Recapturing Beauty Day 3: Accentuate the Positive

Photo by Julie Blackmon. 

Today's challenge is to list 20 positive things about yourself - 10 that deal with your appearance and 10 that do not. Here goes:


10 things I like about myself:
*I'm not afraid to laugh. 
*I'm not afraid to express my emotions as I used to be. 
*I've been blessed with the ability to sing and opportunities to use it. 
*I am an active blogger who uses her blog to share her testimony and has been able to touch other people through it. 
*I'm loved by some pretty incredibly people.
*I know how to work hard.
*I am loyal and supportive to the people I love. 
*Yesterday I made a sculpture of Perry the Platypus!
*I give a pretty mean bear hug. 
*I am a daughter of God. 


10 things I like about my appearance:
*This may sound funny, but I love my moles. I have tons of them all over my arms and legs and entire body, but I don't mind because they make me who I am. They are something special God has given to me. 
*I've inherited some cute little toes. 
*My eyes squint when I smile or laugh. It's kinda ridiculous and makes picture-taking a challenge, but I think it more fully expresses the joy I have in my life. 
*I love my long, blonde hair - especially when I have the chance to curl it! 
*I look a lot like my mom, my dad, and both of my siblings. I love being connected with such wonderful people!
*I'm starting to develop dancer's feet with blisters and scrapes and bruises that testify of the hard work I've put into this art that I love. 
*I have small hands that fit snugly into large, kind, protective ones.
*I have dark blue eyes with some crazy green and brown flecks in there. They're an adventure in and of themselves!
*I'm not too short and not too tall; I feel like I'm just the right size. (Well...I feel that way most of the time.)
*I have a healthy body that gives me opportunities that many people never have. 


(I hope you weren't bored or annoyed by that. I  absolutely hate writing about myself because I feel like I'm being narcissistic like one of these girls - but hopefully my lists helped you to think of things that you love about yourself because you are pretty fabulous and I sure love you!)


Anyway, as hard as those lists were to write, I am grateful for them. I didn't realize just how critical I am of myself until I had to think of those 20 things! I don't think God wants us to dwell on all that we lack; instead, I think He would have us focus on our strengths and build from there. I think I'll start working harder on that.

Recapturing Beauty Day 2: God's Definition of Beauty

Tuesday's challenge was to research God's definition of beauty and read Elder Lynn G. Robbins' talk "True Beauty." He discussed how true, radiant beauty does not come from our appearance but from our hearts. It comes through living the Gospel, being cleansed by the Atonement of Christ, and growing closer to the Lord. And the people that do that have a loveliness that cannot be imitated, a light that cannot be hid. 


There are some women who seem to be beautiful, who seem to be perfectly skinny and have all the expensive fashions, and sometimes I wish I looked like them. But when I think of the beautiful women in my life, these are not the faces I picture. The most beautiful women in my life are my heroes and role models, the women who exemplify Christ and are an example to me


Some of the most beautiful women in my life are my mother who teaches me about the Savior through her testimony and her example, and whose love is so powerful that I feel it even 704 miles away; my best friend's mother Diane who is one of the most selfless, stalwart people I know; my roommate Courtney who is so full of joy and love that it rubs off on everyone she meets; my sister who has great big dreams to change the world and a bright faith in the God who will lead her there; my friend Nicole who has faced incredible challenges but continues to push forward with a faith and courage that leaves me in awe; my dance teacher who sees the best in each of us and teaches us to be artists and dance with the Spirit; the many women in my home ward and stake who embrace their roles as mothers and nurturers, building up the Kingdom of God in their own unique way; and leaders in the Church such as Emma Smith, Marjorie Pay Hinckley,  Elaine S. Dalton, and Julie B. Beck. These are the women who are truly beautiful to the Lord. These are the women who I want to be like. 


In a world that shouts so many contradictory messages at us, I am deeply grateful for the knowledge that my Heavenly Father loves me perfectly and thinks I am beautiful just the way I am. 


"True beauty can’t be painted on but is a gift of the Spirit. It is literally letting your light shine before men. When virtue is combined with obedience to the Lord’s laws of health and respect for the human body, young people truly become temples in which the Holy Ghost dwells, giving them a beautiful aura. It is this beauty that is most becoming and enduring." 

-Lynn G. Robbins, "True Beauty"

Recapturing Beauty: Day 1

Photo by Nika Fadul.

Today's assignment for the Recapturing Beauty Challenge is to take 10 minutes to write all the things you are grateful that your body can do. I've been thinking about this all day and it has really helped me feel more confident and content with who I am. 


I am grateful for a body that fills me with breath every moment of every day. 
I am grateful for a body that wakes up each morning. 
I am grateful for a body that lets me walk, skip, run, and dance. 
I am grateful for arms that can hug my sweet roommate as I leave the house in the morning. 
(And I'm so very grateful for that sweet roommate - but that's a post for another day.)
I am grateful for hands that can tousle my little brother's blonde hair. 
I am grateful for eyes that can see the yellow leaves of autumn, the pink and purple sky of sunset, and the golden kiss of sunshine. 
I am grateful for ears that can hear music, and for vocal chords that can sing along. 
I am grateful for a nose that can smell yummy food, and for a mouth that can taste it. 
I am grateful for skin that can feel the warmth of sunshine, the cool drops of rain, and the embraces of those I love. 
I am grateful for a mouth that can smile, a head that tilts towards the heavens when I laugh, and eyes that squint up when I do. 
I am grateful for my toes that wriggle as I type this, and the ability to paint them pretty colors. 
I am grateful for my legs, strong and steady, that ground me. They carry me up those dreaded stairs and around campus every day with hardly any thanks. They endure lifts and kicks and turns in my dance class without a complaint. They anchor me and yet provide me mobility. They are amazing. 
I am grateful for a belly that receives. It receives breath, it receives food, and it takes those and miraculously turns them into life. That is a miracle. 
I am grateful for hands that can work, that can play, that can create. 
I am grateful for a mind that can think, and create, and soak in the beauty of this life and all that God has given me. 


Wow. I feel so richly blessed. 

The Recapturing Beauty Challenge!

The BYU Women's Services and Resources Center is sponsoring a 10 day body image challenge from October 11-20. I'm doing it, and you should too! You just give them your email address and they will email you the packet of information (which means some of you far-away-friends can probably participate too!) There is a simple challenge for each day, such as learning about God's definition of beauty, maintaining positive thoughts, or simply taking a nap. Plus, you get an awesome free t-shirt!

Yeah, it's pretty much a win-win situation. And I can't wait!