Operation Beautiful
I love the times when you have no idea what you are going write about and something just presents itself to help you out. That’s just what happened when I was thinking about to do for this post.
I was catching up on some blog reading a few weeks ago and came across this post by my friend Kat. After reading her post, I had to go to Operation Beautiful and check it out. I was so impressed, I had to contact Caitlin and ask her some questions and make sure it was okay to feature her site for my post. She was very sweet and said of course.
Operation Beautiful is a site dedicated to self worth and stopping negative self talk. To quote the site ” The goal of the Operation Beautiful website is to end negative self-talk or “Fat Talk.” If this little blog only does one productive thing, I hope it helps readers realize how truly toxic negative self-talk is — it hurts you emotionally, spiritually, and physically.” Does this sound familiar to any of you. Maybe a challenge we had?!?!
Here are a few Q & A’s that Caitlin sent me to post…..
What is Operation Beautiful, and what inspired you to start it? The site started in June 2009 and I’ve received over 7,000 notes from all over the world since it started, including notes from Asia, Europe, and Africa. Operation Beautiful involves posting random notes in public places for other people to find. These notes typically encourage a positive body image or outlook and include phrases like “You are beautiful inside and out” or “Scales measure weight, not worth.” I was inspired to start Operation Beautiful after having a really bad day at work; I wanted to do something small and simple for someone else to make me feel better!
Can you tell us a little about you? My name is Caitlin Boyle and I’m 26 years old. I was born in Miami, Florida and now I live in Charlotte, North Carolina with my husband Kristien and two dogs. I majored in Creative Non-Fiction and Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh. I used to work as an urban planner, but now I make a living as a blogger, author, and motivational speaker. Operation Beautiful began on my personal site, Healthy Tipping Point.
Why do you think a note from a stranger can have a positive impact on a person’s esteem? I think it makes people smile when they realize how much goodness there is in the world. The idea that someone would do this for a stranger is so uplifting. Also, people place these notes in locations where negative self-talk often occurs, such as the bathroom mirror, the scale, or the changing room at the gym.
What’s your favorite Operation Beautiful note story? My favorite story is Vit’s. A teenager in Canada, Vit was in a treatment center for severe anorexia. Her doctors were concerned that it was going to eventually kill her. She slipped into the bathroom to throw up her lunch and found an Operation Beautiful note on the stall. The simple message – “You are good enough the way you are” – made her pause and reconsider her destructive behavior. She followed up with me a few months later and said she was out of the hospital and healthier than ever. Vit knew a stranger posted the note, but she felt like the timing was a message from God.
Why do you think so many women struggle with self-esteem issues? There is a lot of negative messaging in our society, and the issues start young – did you know the average girl goes on her first diet when she’s 8 years old? The biggest mistake we make is beating ourselves up for not looking like models or celebrities. It’s time we stop emulating or striving for a type of perfection that doesn’t even exist in the real world. It’s OK to look like a human!
What should be our “goal” in terms of healthy diet and exercise? I think the goal is to find something active that YOU like to do and regularly incorporate it into your life for pleasure, not because you feel like you ‘have’ to do it. Also, eat healthy foods and enjoy treats in moderation. Above all else, remember that the goal is HEALTH, not size or weight. Healthy looks different for different people.
What do you think? Do you think that maybe we can all put a post it note pad in our purses and get started? Just think of it. We could be the Sisterhood of positive thoughts. With very little effort, we can help make someone elses day better by one little post it. Just think of the places that people feel bad about themselves. How about the dressing room at Kohl’s or Target? Maybe the bathroom at work? The list goes on and on.
I have my post it’s ready to go. How about you?
Category: Motivation Monday, Nancy
