The Mission

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.

 

Through my own experiences fighting Fat Talk, I’ve realized the power behind an anonymous act such as Operation Beautiful.  When I post a note, I’m saying, “I CHOOSE to be positive!”

 

I began Operation Beautiful by leaving positive messages on the mirrors of public restrooms — at work, at the gym, at the grocery store.  I scribble down whatever comes to mind — "You are beautiful!" or "You are amazing just the way you are!"  My personal goal is to leave as many Operation Beautiful notes as I can. Maybe some people read them and just smile, but I bet some people are truly touched by the effort of a random stranger.

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Operation Beautiful is simple: all you need is a pen and a piece of paper.  If you want to join the mission, send me an e-mail at OperationBeautiful@gmail.com with a photograph of your Operation Beautiful note or a description of your experience, and I’ll post it on the Operation Beautiful site for thousands of others to read and enjoy!

{ 706 comments… read them below or add one }

Chelsea January 14, 2010 at 1:21 am

I appsolutly h8 iht wen ppl dont think ther skinny enough. Mii friend will literally stand in the mirror and call herself “A Fat Monster”, wen really shes a perfect size. Anothr one of mii friends say shes “Getting a Stomach”. shes a billion times skinnier than meh, wut ihs she worried about?! Ih randomly saw this website on the back of the girls bathroom stall! Iht truely ihs an inspiring website and ih hope tht every girl will find ths and relize the meaning of iht: We really are Unique and Beautiful <3

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Joanne January 14, 2010 at 3:31 pm

I just found one of these post its in our community bathroom in my living center at school and it really made my day. I’m in the process of transferring schools and making a lot of changes in my life and it’s scary. I haven’t had a lot of faith in myself the past couple months with ongoing family problems along with the school stuff. This helped me feel better about myself even just for a moment and let me breathe a sigh of relief. Thank you for starting this and I will be keeping post its and a pen with me in my purse from now on.

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Chelsea W January 14, 2010 at 7:02 pm

I saw one of these in the toilets at my local shopping centre..i loved it.

My friends always laughed at the fact i carried a pen and post its in my bag…now i know what they’re for =D

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Bailey January 14, 2010 at 10:46 pm

I saw a link to here from weheartit.com and decided I’d better have a look… I’m going to be a prefect in a boarding house full of girls this year and I think it’s such a great thing to do for them, because so many girls living together equals a fair bit of “fat talk” I’m so keen to start doing this in the boarding house and around school.
Thanks for reminding girls that they’re beautiful just as they are :)

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Pangsta January 15, 2010 at 12:45 am

this is such a great idea! i posted one at school, and my friend looked at it when i went to the bathroom with her…she thought it was cool self-esteem booster! :)

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Gail January 15, 2010 at 12:55 am

yesterday right after mid terms i found my friend crying in the bathroom, i walked over to her and hugged her while looking at the mirror. on the mirror there was a note that said you are absolutely gorgeous and beautiful. i pointed that out to my friend and she became so much happier. Thank you so much

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Melanie January 15, 2010 at 5:44 am

‘m starting this right away!
I had self-esteem issues for years, to the point of major depression and thoughts of suicide.
But I overcame it because people kept telling me that I was beautiful. All they had to do was make one comment and tell me “Your eyes are so pretty” or “Your smile really brightens my day”
I want to be able to do the same for others.
I’m going to buy post-its tomorrow and I’ve already started on index cards which I’m going to put in diet and eating disorder books at the library.

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Valarie January 15, 2010 at 7:06 pm

I found an operation beautiful note on the wall in my high school today. It actually made me step back and say “hey, I am perfect just the way I am.” I think this website will help so many girls! Im gonna start on Monday!!! :)

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Brittany January 16, 2010 at 2:10 am

Heyyy my friend Karly told me about what you doing and I think that is just sooo awesome soo yeahhh BTW I put them on peoplez lockerz and I reallyy think it makez their day I know it would make mine if I found one on my locker soo yeahh :) <3

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Anna January 16, 2010 at 6:55 am

I found this site, and it has changed my life. I am not with the popular kids, I am not an outcast. I dont have a set place, but I am amazing. And I can make others feel just as good, tomorrow I plan on buying wallmart out of post it’s and I am going to make someone feel amazing. With a simple note. Thank you.

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Melanie January 16, 2010 at 4:46 pm

I can’t wait to get back to school so I can stick post-its up in the girls bathroom. I’m also going to try and put some up in public bathrooms and hopefully our supermarket.
Thank you for creating Operation Beautiful. Because of it I have recently realised that I don’t need those chain emails that say ‘if you get this back you’ll know you’re pretty’ to know that I am beautiful. =]

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Ashley January 16, 2010 at 6:23 pm

I am inspired to do this myself. this is truly an amazing thing to do. i love this. i will begin to start leaving notes for people(:

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Jasmin January 17, 2010 at 1:07 am

Im Goin Put So Much Notes U And Get My BF’s To Help

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Danica Lauren January 17, 2010 at 2:06 am

I started reading GivesMeHope yesterday and saw how people made a change in others lives. I decided that I’m blessed! I used to have some serious self-esteem issues and it got to where I was only eating one meal a day. I have a lot of friends who have self-esteem issues and I love telling them they are beautiful! I love this idea and I can’t wait to start doing something! Thanks for giving me the motivation! Your amazing (as is everyone :])!

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violet January 17, 2010 at 5:13 pm

this is great. ive never heard of this, but now that i have im going to spread it all around montreal.. this is going to be awsome. great idea

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violet January 17, 2010 at 5:15 pm

this is so great. i cant beleive how good an idea this is. im so excited im going to go to walmart and buy a thousand sticky notes and post em all over montreal!!
great idea.

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Anna January 18, 2010 at 3:04 am

Yeah! Me and some girlies are starting a crusade in Texas. Every other Texan reading this; join, let’s spread some happiness around our great state! Everything’s bigger in Texas, lets make the smiles bigger too!

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Thaís January 18, 2010 at 5:09 pm

This is so beautiful and inspiring! It’s so good to know there are kind people out there who care about someone else’s feelings, even when they don’t even know who this someone is. I’m from Brazil and I’ve never seen this kind of manifestation around, so I guess I am going to start it. I’ve been through a depression in a rough time of my life, and I imagine how something as simple as these notes could have helped me. I really believe this can touch people, mainly people with low self-esteem. So I can’t wait to start helping! Thanks for the amazing idea.

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steffi January 18, 2010 at 6:15 pm

i found a paper at my mirrow in my flat in the middle of Berlin, Germany.
never heard about you befor and i have no idee who of my guest made the note.
BUT its a reallllly nice idee :)
I smiled a lot,
thanks for that!!!

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Sarah Q. January 18, 2010 at 11:06 pm

I left an operation beautiful note in the mall and it made alot of people smile(: operation beautiful is a wonderful thing that will help alot of girls and hopefully end “fat talk” something everyone deals with at some point. I am starting it here in SC (:

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Kaylea January 19, 2010 at 2:31 am

I love this idea so much! I am going to find me some post-its and get at the compliments!(:

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Aquene January 19, 2010 at 5:49 am

I think this is a great idea! I’m totally posting one in my school rest room on Monday! :D

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Aquene January 19, 2010 at 5:49 am

*Oops. Today is Monday, isn’t it? I meant Tuesday…

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Michelle January 19, 2010 at 8:23 am

I think what you are doing is absolutely wonderful!
there is so much hurt going on in the world and any thing that we can do to make that better is a small start.
I will definatly keep this in mind when going anywhere!
You are a beautiful person for doing this!

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Angie Lay January 19, 2010 at 11:21 am

I just ran across a note in a bathroom at my daughter’s basketball game last night. I plan on writing about it and your mission. Very impressed! :)

I will be talking about this with everyone I meet as well, so consider the word spread even more!

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Helle R. January 19, 2010 at 11:54 am

Fantastic idea! It’s cool helping other people see their beauty :D

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Emily January 19, 2010 at 9:22 pm

Around this time last year, I started writing “we are all beatiful” in the bathroom stalls t my high school. I figured if no one else had anything better to say other than “you’re skanky” or “so-and-so’s a slut” I might as well write one nice thing.
The janitor quickly got rid of it (god forbid anyone do anything constructive at my school) and I let it be for a bit.
Then, the other day, I was in a bathroom stall at a local movie theatre and someone had written the very same thing with this web address underneath it. I was so happy to discover that I wasn’t the only one with this idea.
I taking my post-its to school tomorrow.

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Melissa January 19, 2010 at 11:05 pm

What a beautiful idea!
I live in The Netherlands, and I’ll be posting soon too! I really love it! One of my friends, who lives in Spain for some months, is planning on posting too! She told me about this. So it’s going around the world! (hopefully!) x

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Caroline January 20, 2010 at 1:19 am

Oh my god this totally makes sense! I often think I am not pretty but I don’t want to ask anyone if I am because then I don’t k ow if it is sincere or not. I know a lot of people could use these notes. I am going to start.

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Kimberley January 20, 2010 at 4:31 pm

Hey.
I live in The Netherlands and I love your mission! People in The Netherlands don’t do this missions so I wanna ask you if you find it a good idea if i start it her? With a dutch site and this wonderful mission. So can’t you please send me a mail about it?

x.

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Kimberley January 20, 2010 at 6:40 pm

We have Hyves in The Netherlands that a profile site like myspace. And you can start groups.. about thinks you love or hate. I start the group about here and what’s the best description I can write there? Because I wanna let everybody know that this site exist en make this site bigger.

x.

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admin January 20, 2010 at 8:01 pm

You can use The Mission page: http://operationbeautiful.com/about-2/

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Kaila January 20, 2010 at 9:58 pm

I’m… very grateful for this mission. Many of my friends think that they’re too fat or too skinny. Some just think that they aren’t worth anything to anyone else. This helps a lot. Thanks.

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Leah January 21, 2010 at 6:52 am

I Love you’re Ideas….I am in Australia, and I am due to have my second bub…..so many mums get so down on themselves after having children…I will be leaving my notes mainly in the mothers rooms in our shopping centres…..it is a very special Message!….Leah
Woy Woy Australia

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Novelle January 23, 2010 at 5:22 pm

I think this is such a fabulous idea! :D
It’s interesting, creative, splendid, marvellous, wonderful!
It is just so great! I first saw post-its all around in my school and was bewildered. >.< When I was washing my hands in the toilet one day, I read the note on the mirror and gave the person in the mirror (–me!) a smile :)
I shall join in Operation Beautiful and stick some Beautiful Notes around my school too! ~.~
We're all Beautiful! ^^

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Julia January 23, 2010 at 10:10 pm

Yesterday as i walked to my desk i noticed a pink post-it on the desk where i usually sit. I looked down to see what it was about and it read “You are beautiful just the way you are. Smile it’s true. -operationbeautiful.com” I couldnt believe that someone would take the time to tell a random stranger that they were beautful. I just wanted to tell everyone that has ever left a message that what you have done is amazing and beautiful.

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Battzi Sonnenschein January 24, 2010 at 1:53 am

I am 54 years of age. If only this was around when I was a teenager and into my 40′s! The major impact it would have had on my life. But I shall do this to help other young Black girls and women to think better of themselves. Now I am older, a bit wiser and glad to be me!

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Anita January 24, 2010 at 10:56 am

I live in England, and I’ve never seen these before, but I am definitely going to do it at my school when I find some post its! I did something similar last week when I went round school with a packet of neon smiley stickers and asked people if they wanted one. By Friday, almost everyone in my year ( and a couple of teachers) had a smiley face on their blazer!

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Jessica January 24, 2010 at 10:55 pm

I was walking around walmart today when I found a sticky note that said, ” You are beautiful” with the site at the end. I smiled and popped onto the site. I love the idea and I am def. going to be joining the operation! I think its a great idea and every women deserves to know they are beautiful in every way no matter what anyone says! Remember be yourself and show the world how beautiful you are!!!

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Katrin January 25, 2010 at 10:55 am

Wonderful thing that you do !! My friends and I are going to post today some nice notes somewhere ; )
I hope that we found some notes anywhere in the world that make us smile : )
I like to see more pictures !

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Jennifer Ramirez January 25, 2010 at 10:33 pm

i walked into my school restrooms and saw the post-its all over the mirrors, and it just made me smile it really touched me, and girls should be boosting confidence like that instead of making fun of people, im glad you got some of the kids in our school to do this !

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Jessica January 28, 2010 at 7:40 pm

Hi! I actually did the same thing today. In one of the buildings at my school I walked in and found the post it on the mirror. I thought maybe I should leave it, but I kept it to go to the website.. It really made me smile.

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Bekahnessisity January 25, 2010 at 11:53 pm

i Saw a Post Note at School, i Thought it Was Awesome so Hear i Am

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Saige January 27, 2010 at 12:42 am

I found this site through a friend – and its changed my life. im speaking about operation beautiful tonight at my church.

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Paige January 27, 2010 at 1:48 am

today i walked into my school my scool bathrooms and saw really bright post-its on all of the mirrors, with really inspirational things on it. I’ve also seen someone had written in black lipstick on a mirror. The notes make my day!!

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AmyLyne January 27, 2010 at 2:25 am

I think this is an amazing idea, because I think a lot of people are really down about themselves. I think people are more touched when they are told by a random stranger, then by a close friend. So, I am going to write a bunch of notes!

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Tori January 27, 2010 at 2:54 am

Caitlin, I just want you to know that I think you’re one of the most amazing people ever. I love this website – its going in my Favorites. Also, I just made my mom drive me out to Walmart to get some post-it notes, so I can run around the school, posting them tomorrow. Thank you so much. You’re a beautiful person, and I don’t just mean outside. :)

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admin January 27, 2010 at 1:20 pm

youre amazing, too!

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Tori January 27, 2010 at 11:35 pm

I posted a few around school today, and in the next class I overheard some people wondering who the “mysterious post-it person” was. I didn’t know what they thought of them, and I didn’t tell them it was me, but it made me feel so happy that someone had seen them.

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Melynda January 27, 2010 at 8:08 am

I just found this site yesterday and it truly inspired me. =) I started posting notes straight away. It feels good to make other people feel great about themselves. One of my friends was telling another friend today about her low self esteem and how people know she’s self conscious but still tease her and say why are you getting so fat?! (She’s no where near fat by the way). But I decided to sneak a note onto her backpack. She has no idea who put it there, but her reaction when she found it was wonderful. It’s nice to think how many more girls are experiencing that feeling because of Operation Beautiful. =)

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Sarrah January 28, 2010 at 3:54 am

I am glad I found this site. I never have felt completely beautiful or fine as is. (Especially now, after two kids, my body is not quite the same) HOWEVER, I have two beautiful children. Also, I have come to realize, children, especially early on, think their mother is the most beautiful creature in the world. If I am always downing myself, that will distort their views. My second child is a girl, and I have been thinking alot about the way we as women think, about ourselves, how we see ourselves. I certainly don’t want my little girl growing up thinking she has to look like a 5′ 10′, 102 lbs. super model just to be enough to love, she’s perfect just as she is, and so am I,…So are we all…Thank you for this website…I think I’m gonna start sticking up post-its now too.

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Kelly January 28, 2010 at 6:51 pm

I just went to the bathroom at my high school and I saw a post it with the website on it. I wish these would have been in my middle school when I was there. I have self esteem issuse from the other students there and things that my mom has said. My mom used to make me try everything that was “in style” on and would say how I looked cute even when I really looked awful in it just because it was in style. I’m happy with who I am, but I still can’t talk positively about my self, and that’s something you need to be able to do at scholarship interviews.

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Madi January 28, 2010 at 9:12 pm

my best friend told me about this during dance class the other day. :) i’m going 2 do my first Operation Beautiful mission 2morrow in the bathrooms at my school. <3 i'm so inspired. because i never felt beautiful, either.

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jennifer January 28, 2010 at 11:14 pm

I was in the bathrooom at my school and I saw a note and thought it was absolutly amazing :) I took a pic. with my phone and came here, I love this, it’s fantastic :D

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