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Like us on Facebook
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November 10, 2011
New Balance is proud to welcome Caitlin Boyle as our new Wellness guest editor. She believes healthy living is more than eating right and exercising — it's about embracing a positive self-image. Caitlin's career focuses on encouraging individuals of all ages to be their best "self". In her blog, Healthy Tipping Point, she shares healthy tips and real-life examples on how to find the perfect balance. Caitlin is also the founder of Operation Beautiful, a campaign that promotes positive affirmation and urges women to speak out against the use of "fat-talk". As an author and motivational speaker, she uses her personal struggles and experiences to connect with individuals from all walks of life.
Her search for a healthy balance began as she was saying "goodbye" to her college days and "hello" to a full-time career. Recognizing that late nights and poor eating habits left her with little energy, she took up running — a decision that completely changed her life. Today, Caitlin shares her love for running with the non-profit organization Girls on the Run. By giving back, she hopes that future generations of young girls will find the same happiness and health she did with running.
Can you talk to us about Girls on the Run and your work with the organization? What inspired you to get involved?
Girls on the Run is a wonderful non-profit organization that helps third through fifth grade girls. Twice a week for 12 weeks, 15 girls meet with at least two trained coaches and learn important life skills, like developing self-esteem or stopping bullying, while training to run a 5K. At the end of the season, the girls participate in a community wide non-competitive 5K. It's a very transformative event for the girls and the coaches, too. I got involved with the organization because its mission perfectly aligns with my own goals— to be healthy, happy, and help others. I've been a coach for three seasons, and was voted Rookie Coach of the Year in Charlotte.
Do you have a favorite or most memorable moment from your experience with Girls on the Run?
It was raining, so my troop headed indoors to the gym to play. The lesson involved organizing as a team to cross a jump rope without touching it, while the other coach and I slowly rotated. All of the girls got across, but one little girl was very scared of tripping over the rope and couldn't make herself jump. "Kate, Kate, Kate!" everyone chanted. But then, Kate started to cry. We comforted her and told her that she could do it. After a few minutes, she prepared to jump the rope again, and we all fell silent. She ran towards it, leaped across it, and cleared it! We erupted into cheers and shouts and lifted her up on our shoulders. Nearly everyone was crying. It was such a magical moment that highlights what GOTR is about—facing your fears with the help of others.
You've also founded Operation Beautiful. Can you talk about the inspiration behind the movement and what you hope to accomplish?
OperationBeautiful.com is a blog and a book (Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way You See Yourself One Post-It Note at a Time). Operation Beautiful involves posting random notes in public places for other people to find. These notes typically encourage a positive body image or outlook. They include phrases like "You are beautiful inside and out" or "Scales measure weight, not worth." The site launched in June 2009 and I've received over 8,000 notes from all over the world since it started—including notes from Asia, Europe, and Africa. Women, men, and teens post notes in places like bathrooms, library books, and on gym scales.
What has been the best part about the Operation Beautiful experience for you?
My favorite part is when I hear from high school girls who hold sleepovers with their friends and stay up all night, creating many colorful Operation Beautiful notes with positive messages. Then, they go to school early in the morning and "bomb" the bathroom with hundreds and hundreds of notes. Many groups have reported that there is less bullying, and people seemed more positive in the days following the notes.
Molly Barker, founder of Girls on the Run
You do a lot of work inspiring self-confidence in others - what has been a driving force behind your own positive outlook?
There's a famous quote that goes a little something like this—"being positive and being negative require the same amount of energy, but positivity makes everything else easier." When I finally began to really understand that and implement the philosophy in my life, I was floored at how wonderful everyday things seemed and how troubles didn't impact me as much.
Is there something or someone that you draw inspiration from?
I am very much inspired by Molly Barker, the founder of Girls on the Run. She had a dream and she ran with it. Now, over ¼ million girls have gone through the program. Molly is an amazing, inspiring person.
With such a demanding schedule, how do you manage to maintain a healthy work/life balance?
My biggest life/work balance tip is to stop multitasking. It doesn't work. Everything just ends up being halfway decent. I focus on one project for several hours and then I check email, instead of checking it constantly. Also, I think it's important to plan your day in advance, blocking off time for each of your activities—like work, exercise, and cooking. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
How do you handle unexpected stress?
Unexpected stress is so… well, stressful! And I tend to feel overwhelmed very quickly. I make a real effort to practice deep breathing to calm myself down. I also ask myself, "will this matter in 30 days? 6 months? A year?" More often than not, the answer is no.
As someone who eats very healthy, what's your indulgence or guilty pleasure?
I really don't like to think of food in terms of 'good' and 'bad' and actually enjoy to eat a healthy, clean diet. But I do have some favorite treats – like salsa and chips from Mexican restaurants, buttery mashed potatoes, and ice cream. If I could get all my vitamins and nutrients from mashed potatoes, I probably would!
What's the best piece of advice you wish someone had given you?
Focus on the everyday decisions. Make healthy choices bit-by-bit. Don't get caught up in the future or the could-have-beens. Today is really all you have.
