Friday Notes – July 3, 2009

An e-mail from a reader named Jen from Nova Scotia, CANADA:  "Thank you for making the world a better place.   I was grocery shopping today and saw a post it note on the freezer door of the ice cream section.  The note read:   "In case no one has told you today… you are beautiful! www.operationbeautiful.com"  What a wonderful idea!!  There are too many people in this world who do not hear that enough.  It put a smile on my face and I had to check out your website as soon as I got home to see what it’s all about.  I can’t wait to post random sticky notes in my community!"

Nicole posted this note in GERMANY!  She wrote, "I posted it on the bathroom of a clothes shop which has very cruel entrance doors. When you  see yourself in them, you look twice as broad ( I hope broad is the right word and you know
what I mean) as you really are, so I thought that’s the right place It is written in a German dialect and says "Beauty has nothing to do with the size of your clothes." If it makes at least one woman happy, then it was worth it!"

A reader wrote in to say, "I posted it on my own mirror, to give myself a self-esteem boost each morning. This is the first of many more messages to come! Thank you for inspiring me to do this."

Sarah from Finding My Balance wrote, "The last time I was at the gym, I overheard two girls talking near the scale. One got on it, jumped off, and said, "Huh, I wonder how much less I’ll weigh if I take my shoes off." Then the friend hopped on, and said, "I want to reweigh myself after I work out to see if it’s different." I cringed. Girls, it’s a number! And the 1 pound difference from taking shoes off, or the .5 pound difference after running on the treadmill for 3 miles really doesn’t matter!"

Tay from Taydor Tott wrote, "Today I went on a 6.5 mile hike up to the top of local Bishop’s Peak.  I decided the peak was a perfect place to leave an Operation Beautiful note – somewhere only a beautiful, strong and amazing strong body can take someone! I pinned this note under a rock."

Liz from Admitted wrote to say, "I stumbled across Operation Beautiful four days ago during a rather rough time in my life. I’ve suffered from depression and weight problems for most of my life and things seemed to be spiraling out of control when I clicked on the link that brought me to Operation Beautiful. I spent the next hour scrolling through picture after picture and story after story of women just like me finding strength and beauty and confidence within themselves…. I’ve also posted my first note…. It’s a small letter to myself, taped to my alarm clock so that I read it every morning. It says: "You are strong, beautiful, and altogether amazing! Now go out there and live like it!"

Meredith from Balance for Mere has been staying with her grandfather in the hospital for the last few days and has been using it as an opportunity to spread the Operation Beautiful love!

Kayla wrote in to say, "I’m twelve years old, and I’ll be turning thirteen in August. I live in Georgia. I weight 131 pounds. And I feel FAT. And I feel UGLY. I know I can be pretty, but it seems like, I can ONLY be pretty when I put makeup on. And without eyeliner, I don’t look so good. But I have to say that Operation Beautiful helped me a lot. It DOES kind of make me realize that always judging myself is stupid. God came on this Earth not to make everyone perfect like a Victoria’s Secret model, but to make them different. I have to realize inner beauty is what matters most. And Operation Beautiful did help me."

Leah wrote, "I went on a note spree at my local Walmart!"

Jaime from Embracing Balance wrote, "After my workout at the gym, I dug out my trusty sticky notes and when the coast was clear I posted my first Operation Beautiful note on the mirror in the change room.  After I took that photo I felt this amazing glow inside of me.  I know it sounds cheesy but I just know that someone saw that note and smiled, and that alone makes it all worthwhile.  If they left it there for the next person and they smiled too, then all the better!!"  She also posted another note a few days later!

Chandra from Chandra’s Shenanigans posted this note in a gym:

Jana wrote, "I read on your website about taking the notes and posting them. I was so excited about the idea that I wanted to do it ASAP. So I took this pic and sent it to everyone I knew VIA Cellular Transmission. Gotta love technology!"

If you want to participate in Operation Beautiful, post a note, take a picture, and send it to seebriderun@gmail.com!   You’ll be amazed at how it makes YOU feel!