MentorCONNECT: Weekly Mentoring Moment

MentorCONNECT's Weekly Mentoring Moment A Chance to Build New Skills for Mentoring Matchups	July 27, 2009

Welcome to this month's Good News!

We are excited to welcome our newest MentorCONNECT Sponsoring Care Partner this week - the You Are Not Alone Book & CD of Companionship for Women With Eating Disorders.

Our sponsors help keep all the wonderful services you receive up and running - we couldn't do what we do without them! If you know of anyone who may like to serve as a sponsor, or you are connected with an organization that has a heart for mentoring and has the means to help, please do let us know.

This week we bring news of a great new Huffington Post article on mentoring by founder Shannon Cutts, a reminder about TWO upcoming events with Thom Rutledge (also, don't forget to visit his Forums group, "Embracing Fear"), and more great ideas, questions, and tips to make the most of your opportunity to participate in one-on-one and group mentoring here on MentorCONNECT.

Shannon, Kimberly, Jeanette, Andrea & Lynn
(your MC Leadership Team)

I'll Take You There: Mentoring as a Roadmap for 2009 and Beyond
by Shannon Cutts

I can still remember my first encounter with Rainer Maria Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet". It was 1987. I was just sixteen years old at the time, but I had never felt so ill at ease in my own skin....or so alone.

During that period of my life I spent the great majority of my free time haunting the aisles of the public library, all but devouring the varied contents of the self-help shelves.

I was searching for answers....a reason why I was alive, a reason to continue fighting to overcome the anorexia, a reason to believe it was not my fault, or my own isolated fate, that my young life felt so lonely, confusing, and hard...to continue reading full article, click HERE

HELP US keep the topic of mentoring alive and well on the Huffington Post by COMMENTING on this article (you can use your facebook account to log in and comment - it couldn't be simpler!)

Mentoring "Thought for the Week"

Nobody's perfect.

The first time we heard this phrase, we were probably still small and had no idea what it meant.

As we got older, we heard it again from time to time, but no longer listened enough to wonder what it meant.

And as our eating disorder progressed, we heard it and assumed it didn't apply to us.

But nobody's perfect.

Not you...not your mentor...not your mentee....nobody.

Some days, your mentor's advice and input will fit like a glove.

Other days, it may not fit you at all.

And this may be the most helpful aspect of your mentoring partnership, as you leave the ED's demands for perfection behind, adopt a more realistic approach, and experience the pitfalls and joys of day-to-day relationship-building with your mentor or mentee!

Your Questions: Our Answers

Q: I am a new member of MentorCONNECT and I am interested in matching with a mentor. How do I do this?

A: The first step is to make sure that you have been approved to join as a mentee member. Only mentee members can match with one of our caring volunteer mentors (your Welcome Email will say what level of membership you currently are approved for). For more information about requirements for Mentor, Mentee, and General Support membership.....to read the MC Leadership Team's full answer, click HERE

To submit your question click HERE. We answer each question in the order it was received.

You may also want to browse answers to past questions:

Mentoring Moment Q&A Archives

Good News Q&A Archives

RSVP NOW! Two Incredible Opportunities with Thom Rutledge

NOTE from Shannon: I will be there for both of these workshops - you won't want to miss out!!

August 12th FREE Teleconference:
"What Eating Disorders Recovery Is"
RSVP to: mc@key-to-life.com

Sept. 26th, San Antonio, TX Workshop:
"Standing Up To the Inner-Bullies that Keep Us Stuck"
RSVP to: thomrutledge@earthlink.net

Thom Rutledge is best known as Jenni Schaefer's therapist and co-author with Jenni of the best-selling eating disorders book "Life Without Ed". He is also a noted speaker/trainer, workshop facilitator, author of "Simple Truth" and "Embracing Fear". For those of you who

attended Thom's July teleconference, you already know what a wonderful opportunity August AND September holds for us all!

For more information about Thom, visit www.nutshellwisdom.com

Missed the last teleconference with Thom, "Talking Back to Ed"?
Access the PERMANENT PODCAST ARCHIVE to listen

Blogs Feature on the MC Community Forums

In our recent member survey, fully 83% of you shared with us that one of your primary reason for visiting the Community Forums is to read what other members have written in their blogs! The blogs are a great way to share openly and honestly with each other about what kind of support you really need in a safe, confidential, private, protected space.

To access the blogs, follow these simple instructions:

Log on to the Community Forums (don't have a Forums profile yet? EMAIL US)

Locate the "Blogs" tab and click on it

To read the blogs, click on the blog title that interests you

To post a blog, locate the "Add a Blog Post" tab on the upper right and click it, then type your title and content, and choose your publication preferences

Helpful To-Do Ideas for Mentoring Teams

"The Power of Peer Support"

MentorCONNECT offers Mentors-Only and Mentees-Only support opportunities on the Community Forums.

As a mentor, connecting with other mentors offers an invaluable source of peer support, creative ideas, troubleshooting tips, and confidence as you develop your relationship with your mentee.

As a mentee, connecting with other mentees offers ideas for how to best use your mentor's time and experience and opportunities to talk through joys and challenges with peers even as you develop your relationship with your mentor.

VISIT the Forums Just For Mentors Group

VISITthe Forums Just For Mentees Group

Want to share an activity or idea that has worked well for you? EMAIL us!

Monday Night Support Group
Log In Refresher!

Each Monday at 8pm central time, MentorCONNECT members are invited to participate in a live moderated e-support group on the Community Forums

For refresher instructions for logging in to the chat, click HERE

NOTE: We CANNOT provide last-minute technical support for login issues or trouble locating the lyrics!

MentorCONNECT needs your help
Volunteer & Sponsorship Opportunities!

Supporting MentorCONNECT with your time and means is a great way to say "thanks" for all that you receive from this community!

We currently have the following volunteer opportunities available:

-Volunteer Mentor
-Volunteer Forums Co-Moderator
-Volunteer E-Support Group Co-Moderator

For more information about any of these volunteer opportunities, click HERE

We also have an ongoing need for financial sponsors. For more information about becoming an indvidual or organizational sponsor, click HERE

MentorCONNECT is grateful for the support of its Sponsoring Care Partners:

Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating Disorders

Remuda Ranch Eating Disorders Treatment Center

Tapestry: A Residential Treatment Center for Women with Eating Disorders

You Are Not Alone

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.