I’ve got a few reviews that I’ll be posting over the next few days, and I am also soon to put up a YouTube video.  But this morning, I am inspired to share a special site with you, and to also share my thoughts about it.

It was actually my oldest son that turned me on to the link.  It was during the holidays, I was swamped, so I glanced through it, mentally nodded, and saved the email, knowing that I would want to re-read it at a later date.  That date was today, and the site is too good to keep to myself.

Operation Beautiful, conceived by Caitlin is highly, highly recommended.

The very notion of it brings a smile to my face.  Part of that stems from the fact of the competitive friction that tends to exist between women.  We can be frightfully catty to each other, and it starts at a very young age.  So the concept of women reaching out to anonymously give other women a boost is one that warms my heart.

My understanding is that the mission is to end what Caitlin calls “fat talk”. No matter our size, I think it is safe to say that most of us have had that conversation with ourselves. She writes very eloquently and passionately about it here.  And while the site is geared toward that type of dialog…whether it be internal or directed outwardly at another woman…the more I read it, the more I was struck by all the other things the concept can apply to.

Now, before you read on, understand this…I am not advocating that we all abandon makeup and let our arm pit hair grow to our knees.  Unless that sort of thing trips your trigger, of course.   What I am saying is that we can embrace things for the right reason, or for a reason that is harmful to us.  Let’s take two imaginary young ladies as an example.

First we have Dawn.  While you’d never know it by looking at her polished appearance, Dawn has a demonic inner dialog that gnaws at the core of her self esteem.  She has no self love, or acceptance of who she is.  Also, being female in America, she is bombarded by societal “norms” on what she “should” be.  Dawn devours fashion and beauty magazines, chasing each new release and collection, buying things she can’t afford, in an effort to make her feel better about herself.  An effort that is destined to fail.

Next up is Lynn.  Like Dawn, Lynn is an attractive college age girl.  She also loves fashion and beauty.  But it’s what is inside them that makes the difference.  Lynn loves herself, and knows that who she is isn’t defined by what brand of eyeshadow she wears, or what purse she carries.  Sure, she enjoys splurging and pampering herself.  She loves experimenting with color and style.  Lynn is comfortable within her own skin, and is aware of the messages that permeate our culture.

Do you see the difference?  Dawn is chasing rainbows.  There will never be a mascara formulated or a pair of boots designed that is going to fill the hole inside her.

So while Operation Beautiful is geared toward ending fat talk, I think that the concept applies more broadly.  Try this experiment…try to pay close attention to your thoughts and see how many times a day that you tell yourself that you are too (fill in the blank) or not (fill in the blank) enough.   In the course of your day, how often do you find yourself engaging in degrading  yourself?

Now think of all the days of your life, and think of all the mental energy you have expended telling yourself that you don’t measure up.  Think of the effect all that talk…day after day, year after year…has had on you.

Now look outside yourself and multiply that same mental energy and same negative sense of self times nearly every woman you know.  Imagine what could have been accomplished if that same mental energy had gone toward making a positive change in the world.  Imagine how many lives would be totally different, if the belief that we were somehow lacking was not so deeply ingrained.

Pretty staggering, isn’t it?

So enjoy your favorite lip gloss, treat yourself to that must-have new perfume, and snap up those to-die-for flats that just got marked down 30%.   But do it from a place of power.  Do it by choice because they bring you pleasure, and with full knowledge that you don’t *need* those things to be enough.

You are enough just as you are.

You are beautiful.

Grab a pad of post its and let another woman know that she is beautiful too.

Operation Beautiful.com