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MentorCONNECT's Weekly Mentoring Moment
A Chance to Build New Skills for Mentoring Matchups
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February 22, 2010
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| Theme for the Week:
Choose Recovery. Choose Life. |
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| Welcome to this month's Good News!
And mark your calendar for next month's teleconference on Wednesday, March 17, with Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund, who will share her recovery story and more.
We'd like to welcome our newest sponsor, Rogers Memorial Hospital. You will find more information about them and their work within this ezine. Thank you for supporting MentorCONNECT! :-)
See you on tonight's and Thursday night's live chat.
If you are on Facebook, Twitter or MySpace, be sure to look MentorCONNECT up, and say "Hello!" -- we are looking forward to connecting with you online! :-)
Shannon, Jeanette, Andrea, Lynn, Cheryl, & Thom
(your MC Leadership & Advisory Team) |
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Mentoring "Thought for the Week"
Goodbye, Ed.
Thank you for what you have taught me about life, other people, and me.
I am the better for it.
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"MentorCONNECT is always on my
mind, whether its through Cheryl's infamous phrase, Jeanette's regular
affirmations, singing, or the love I can feel from no matter I am in
the US, MC is a God saving grace for me. No matter where I am in my
recovery, I know that the unconditional acceptance I receive from
everyone here is irreplaceable, precious, and one-of-a-kind. I love you
all, more then words can ever describe."
By Jenn Sternecker
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Join us on Wednesday, March 17: MC Teleconference Series
Love Your Body, Rock the World:
Why RECOVERY Was the Best Choice I Ever Made!
 Kirsten Haglund, Miss America 2008,
didn't always have the confidence to step onstage and compete in the
nation's most prestigious pageant. Now 21, a crowned champion, talented
musician, tireless advocate, and founder of the Kirsten Haglund Foundation,
she still remembers all too well the difficult days before she chose
recovery. Kirsten began struggling with her eating disorder in her
teens. But then she had to make a choice. Kirsten chose life. She chose recovery. She chose her dreams. And look at her today!
In
this moving and powerful teleconference, Kirsten will share her story,
answer your questions, give insight into her work to raise treatment
scholarship money and lobby for healthcare reform, and most importantly
convey the message that it is what is on the inside that makes our beauty shine - and last!
Click HERE To listen to past podcasts
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Together we ARE making a difference!
Dear MentorCONNECT member,
Happy National Eating Disorders Awareness Week month!
And Happy Birthday to MentorCONNECT - on February 1, 2010, the first global eating disorders mentoring community turns one year old!
This month is so special to all of us - because in the last twelve months, we found each other. We learned that we are never too ill to give support, and never too healthy to need support ourselves. We experienced how "relationships replace eating disorders"
as we joined together to pay it forward by leaving a legacy of hands-on
hope and help for every person who suffers from an eating disorder.
As the founder and Executive Director of MentorCONNECT, I look back over the last twelve months with awe, respect, and gratitude at our growing community. MentorCONNECT is run by a tireless volunteer team
of leaders and mentors who collectively donate hundreds of hours every
single week to ensure that no sufferer who comes to us seeking help is
ever turned away. This work takes a village - and we are one strong, determined, and dedicated village!
A Mentee Member About MentorCONNECT:
"MentorCONNECT has been very helpful
for me in my recovery journey. After joining, I looked forward to
receiving a mentor, and when I did I was amazed at her wisdom and
insight. While having the support of a therapist, doctor, and others is
very helpful and often necessary, I have found this additional support
to be very beneficial. It is great to be able to talk through various issues with someone who's been through struggles similar to yours.
They tend to have a different perspective from those who have never
dealt with ED. I also find the weekly online chats to be helpful. They
remind me of my recovery goals and equip me with courage to face the
challenges of a new week. -Joan
Here are just a few of our many accomplishments as a community in our launch year of 2009:
-In our first 12 months of operations, we responded to almost 1,000 requests for membership
-We
presented information and literature about adding a mentor to the
integrated treatment team at three major eating disorders conferences
-We
distributed information to 2,500 interested individual providers and
treatment centers, many of whom then referred clients back to our
community for ongoing support
-We
launched a free monthly teleconference series that provides our members
and the larger community with one-on-one access to the wisdom of
leading experts in the field
-We
expanded our services to provide mentoring support for members both
female and male and ages 15-62 in 12 countries worldwide
-We established the Pro Recovery Talk Rocks! Campaign highlighting our stringent pro-recovery policy and establishing MentorCONNECT as the first fully pro-recovery, moderated online support community
-We
partnered with three sister organizations, the Binge Eating Disorders
Association (BEDA), Eating Disorder Hope, and Beyond Eating Disorders,
to provide online support services as a source of ancillary support for
their membership
-We welcomed four new Leadership board members and drafted our state and federal paperwork to incorporate MentorCONNECT as a 501 c-3 non-profit organization in 2010
-We
recruited and trained 65 volunteer mentors to work in one-on-one
mentoring matches with sufferers and we supervised 80 mentoring teams
Members About MentorCONNECT:
"Being on MentorCONNECT has helped me see that there's a lot of people out there that get it and care. MentorCONNECT has really been that missing link for me.
It's like I can actually use my skills and everything I've learned [in
treatment and with my therapist] because I know I'm supported. When I'm
struggling I know I can get online or make a call. I have hope now that
I personally know more people that have really recovered." -Katie
"I would just like to say THANK YOU for MentorCONNECT. It has been such a blessing in my life and a fantastic recovery tool!" -Elizabeth
The most important thing we need to remember about MentorCONNECT, however, is that membership and all services continue to be FREE to our members.
This is why we are inviting you to celebrate MentorCONNECT's one year birthday by becoming a MentorCONNECT Founding Member in 2010. If
you are receiving this email, you are a founding member of an
organization that is the first of its kind anywhere in the world!
As a founding member, you are part of MentorCONNECT's
extended leadership and have the opportunity to say "thanks!" for all
that you have received and pay it forward to new members who need
support by making a donation of your choice towards our operating
expenses in 2010.
In exchange for your annual membership donation of $25 or more, you will receive a membership certificate signed by the entire MentorCONNECT Founding Leadership Team and you will be recognized as a founding member on a special MentorCONNECT web page dedicated to YOU (you may also choose to remain anonymous if you prefer).
So
we invite you now to click the link below and register your intention
to help lead and support your community as a founding member in 2010.
YES! I am ready to support my community
as a MentorCONNECT Founding Member!
Click HERE to make your donation
Thank
you again for helping to make our community's first year such a
remarkable, memorable, and heart-warming twelve months. We are excited
to continue our journey together in 2010 and beyond!
With appreciation, respect, and love,
Shannon
Shannon Cutts
Founder/Director
....on behalf of the MentorCONNECT Leadership Team
What members are saying about MentorCONNECT:
It's Saving My Life!
A Mentee Member About MentorCONNECT
"I really feel like I'm starting to grow. I think
that the biggest role in my growth has been sharing so openly with my
mentor and through the blogs. I'm finally able to get thoughts out of
my head and not feel so overwhelmed and bogged down by them. I am
starting to be able to recognize my needs. I'm also starting to recognize/ distinguish between the Ed voice and my voice,
what Ed wants and what I want. This stuff has been so important for me.
I know that I wouldn't be where I'm at without all the support on this
site! Thank you so much for being here!!! It's saving my life!" -Leslie Ann
There Is Nothing More Rewarding Than Knowing You Are Making Even the Smallest Bit of a Difference
A Mentor Member About MentorCONNECT
"This program is amazing. It feels so good to be able to mentor and help someone and possibly make it a bit easier for them.
There is nothing more rewarding than knowing you are making even the
smallest bit of a difference in someone's life. When you have been
where they have been, when you have experienced, first-hand, the pain
and the frustration and the sorrow, you know what it's like. The
greatest feeling is knowing that you are lessening that for someone.
You can see the relief from them when you simply say, "I've been there. I get it. It gets better." Being able to help, and being able to use my struggles to better someone else's life is truly as good as it gets." -Jen
YES! I am ready to support my community as a MentorCONNECT Founding Member!
Click HERE to make your donation
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Hey Ed! You are not welcome inside the "Circle of Hope"!
Did you know that MentorCONNECT has its own "Ed Armor"? Designed by MentorCONNECT founder Shannon, the MC "Circle of Hope" Pendant (which appears alongside the M entorCONNECT logo) reminds ALL of us that the relationships we have here with each other really DO replace eating disorders! The
best news of all is that, whether you order MC Ed Armor for yourself or
to show your support for a friend who is struggling, you will also be
giving back to your community! 100% of sales proceeds go back to MentorCONNECT to help with overhead, expenses, and new programs (like our upcoming retreat!)
To order MC Ed Armor, just click HERE |
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Welcome to our newest sponsor!
Thank you for your support. We're excited to have you!
Rogers Memorial Hospital - specialized treatment programs for eating disorders
We are a not-for-profit provider, nationally recognized for our
evidence-based treatment of eating disorders, serving thousands of
patients and their families. Medical Director Theodore E. Weltzin, MD
leads a team of more than 80 professionals who specialize in eating
disorders. High quality treatment programs are available for
individuals struggling with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge
Eating Disorder, and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (ED-NOS).
Intensive CBT treatment is provided for co-occurring anxiety
disorders. We offer separate programs for children, teens, men and
women and provide three levels of care for every age group - inpatient,
partial hospitalization and residential. Our residential treatment
facilities are located on 50 acres of beautiful lake country. Most major insurance plans are accepted, minimizing out-of pocket expenses.
Call 800-767-4411, ext. 1310 today for more information or to schedule a tour.
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Beating ANA Study Group
The "New You"
When
we have for a time kept continual company with our eating disorder, it
can get confusing to figure out which "me" we are - the old-me who is
living life through the eating disorder's eyes, opinions, and actions,
or the new-me who sees glimpses from time to time of what life free
from an eating disorder is like.
And sometimes the power
struggles between these two "me's" can get pretty intense! The most
intense part often comes, however, when we blame old-me for not
becoming new-me quickly enough. Just as it took time to get to know
ourselves in company with our eating disorder, and during that time our
connection with, trust in, and reliance on our eating disordered
thoughts and behaviors grew, it will now take time and effort to get to
know ourselves free from the eating disorder, thinking our thoughts,
acting in ways the eating disorder would never approve of but we do.
In
this chapter, we take the help of an adaption of a simple but popular
type of survey that has circulated in and out of many of our email
inboxes for years. The point of the survey? To get to know our friends?
The point of this chapter's survey? To get to know who we are behind
the mask of Ed.
What did you learn from this survey? Do you
feel you know yourself a little better now? Did you discover that you
didn't know as much about yourself as you thought, or that you know
yourself better than you thought you did? How can you continue to
explore on a daily basis who you are outside of Ed's influence? How
will this help you become even stronger in your resolve to save your
own life and kick Ed to the curb forever?
Post your insights and ideas HERE
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 Mark Your Calendar for the First Quarter of our Exciting 2010 MentorCONNECT Teleconference Series!
- March 17: with Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund - "Miss America's perspective on recovery"
- April 14: with June Alexander, on how she recovered as a grandmother!
- May 5: with Dr. Kenneth Weiner, from the Eating Recovery Center - "Recovering from Eating Disorders in a Hostile Environment"
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Becoming the person you want to be is an active, not passive, process. *
Don't
wait for change to happen. Don't think that understanding your eating
disorder will be enough for you to recover from it. Don't wait for Ed
to let up or go away. Don't assume that "it will get better later." The only way to BE in recovery is to DO what you must do.
Try this: write a brief description of the person you
want to be. Not the person someone else wants you to be, and certainly
not the person Ed wants you to be. Give this some serious thought and
describe who YOU WANT TO BE. And for the next week, at the end of each day, write down three (3) things you DID that day to BE that person.
(Find me on Facebook or MentorCONNECT and let me know what you learn and what you accomplish during this next week.)
 Thom
Rutledge is a noted speaker/trainer, workshop facilitator, author of
"Simple Truth" and "Embracing Fear", and co-author (with Jenni
Schaefer) of "Life Without Ed". Thom is also the co-coordinator of the
monthly MentorCONNECT Teleconference Series. For more information about
Thom, visit him at www.nutshellwisdom.com
*copyright Thom Rutledge, all rights reserved
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Support Groups Community-Wide Homework
 Just a reminder that homework is posted each week after our support group meetings.
You are warmly invited to join in the continuing discussions by visiting the Groups page HERE
Want to join in
the Monday & Thursday Night e-chats but aren't sure where to go,
how to log in, and where to find the week's song lyrics? Click HERE for a login refresher!
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Have you missed a podcast?
Now, catch Thom
Carolyn & Sara
Jenni
Jessica
Doris
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Contact your MC Leadership Team
Have a question about the Mentoring Moment?
andrea@key-to-life.com
Have a question about the Forums?
jeanette@key-to-life.com
Want to make a mentoring match?
cheryl@key-to-life.com
Have questions about contributing to MC?
cheryl@key-to-life.com
Want to rsvp for an upcoming teleconference?
mc@key-to-life.com
Want to share your experience of MC?
mc@key-to-life.com
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Join us Monday & Thursday Nights on Chat!
Monday night,
8-9pm central time
Thursday night,
8-9pm central time
The chat room will be open from 7pm-10pm (Central time) to give us all time to reconnect before and after chat!
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Match with a Personal Recovery Mentor in Three EZ Steps!
MentorCONNECT is proud to be the first organization of its kind to offer one-on-one mentoring matchups!
If you would like to take advantage of your membership benefit to match with one of our caring volunteer mentors, here is how:
1. ORDER "Beating Ana" from your local library or bookseller
2. Complete the "Beating Ana Chapter One" exercise
3. EMAIL your answer to Jeanette
It really is that easy!
Why do we ask you to read 30 pages of a book before beginning a mentoring partnership?
Simply because once you understand the Mentor Model we use here on MentorCONNECT, you will be both knowledgeable AND fired up to make the most of your chance to be mentored!
Our mentors are standing by, on call to support you and reassure you that YES, recovery really IS possible for YOU too!
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MentorCONNECT is grateful for the support of its Sponsoring Care Partners:
MC PREMIUM LEVEL SPONSORS:
Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating Disorders
Tapestry: A Residential Treatment Center for Women with Eating Disorders
You Are Not Alone
MC PROFESSIONAL NETWORK SPONSORS:
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MM Archives: To access the full Mentoring Moment Archives, click HERE
NOTE: Participation in MentorCONNECT
is NOT meant to replace the supervision and care of a qualified medical
professional, and should never be construed as such. Shannon Cutts, the
MentorCONNECT Leadership Team and Key to Life
can NOT be held liable for any activities undertaken as a part or
result of receiving or participating in these online communities. If
you have a medical question, please consult your healthcare
professional.
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