Days 9 and 10!

Today was the final challenge of the Women's Service Center 10 Day Body Image Challenge! Yesterday was all about treating yourself - I got Thai Food, watched a chick flick while eating ice cream, and took an awesome nap. Felt wonderful, even though my anthropology paper wasn't too happy about it :)

Today was the final challenge in the Wilk - where I received this awesome t-shirt. We did an activity where we had to literally label all the negative things we used to think about ourselves and one by one removed the negative labels, showcasing the beauty underneath. The speaker also read You Are Special by Max Lucado, which really brought out the main point of the whole challenge - that everyone is beautiful, because our Maker made us the way we are supposed to be.

When we came to this earth, we were so excited to receive the bodies that Heavenly Father had specially created for us. Why is it that we always forget that, and constantly see nothing but flaws in our bodies? I may not be "beautiful" the way Us Weekly or Victoria's Secret sees beauty, but I love my body for what it is and what it can do for me. And I thank God every minute for it.

My name is Chelsey Saatkamp. I have pale skin, a freckled face, blue eyes, long blonde hair, a love for film and culture, a wicked sense of humor, a knack for seeing the best in people, and a fairly intelligent mind. So therefore,

I.AM.BEAUTIFUL.

Day 8

Pay attention to your thoughts today. Practice challenging your negative thoughts and replacing them with more truthful ones.

Some negative thoughts I had today and how I turned my frowns upside down:

• People probably think I'm annoying - I have this thought every now and then when I talk to my friends and get a curt reply back. I don't think I'm an annoying person - more likely they were just busy or having a bad day.
• (Upon seeing a baby) Yeah I'll never have one of those, as it kind of requires meeting someone who's attracted to you, dating them, and then getting married, all of which will never happen to me. - I can't predict what's in the future. Besides, I'm only 19. Babies aren't on the menu for another 6 years at least.
  
• My life is not that exciting - it so is. What happens matters, right?

So that's that. No more Negative Nancy for me :)

On a more fun note, my good friend Kailee tagged me in this little note. She asked me 8 questions, of which I'm supposed to answer and then tag more people. So see if you're on the list!

1. If you could only listen to one artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?
Probably Snow Patrol. I don't know why, I just love them and never get sick of them like I do some artists. I think it's because they have a good mix of upbeat and slow. And Gary Lightbody has an ahmazing voice. Everyone knows Chasing Cars but also listen to: Run, You're All I Have, Set the Fire to the Third Bar, and Chocolate. And if I ever DO get married, my future husband better propose with 'Just Say Yes' in the background. I'm just sayin'

2. Do you/did you sleep with a stuffed animal and what is it?
I used to sleep with this giant white bear I got when I was born. I don't really have any stuffed animals now (except the hippogriff I got from HP world haha) and I certainly don't sleep with them. They kinda creep me out now, actually. Must be Toy Story 3.

3. What is your favorite Disney movie?
Beauty and the Beast. Hands down. Lion King is a close second, but the music, animation, and storyline of Beauty and the Beast is just superb. She's also one of the few "princesses" that isn't completely spineless and lame.

4. What is one thing in your life you regret doing or not doing?
I regret not getting involved as much in stuff last year. I also wish I hadn't discovered Hulu. Procrastinator's nightmare.

5. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
Just getting to write about whatever I want, whatever I think will inspire people. Not to say I'm inspiring, but it's a nice outlet for my thoughts.

6. What is your most embarrassing moment?
When I threw up all over my Arthur books on Arthur Day in 1st grade. I never lived it down. I was forever known as the girl who hurled all over Buster.

7. If you could change your name to something else, what would it be?
Laquisha. Because it's an awesome name, and it would also mean I was black. Which I wish I was :)

8. What is one of your greatest accomplishments in life?
Getting into BYU and it's PR program!!

I tag:

• Lyse
• Miranda
• Shirley
  
• BrittanyHeather
• Mckenna

Day 7

Tune out the media - no movies, magazines, internet surfing, etc.

Today was really hard. It's a well known fact that my life is pretty much centered around media. I'm a self-proclaimed TV, movie, and Internet addict. And I had just received my new issues of Us Weekly and Entertainment Weekly today, and I didn't even get to read them. But that's probably a good thing because Us Weekly always has a story about "25 Diet Secrets to Help You Look Like Celebrity X," or something along those lines. Definitely the opposite of what this challenge is about. So today, instead of being bombarded with images of skinny, airbrushed, unrealistic looking celebrities, I took the time to do more substantial things. I read my scriptures, read a book, cleaned my room, called up some friends, got some homework done, and actually cooked a nice meal. I felt so productive today - something I don't normally feel when I spend half my day watching television.

And as promised - here are some pictures of my adventures at Fork Fest yesterday!

Day 6

Woo it's been a long day. I'm gonna keep this post short because I'm exhausted. But today was so great. I saw The Social Network, which was amazing and highly interesting. (Oh Mark Zuckerburg. You're a cad but I still use your website anyway). I also went to Fork Fest, where I listened to some amazing bands and distributed The Vanguard! It was so cool seeing people scattered around, reading our paper. So legit, man. I'll put up pictures tomorrow.

Day 6 - Refrain from telling fat jokes or talking about weight in general.

This is usually never a problem for me because I abhor people who tell these types of jokes or make these types of statements. And I certainly have no room to tell them. But I do sometimes have a tendency to self-deprecate myself, like I almost did when putting on my Vanguard Tshirt today. But I didn't. Who cares what people think, really? I am beautiful. Night all.

Day 5

Let me just start by saying that TODAY WAS AN AMAZING DAY!!! First of all, I GOT ACCEPTED INTO THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAM!!! (Sorry for the all-caps. I'm just that stoked.) Today I also went to Humor U, which is always a good time. (But let's be honest - I just go for Stephen Jones.) And finally, tonight was the release party of The Vanguard!! The paper looks so good - I can't believe it actually happened. I'm a legitimate journalist now, folks. It's real. All of the articles are awesome and everyone we've talked to is really excited about it so I really hope it'll become big. We're trying to create a paper that discusses real, intellectual issues and local scenes that Provo/Orem students actually care about, so I hope you tell all your friends about it. And ask me for a copy come Monday! Or come to Fork Fest tomorrow - we're distributing some early copies there.

In other news, here's the challenge for Day 5!

Exercise for fun - choose a form of exercise you enjoy, one you wouldn't normally choose because it calls attention to your body.

I'll be the first to admit it. I hate exercise. It definitely does not equate to fun in my book. But it's necessary - unfortunately. So today, my exercising was dancing. Sure, it was a party and some don't even consider it real exercise, but dancing definitely burns some calories and it's not exactly something I'm comfortable doing. One reason I don't really like going to dances is because it calls attention to my body and my atrocious dance moves. No one really wants to see it. But today - I let them see it. And I had a lot of fun in the process. Everyone was acting ridiculous, so my dancing fit right in :)

Here are some pics of my day:
1) my acceptance letter!
2) Me and Brit getting pumped for Humor U
3) The Vanguard Ladies
4) The Vanguard! I'm so proud! :)

Day 4

How much time do you spend getting ready each day? Today, use that same amount of time to get ready on the inside. Meditate, write in your journal, or perform an act of service.

Well, to be honest, I only spend about 15-30 minutes getting ready each day. (The snooze button is my best friend). So I feel that over-stressing about how I look in the morning isn't really a problem I struggle with. But I spent about a half hour today just laying on my bed, listening to music, and thinking about what I really want in life. I came to the conclusion that I need to stop stressing and over-planning like I always do. Hardly anything goes according to my plans, anyway. Life is much more fun and interesting when you're more spontaneous.

Another thing I really thought hard about are my insecurities. I thought about why I'm insecure about certain things, and realized it was because I kept comparing my experiences to the experiences of other people. And I really need to stop doing that. Just because I don't have a boyfriend, or an internship, or a million other things that other people seem to have doesn't mean my life isn't just as exciting or interesting. In fact, I am involved in a lot of interesting things right now. I just need to stop coveting.

"We just get the one life, you know. Just one. You can't live someone else's or think it's more important just because it's more dramatic. What happens matters. Maybe only to us, but it matters." ~ Gwen, Ghost Town

In other news, I find out about PR tomorrow! I'm just trying not to think about it until that (acceptance) letter is in my hands!

Also, you should check out Imagine Dragons. I'm really getting into their music. Listen to All Eyes and Hear Me. They'll be performing at Fork Fest along with Joshua James, Fictionist, Shark Speed, Isaac Russell, and many others. I'm way excited!!

Day 2 and 3

So sorry for being late on these journal entries, but my whole day yesterday was spent writing an 8 page paper and today was pretty busy as well. But I have some time now! Hope you enjoy.

Day 2: Study what beauty is from a gospel perspective.

1 Corinthians 3:16 - "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

1 Samuel 16:7 - "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

These scriptures really mean so much to me. Often we judge ourselves based on what the world sees as beautiful, which is ridiculous because the world's judge of beauty is completely wrong. We should be focused on what Heavenly Father sees as beauty, because His opinion is what matters most in the grand scheme of things. The Lord cares not so much for our outward appearance, although we should take the best care of it that we can because our bodies are god given temples. By best care, however, I mean not so much makeup and ornamenting ourselves but instead keeping ourselves healthy and free from things that would harm our body. The Lord cares more about what is in our hearts than what is on our bodies.

I also really enjoyed Lynn G. Roberts talk titled, "True Beauty." He states that "it isn’t just about cosmetics or clothing. What makes a young woman truly attractive comes from her heart," and that "happiness is the most attractive accessory a woman can have." How true. Think about it, men - a woman's face might attract you at first, but if she's always a downer, has no confidence in herself, and hates the world around her, then that attraction's gonna dwindle pretty fast. I truly believe that a smile can make a person 10,000 times more beautiful. So smile, girls, and be thankful for everything you've got.

Day 3 - Make a list of 10 positive things you like about yourself that have nothing to with your appearance and 10 positive things that have to do with your appearance.

Things I love about myself:

1. I'm a good listener and love being the girl anyone can talk to about anything at all.
2. I never make first judgments about people and always give someone the benefit of the doubt.
   
3. I can see both sides of almost every issue pretty easily.
   
4. I'm loyal and trustworthy - I don't tell people's secrets and will stand by my friends no matter what.
   
5. I'm fairly intelligent. A 3.9 GPA is not too shabby.
   
6. I make a mean guacamole.
   
7. I'm not a picky eater.
   
8. I may not be too talented in the arts or music departments, but that's ok because I'm the amazing audience that everyone needs. I'm able to fully appreciate other people's talents.
   
9. I'm really chill about things and never have drama directly in my life.
   
10. I'm a hard worker and have always received positive reviews at any job I've had - and I've worked in many various industries, so I know I can learn to do almost anything.

Things I love about my appearance:

1. The color of my eyes
   
2. My freckles.
   
3. My long blonde hair
4. My ears to hear
5. My hands to feel
6. My tongue to taste delicious things
7. My mouth to talk
8. My huge feet. Really.
   
9. My height
10. How my second toe is longer than my big toe.

Wow, it was hard to stop at 10, especially with the first list :) I encourage you all to make lists of your own, it really does help you realize that you've got a lot more going on than you first thought.

“Pretty is something you're born with. But beautiful, that's an equal opportunity adjective.”

Day 1

Today is Day 1 of the 10 Day Body Image Challenge that the Women's Service Center is throwing. i signed up for this challenge for a couple of reasons. One, because I really want that Beautiful T-shirt you get at the end, and two, because I have quite a lot to work on self-confidence wise. It's no big secret that I've always been insecure about my body and weight, and over time I have come to embrace it little by little, but I definitely still have a lot to work on in that department. I need to reassure myself that I am beautiful, no matter what the world may think.

We're technically supposed to write our thoughts about each challenge in our journal, but since I don't really have a journal (this blog basically counts as it) and since I don't mind sharing my thoughts with you guys, I thought I'd just write it on here. So here goes:

Day 1: write a list of things that you are grateful your body can do

• I'm grateful that my body is not crippled and that I am able to move freely, and run, jump, swim, or whatever else I choose to do
• My body allows me to think and utilize my brain to the best of its ability
• I can write my thoughts, pick up things, use tools, and do many other things with my wonderful hands
• I'm glad I'm tall and able to reach things
• I love my freckles and my fair skin
• My blue eyes allow me to see the beauties of the world and my ears allow me to hear
• My awesome tongue lets me enjoy chocolate. and cheese.
  
• My mouth allows me to say what's on my mind, laugh, and tell rad jokes
• I can breathe. That's pretty necessary.
• I'm glad I've never done drugs and alcohol and that my body is free from those addictive and harmful substances
• I'm thankful for my heartbeats, my lungs, and my nervous system, and all those things that keep me alive and let me enjoy life

Wow, that was easier than I thought :) I'm really excited for the rest of this challenge.

In other news, I had my birthday party with Kailee and Kelly this past weekend! It was a lot of fun, especially seeing Kelly's um, friends. Haha. But I'm glad I could just celebrate with some awesome people and enjoy a nice break from school and work and everything else. (Ugh Anthropology...) Here are some pics from the party. Oh, and I'm still waiting for my presents, mother.