Operation Beautiful

We were all created beautiful. Why is it so hard to believe it sometimes? Why is it so hard to feel beautiful. It's true that society has set images of perfection, of what beautiful should look like, but what about the way beautiful feels? It is so unfortunate to see girls obsessed with the way they look. Worrying every second about how many calories they're burning or eating. It's worse to know that sometimes I'm one of these girls who feels unpretty because I don't meet society's standards. Why should we be so hard on oursleves?

I vote we all find something and someone that can make us feel truly beautiful and happy. The something first so that when the someone turns out to be trash, you have the something to fall back on. Our something can be anything that let's us express ourselves and show the world that we have more to offer than a body that mirrors a model or a face like the lastest hot star. We each have something unique and special to offer and for us all to feel beautiful, we need to discover it and share it with the world so the world can also experience our beauty too.

We all need a confidence boost sometimes and on the Open Up Through Secrets group on facebook, someone mentioned the website http://www.operationbeautiful.com/. Their mission is a random act of kindness encouraging women with positive messages posted in public places. People who have joined the mission post these messages anywhere they can to help women everywhere realize that we are all truly beautiful. Please join the mission and visit their site if you have the time. It's something that we all need to do.

This is a video from Operation Beautiful. I hope you choose to join the mission as well. Enjoy!

We were all created to love and be loved.

I got this in an email from my aunt. It's such a sad story but the message is so powerful...

USED VS. LOVED

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 year old son picked up a stone and scratched lines on the side of the car. In anger, the man took the child"s hand and hit it many times; Not realizing he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.
When the child saw his father...with painful eyes he asked, "Dad when will my fingers grow back?" The man was so hurt and speechless; He went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times.
Devastated by his own actions...sitting in front of his car he looked at the scratches. The child had written "LOVE YOU DAD."

The next day the man committed suicide...

ANGER and LOVE have no limits; choose the latter to have a beautiful, lovely life....things are to be used and people are to be loved, but the problem is that, people are used and things are loved.

-WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS; THEY BECOME WORDS.
-WATCH YOUR WORDS; THEY BECOME ACTIONS.
-WATCH YOUR ACTIONS; THEY BECOME HABITS.
-WATCH YOUR HABITS; THEY BECOME CHARACTER.
-WATCH YOUR CHARACTER; IT BECOMES YOUR DESTINY.

Think before you act! You never know what the consequences may be. You shouldn't put your belongings over the ones you love because everyone has the ability to love but objects do not. We're all meant to love each other. The objects put before us may seem like the most amazing things ever but we can't treat them as if they have feelings and we can't treat people like they're empty inside because you never know how your actions can really affect someone.

Quite Possibly The Coolest Person Ever.

This is Christa Black. If you don't know who she is you must get on myspace and listen to her music at http://myspace.com/christablack! It should be mandatory and if you like something you should share it right?

Christa Black is very beautiful. Inside and out. Her songs are amazing! I don't know her personally but based on her tweets on twitter, she seems to enjoy life and we all know how important that is. She seriously has enough talent for a small army. A talent that the whole world should see and enjoy. Everything about Christa Black reminds me of the song Bottle of Sunshine by Milkshake. (listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PHGVJ-DaSA ) The lyrics in Christa Black's songs are powerful. She makes the kinds of songs that you feel were written just for you. I fell in love with each song the moment I heard it.

She's touring with the Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, and Honor Society this summer playing in their band. I'm lucky to be going to them all and I'm super excited for it!

Basically, Christa Black inspires me so thank you Christa Black!!!

read her blog. she's such an inspiration! Her blog is more proof that we all need to know her. She's so special!!!

http://christablack.blogspot.com

Something everyone should try at least once.

Me and my mom saw this posted in the health department and we thought it was beautiful. It's true that life isn't easy but I think we should all celebrate that we have life and although it may be hard, we have to know that better days are ahead. Focus on the good things you have because you never know what might happen if they were just gone.

Story of a Blind Girl.

A blind girl hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, ‘If only I could only see the world, I will marry you.’

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her, ‘Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?’

The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind.The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn’t expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying:“Take good care of your eyes, my dear; before they were yours, they were mine.”

This is how human brain changes when the status changed.

Only few remember what life was before, and who’s always been there even in the most painful situations.

Life is A Gift.

Today before you think of saying an unkind word - Think of someone who can’t speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone ho’s crying out for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven/hell.

Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they’re barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn’t clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and thank — you’re alive and still around

Life is a gift - Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it, And Fulfill it.

80% Stay

1 in 3 teens are in an abusive relationship. 80% of those teens stay with their abuser. DoSomething.org started a campaign where they gave out free sets of braceles to raise awareness of relationship violence. I wear my bracelets everyday and I like to explain the meaning behind them. Everyone who ordered bracelets recieved three sets and each set included three bracelets, two black ones and a blue one, the blue representing a teen in an abusive relationship.

I'm not sure if people really realize how common dating/relationship abuse is. It can be hard for people to think of an harsh words as abuse but words hurt too. Just because the effects aren't clearly visible doesn't mean the actions caused no harm. Mental abuse is just as bad as physical abuse and it's sad that so many teens choose to stay with their abuser. What's worse is that some teens don't have an option out at all. We need to help them. No one should be treated badly by someone they care about, ever!

Relationships

I took this really cool quiz on teen relationships on stayteen.org and by taking the quiz you enter yourself into a really cool contest where you can win a trip or an iPod touch. The quiz is really easy and there are only three questions.


please visit stayteen.org to enter and take the quiz!!!!

on stayteen.org there is also a lot of information on the characteristics of a healthy relationship. It may be useful to you if you're wondering if the relationship you are in is normal or not. Overall, stayteen.org is a cool site even if you don't 100% believe in everything they promote.

think positive

I saw an amazing movie today. I cried at the end, it was so good. It's one of those movies that they should be playing at schools. It was really good. It's a lifetime movie, I love lifetime movies. The movie is called girl, posi+ive and it's about a girl who is HIV positive. I think it's the way they filmed the movie that kind of makes you think, makes it seem so real. It makes you realize how some people think about HIV/AIDs. I had a HOSA meeting back in December and it was amazing! I got together a crapload of all the facts and statistics, my health occupations teacher added some information, people asked important and common questions and got correct information in response. It was really one of my favorite meetings. Everyone thinks they know about HIV and AIDs, but how much do we really know? I think this movie helps throw out common misunderstanding and everyone should see it!

SocialVibe

I've been a member of SocialVibe for a while. It's a really cool website. Basically, you pick a cause and try to earn ponts for your cause. When you earn ponits, money is donated to your cause by one of your sponsors. My cause is Stand Up To Cancer. There are a lot of organizations that you can choose from, I think one of the most popular is To Write Love On Her Arms, they're amazing also. If you aren't a member you should join now and start giving back.

http://socialvibe.com
=)
sign up asap!!

Buckle Up!

May is National Buckle Up! month, so please buckle up! It also happens to be prom/graduation/wedding season which means a lot of parties, late nights, and probably alcohol which will most likely increase the number of accidents. You should always consider your safety on the road but this time of year, take special precautions this time of year, you never know what may happen. My prom was actually on the 2nd and we had a lot of fun! Everything was so beautiful! Keep nights like that precious as best as you can, buckle up and remember not to drink and drive.

Don't forget what you value. Your values are a part of you. Do you really ever want to lose yourself?

I've been making posters with some of my friends about bullying. They're really cute. We're incorporating lyrics from some great songs that usually uplift people's spirits when they're feeling down like certain lyrics from Hold On and A Little Bit Longer by the Jonas Brothers, The Climb by Miley Cyrus, and The Great Escape by Boys like Girls among others. I can probably post some of those pictures soon. People don't need to be hurt by their peers at school. It really need to come to an end! Hugs and Smiles over verbal punches!!

love our future, don't hurt it!

April is Child Abuse prevention month. I really did not know that until this past week. I'm following Demi Lovato on twitter and she posted a story about a young boy who committed suicide because he was tired of being bullied at school.
The full story can be viewed here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/23/bullying.suicide/index.html. It's unfortunate that a child can be hurt so much from his peers at school that he thought that the best way out was to kill himself. I can personally remembered being bullied as far back as kindergarten, I'm a junior in high school now and I still occasionally see bullying around school among teenagers and even in the younger children I sometimes work with. It really hurts to get bullied, It's one of the worst things you can experience. I'm so glad the Demi Lovato is taking a stand agaisnt bullying and child abuse because with her fame, she can raise awareness of child abuse and bullying everywhere so that there aren't anymore tragic stories about young people commiting suicide due to the pain caused from bullying.
At http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/StompOutBullying/ they have really cute wristbands and other products and information on bullying. I hope to get my wristband in the mail soon!

Here are some thoughts on Child Abuse and Bullying from some awesome teens!

• I really think that bullying has to deal with repressed self-esteem issues and flaw of character. It's very wrong because not only is that person expressing their anger in a violent matter but it causes pyschological and physical harm to whoever is suffering from it. -G.B. female, age 16

• I believe it's a trickle down process. Bullies are most likely being victimized at home, and then decide to retaliate on another person. Since they feel helpless at home, the feel as if they can take on a harder persona elsewhere and bully others. -C.E. female, 16

• I think that it's bad and it's just people taking out their anger or actiing out of boredom. I also think that sometimes people bully others because they had it done to them. -S.M. female, age 16

Demi Lovato's PSA. She's amazing!!!