As many of you know, last night was the Annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. 60 minutes of scantly dressed women, flaunting their almost flawless bodies. Why is that we want to watch this? Yes, I admit that I had it on in the background to see what the fuss was all about. I am impressed that all of thoes women had the confidence to walkt down the runway in such a small outfit (if you can call lingerie an outfit) As I was watching, I was also on Facebook. My newsfeed was updating rapidly with statuses from “VS Fashion Show♥ ...and let me tell you, it is just making me LOVE my post-baby bod! *gag me*” to “is watching my annual winter workout motivation”. Who got to set the precedent for how we, as women, view ourselves?
I travel from campus to campus for my job working with real women. I can’t tell you the number of times I hear women express their dissatisfaction with their bodies. I used to be constantly worried about my body too, and still linger at the image in the mirror some days. Also, I danced for 16 years, constantly wearing tights and leotards that were practically just a second layer of skin. Every curve was on showcase every time I stepped on the dance floor in a room surrounded by mirrors. I luckily learned from an early age that as long as you have a healthy diet and exercise regularly the number on the scale doesn’t matter, but what about the way you look in a mirror?
I know I have blogged about this before, but with the VS Fashion Show last night, Operation Beautiful has come back to my attention. This summer I was eating breakfast with the International President of Alpha Delta Pi, Mrs. Claire Brown Gwaltney, and the Today show was on (naturally). This particular morning they were doing a segment on Operation Beautiful, and she and I were intrigued. Here is its mission statement:
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.
What a positive way to help women of all sizes and shap
es have a positive body image! My consultant sisters and I have tried to put as many post-it notes in sorority houses and in dorms as we possibly can. The mirror is the most brutally honest place, and how much better would you feel if there was a post-it note on your mirror that said you are beautiful. Try it out. Visit Operation Beautiful for more stories and experiences of women who have done just that and changed the way they viewed themselves and the way they viewed others. I’m not here saying that I never worry about the way I look because I do. I’m here saying we all do it, but we can all work together to not change the way we look but change the way we see ourselves. I challenge all of you to take off the "VS Fashion Show Goggles" and view yourselves in a positive light. I can speak for myself when I say I know it will be challenging but see what a difference seeing differently can make.
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