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MentorCONNECT's Weekly Mentoring Moment
A Chance to Build New Skills for Mentoring Matchups
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April 26, 2010
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| Theme for the Week:
Finding Your Key to Life |
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| Welcome to this month's Good News!
Happy Monday! :-)
This
week is your final chance to win a copy of "Telling ED No!" by MC
Leadership Team member Cheryl Kerrigan. You'll find more information
about the book and on how to enter the contest within this ezine.
Mark your calendar....
our next teleconference is coming up pretty quick: Wednesday, May 5th,
with Dr. Ken Weiner (of the Eating Recovery Center) who will talk
about "Recovering from Eating Disorders in a Hostile Environment." - you'll find all the details within this ezine.
And don't forget to join us for this week's Monday and Thursday night live chats - we'll see you there! :-)
Your MC Leadership & Advisory Team
p.s. Wherever you are on the web, we are too! Stop by and friend us...we love to feel loved! :-)
     
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Now,
you can match up with a mentor, visit the Forums, find all your
orientation materials and resources, and even educate your professional
team about how great MC really is!
In a word - Yay! :-)
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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.
quote source: Beating Ana: How to Outsmart Your Eating Disorder and Take Your Life Back
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"I Love MC" Photo Pick of the Week
Our "I Love MC" artists are going strong - send your submissions to mc@mentorconnect-ed.org and you just might see yourself here next week!
"I
cannot say that I would love myself to the extent I love myself today
without the support I have received from MentorConnect. When I first
decided to join MentorConnect I didn't really think it would truly help
my recovery nor my life. I was doing well at the time but for some
reason I still cannot fully explain today, I joined as a mentee member.
It was one of the hardest things I did to make that decision in my
recovery journey. I felt anxious once I was approved about what it
would be like, what would it help with, if any, and what kind of people
would be on there. I have had expereience on other sites that ranged
from pro-ana and mia to pro-recovery, watched many inspirational videos
and done my own research on what I could do on my own. I was already
fully supported by a treatment team and I am thankful for them. After
about a week or so I decided to go on a Monday night chat. It was that
chat I discovered that MentorConnect really is a beautiful place that
is different than anywhere I have been before. I then, that night,
actually decided to take a risk to get more involved so I posted in
some groups, wrote some blogs and my life began to change even more for
the better. MentorConnect has been a great addition to my treatment
team as well, and they agree. I can't say enough how much MentorConnect
and its structure of everything from pro-recovery guidelines to the
plethora of groups has helped me experience the freedom I do today. Not
the false freedom Ed tells you that you have with him but the true freedom where I have self-love, self-compassion and the sense I can overcome anything Ed tries to throw my way and also anything life throws my way.
I know MentorConnect will always be there in my tough times to help me
but I love that on MentorConnect we can support others too. This
community is one-of-a-kind."
by Devyn
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April's Paying It Forward
"It Takes Two"
Celebration of GRATITUDE Campaign
We can't recover with only our eating disorder for company.
That is why it takes TWO to start the recovery process - you,
and at least one other person who believes in you and is
willing to stand by your side and support you as you heal.
How can we express our gratitude to that first special
someone who supported us and began to replace our relationship with Ed
with a real, loving human relationship - and at the same
time pay it forward to help the next wave of sufferers find
support?
This month, consider giving just $2 to your community to help us keep offering free support to all who need it. We
encourage you to give $1 in recognition of someone who has helped you,
and $1 in honor of someone you care about who is fighting Ed (this
someone could even be YOU!)
MC's services are always free to members, but MC is not free to run and maintain.
Your dollars can stretch a loooonnnnggg way to help keep MC healthy & growing!
YES! I am willing to donate $2 right now
to support MC in the month of March.
Click HERE to make your donation
To share YOUR ideas for how to creatively raise funds to support MC, visit the
Become a MC Founding Member by donating $25 or more and receive a certificate signed by the entire MC Leadership Team. Click here to have a look at the certificate and click here to make your donation.
Thank you for being a part of MentorCONNECT and for your support!
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Hey Ed! Your number is UP!
 "Armor up" against Ed with MC Ed Armor!
MC Founder Shannon Cutts is not a jewelry designer....but she did design one and only one piece just for YOU. Wearing MC Ed Armor reminds you that no matter where you go, your community goes with you. As MC leadership team member Andrea Roe always reminds us - "You are NOT alone!"
And when you order your MC Ed Armor, you also give back to your community.
100% of sales proceeds go back to MentorCONNECT to help with overhead, expenses, and most importantly...keeping our services FREE! To order MC Ed Armor, just click HERE |
Every week in April, we'll be giving away a copy of...
Telling ED NO!
And Other Practical Tools to Conquer
Your Eating Disorder and Find Freedom
Cheryl
shares her own experiences with eating disorders and recovery,
including over 100 successful, practical recovery tools that will help
you conquer your eating disorder. For more information about Telling ED NO!, visit www.cherylkerrigan.net
Recovery DOES happen and you CAN be free from ED.
To enter the give-away send an email to Andrea@key-to-life.com with
"Telling ED No!" in the subject line. This week's draw will be held on
Thursday, April 29th, and the winner will be contacted via email.
PS. Be sure to enter the contest every week for a new chance to win!
Good luck & enjoy the book! :-)
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Join us on Wednesday, May 5: MC Teleconference Series
"Recovering From Eating Disorders in a Hostile Environment"
presented by Dr. Ken Weiner of the Eating Recovery Center
 Each day we wake up, we set our minds and our hearts for the challenges ahead, and we choose for one more day to make recovery our number one priority.
But the moment we step outside our door we are confronted with ever
more messages and images that reinforce the perpetuation of the very
disorder we are striving to recover from! Most challenging of all, we
are forced to confront on a daily basis the assumptions and opinions of
others who do not understand what we suffer from and believe that an
eating disorder is a choice, not a disease. They do not understand that
unlike others in recovery, we cannot just stay away from food...or
"just eat". It is not that simple. Dr. Ken Weiner has dedicated more
than 25 years to developing effective and innovative approaches for
overcoming these very challenges. In this inspiring and empowering
teleconference, Dr. Weiner shares his recommendations for how to
achieve sustainable recovery in spite of the environmental obstacles we
often face along the way.
To view the event flyer click HERE
To listen to past teleconferences click HERE
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Beating ANA Study Group
Chapter Seven: The Key to Life
We
all have dreams...and for all of us who struggle, our eating disorder
stands between us and the fulfillment of those dreams. None of us ever
dreamed, when we were little, of spending our days battling our eating
disorder. What were we living for, before we became consumed with
simply surviving? What did we dream of when we were little? What is our
battle cry, when we face off against our eating disorder and it stamps
its frightening foot and demands of us our body, mind, heart, and soul?
Your
'key to life' is that thing, or things, that you want MORE than you
fear the consequences of not giving in to your eating disorder's
demands. Your 'key to life' is the thing you will think of at age 80
with soul-shattering regret, because you never did it - whatever it is.
Your 'key to life' is the one thing that is stronger than your eating
disorder, because it reminds you of why life is still worth recovering,
surviving, living, and thriving for.
What is YOUR 'key to life'?
You can post your insights and ideas HERE
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 Mark Your Calendar for the First Quarter of our Exciting 2010 MentorCONNECT Teleconference Series!
- May 5: with Dr. Kenneth Weiner, from the Eating Recovery Center - "Recovering from Eating Disorders in a Hostile Environment"
- June 9: Thom Rutledge returns!
- July 2 or 9: Jenni Schaefer returns for "Goodbye Ed, Hello Me", Part II
- August 11: MC's own Cheryl Kerrigan shares from her NEW BOOK, "Telling Ed No!"
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The key to personal growth is to abstain from victimization.*
Personal
growth work in its many forms - therapy, support groups, self-help
seminars, books, tapes, etc - boils down to this: learning to renounce
victimization and learning to embrace personal responsibility. The
simple (but essential) understanding of the difference between a victim
and a non-victim is the foundation of this work.
Victims
are those who believe that how they are doing is determined primarily
by "what happens to them," and consequently that their circumstances
must change for them to be free to change. In contrast, non-victims
believe that how they are doing is determined by "how they respond" to
what happens to them. Non-victims understand that external
circumstances are very likely to change in response to the actions they
take, but that even when such changes do not occur, their wellbeing
remains self-determined.
As
corny as this metaphor is, it is still the best one: If I am not a very
good card player, and I sit down to a few games with some excellent
card players, I could be dealt the better hands all night long, and I
will still lose. The excellent card players know how to respond to the
cards they are dealt, while I am predominantly a victim to my cards.
 Special Offer for MC Members:
Purchase Nuthsell Essays from amazon.com, forward your email receipt to thomrutledge@earthlink.net with "Free Gift" in the subject line, and Thom will send you a free copy of his e-book,
The Power of Self-Forgiveness.
 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.thomrutledge.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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Missed a teleconference?
Now, catch them all on PODCAST
Thom Rutledge
Dr. Carolyn Becker
Jenni Schaefer
Jessica Setnick
Doris Smeltzer
Kirsten Haglund
June Alexander
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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@mentorconnect-ed.org
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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 7:30pm-9:30pm (Central time) to give us all time to reconnect before and after chat!  For a reminder about how to log in and participate, click HERE |
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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Click HERE to learn how to talk pro-recovery
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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 MentorCONNECTis
NOT meant to replace the supervision and care of a qualified medical
professional, and should never be construed as such. Shannon Cutts, the
MentorCONNECTLeadership Team and Key to Lifecan
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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This is an excerpt from Nuthsell Essays: 52 Brief Lessons for Big Change. For more information, visit 
