You are Beautiful

Countless emails went back and forth between our group members when discussing what type of video we would produce. We were pretty set on doing an exercise video, but that has already been done, and I had another idea stirring in my head. I tried to think of something that people would actually buy, or that there is a want for. My idea was to make a motivational video that we would advertise to watch every morning to ensure you had a good day. I think mornings are crucial in determining the outcome of your day. When I first read The Secret, and followed their morning rituals, I truly felt a difference in my emotions throughout the day. What The Secret suggested was with every step you take from getting out of bed, to the bathroom, think of something you are grateful for. Continue this thought while you are brushing your teeth. Oprah, or rather, a guest on Oprah, suggested something similar: to keep a diary of “things I am grateful for” and write in it every day. The point is to acknowledge not just the big things, but also the little things, like the sunshine that is shining on me as I write this post. I highly suggest participating in this act of gracefulness on a daily basis, to remain humble, and aware of how lucky you are.

So we decided to make a motivational video to start your day. We each came with quotes that touched us, and that we wanted to share with others. After we started filming ourselves, we wanted to get others involved. One of our quotes was, “look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I am beautiful.’” So, we asked others to say “I am beautiful” in our camera, which we thought would liven up our video.

Before today, I don’t think I’ve ever said, “I am beautiful.” I know, I’ve said, “that’s beautiful,” or, “you look beautiful,” but, never to myself. It brought about a combination of feeling embarrassed, and not beautiful at all, based on the sheer lack of confidence to say these three words. I wasn’t alone with these feelings, as many people wouldn’t say these words into our camera. When asked why, one gentleman, said, “Because I don’t lie.” My heart dropped a moment, and realized that our little video assignment definitely made some people feel uncomfortable and bad about themselves. However, we did get some eager candidates, which was nice. Some even further extended the phrase by saying they were “so…beautiful” (cough, cough…Ian Reily) In all seriousness, I hope Ian does believe he is beautiful, because I do, and apparently so does Lipton. I thought it was cute in class when Lipton said Ian was beautiful, and I can’t help to think that this thought stemmed from our encounter earlier in the day. This goes along with what The Secret describes as the law of attraction. If you think beautiful thoughts, beauty will come to you.

Our initial thought of our video transformed into something else, as we were taping. We thought video taping people saying “I am beautiful” would be effective in visualizing our thought. To achieve success and emotional fulfillment, you must love yourself and truly believe that you are a beautiful whole entity.

I took on the job of editing and uploading the video onto You Tube, since only one person can really handle that. That in itself was its own learning experience, and I’m glad I now know how to do it.

I think this was our last group assignment, unless we fit in the podcast before Wednesday. If not, I think our group ended on a high note, and overall the process was a great learning experience. I’d like to thank my group for their collaborative efforts, hard work, and determination to get these done. We worked well together. Things just seemed to fall into place for us. I thank you all.