. Fist bumps, hugs, and emails flooded the rest of my day.
Bill watched the video. Puzzled, he asked, "Are you doing Mick Jagger?"
I watched it again and power laughed. He was right. I was channeling my inner Mick. Can you think of anyone else who emits self-confidence like Jagger? M&P Presentations complimented my pop, lock and drop it. Well, a 48-year-old white woman's version of it anyways.
e.e. cummings wrote, "Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." Cat-walking was my spontaneous delight last week, a revelation of how we can turn years of illness, grief and self-doubt into strength.
Um, I need more info on this. So Brian gave them my number.
I had a few days to decide if I had it in me to do this. Could I exude confidence without being a narcissist? Narcissism is just plain ugly. Am I a risk taker?
I decided to go for it. Matt (from M&P) told me he would supply me with props and even ask a few questions. What are you wearing? Why do you look so good?
Oh boy. What did I just get myself into?
Immediately, I consulted my besties in the English department. No one thought twice about it. Erika said, "Jepsen. You don't need advice from me on how to be ridiculous." Power laughing ensued. Amy commanded, "Commit to it. Own it. You always commit." Shatha didn't flinch. "Of course! Why are you doubting this?" Megan giggled, "Oh my God. Yes. This is going to be so great."
Now think about having these same women as your teachers. Beautiful inside and out. Empowering, brilliant, compassionate. They had my back and believed in me. Now I had to believe in myself. After all, this was about the students, and if I could model self-confidence perhaps I could inspire a bit of it in them, too. And, the students needed to see a woman help deliver the message at an assembly.
When I was teenager, I experienced rejection in all parts of my life. I allowed everyone else's opinions to define me. Not only was high school a safe haven for me, but it shaped who I am today. I was fortunate to attend an all-girls high school where the mission truly was cultivating our self-confidence and leadership. I had some bad-ass teachers, proud feminists, who accepted me with all my warts, all my self-doubt, all my feelings of worthlessness.
I work with women who remind me of those teachers. The gals came to my classroom before school and pumped me up. Shatha shimmered my cheeks, Liem shadowed my eyes, Amy took pictures, and, as always, Megan smiled and watched. Then
Bill watched the video. Puzzled, he asked, "Are you doing Mick Jagger?"
I watched it again and power laughed. He was right. I was channeling my inner Mick. Can you think of anyone else who emits self-confidence like Jagger? M&P Presentations complimented my pop, lock and drop it. Well, a 48-year-old white woman's version of it anyways.
e.e. cummings wrote, "Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." Cat-walking was my spontaneous delight last week, a revelation of how we can turn years of illness, grief and self-doubt into strength.
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Barb Gaynor