Operation Beautiful Event

Tonight my friend Caitlin and I attended the Operation Beautiful event at our school where I got to meet the fabulous and gorgeous founder of Operation Beautiful, Caitlin (obviously a different Caitlin)!  It was like meeting a celebrity!  I didn't even have the guts to say hello until the end (pathetic, I know. LOL), but Caitlin was so very nice!  It was really a pleasure to get to say hello.  Sadly, I didn't think about asking to take a picture for my blog until I was driving home.  Oops.  The event was awesome!  We even got some cool loot!  I cannot wait to make my own Operation Beautiful Post-It notes to leave for people to find. 

Caitlin showed a video and there was quite a bit of discussing among the large group that attended.  While I have no problem rambling on my blog, and if you know me in real life I can talk your ear off, I'm terribly shy in front of people I don't know, so I didn't say anything.  If I was going to say something, it would have been about my amazing youngest sister, Clara (that would be the gorgeous redhead in the picture with myself and our little brother, Robert).  I told her about Operation Beautiful when I first found out about it.  Last night she sent me a text message with a picture of a Post-It that she put in the girls bathroom at her high school.  Someone had written back "thanks!" on it.  I think it is especially important to be a good role model and have a positive self image in front of younger siblings.  I am trying to make sure that I do just that.

Also, when I mentioned a couple days ago about negative fat talk, I said that I had improved a lot this year, which is quite true.  Several years ago I was pretty bad about it, and I found something that really helped me.  I started a journal where every night before going to bed I had to list 5 things that I liked about myself.  I didn't care how stupid they were (i.e. I like that my fingernails grow fast.), I had to come up with five different things.  I did that for a few weeks until eventually I didn't need to anymore.  I noticed that Caitlin had a blog that was similar recently and over at RuntoTheFinish Amanda posts a "Gratitude Journal" at the end of every blog.  Even tonight, at the Operation Beautiful event, we had to list three physical traits, three personality traits, and three things that we were proud of about ourselves (there were a couple other things too, but I'm totally blanking at the moment).  I recommend that anyone who reads this should make a list of five things that they love about themselves.  At the very least, you will smile.  Or to make someone else smile, maybe write five things you like about them and send them an e-mail or a little note, even a text message. 

Well on that note, I'm going to go tell Chris five wonderful things about him.  Then I'm going to pack my lunch and gym bag so I can meet Caitlin for our run in the morning.  I hope you all have had as wonderful of a night as I have!  And remember, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!