MentorCONNECT: Weekly Mentoring Moment

MentorCONNECT's Weekly Mentoring Moment A Chance to Build New Skills for Mentoring Matchups	July 6, 2009

Welcome to this month's Good News!

Wednesday, July 8th is the big date - Thom Rutledge joins us for the first MentorCONNECT Teleconference and he will be sharing how we can "Talk Back To Ed"! Details for how to join in are below.

We also feature a great question from you, ideas for strengthening your mentoring partnership, and a great group on the Community Forums called "Sharing Our Stories".

Hope you enjoy this week's Mentoring Moment and keep your questions and ideas coming!

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

"TALKING BACK TO ED"

FEATURING: Thom Rutledge
DATE: Wednesday, July 8th
TIME: 8-9:15pm Central Time
COST: FREE to MentorCONNECT members

Click HERE for instructions on how to attend

Thom Rutledge is a speaker/trainer, psychotherapist, best-selling author of "Embracing Fear" and co-author (with Jenni Schaefer) of "Life Without Ed". He is smart, witty, empathetic, compassionate, wise, and, most importantly, he knows how to BEAT ED!!

How lucky are we!?! Don't miss out - save the date today!

Mentoring "Thought for the Week"

Mentoring is whatever we make of it.

A mentoring partnership is driven by the mentee's need for what the mentor has to offer.

We match with a mentor when we perceive that someone in our life appears to have life skills, wisdom, and experience that we lack and wish to acquire.

We then find the courage to reach out for help and ask that person to be our mentor.

They say "yes".

But what happens next?

It is up to the mentee to make the most of the opportunity to be mentored.

To make the most of your opportunity to be mentored, be sure to follow the "three keys":

1. Check in with your mentor often and especially when support is needed
2. Be willing to try on new ideas for size
3. Report back to your mentor and share your experiences

If you follow these three simple steps, both you and your mentor will experience mentoring as one of the most rewarding relationships life has to offer.

Q: I have been working on full complete recovery from ED for 23 yrs. I have always reached the functional and physical health point but never got beyond that. How can I remind myself that there is more and how do I prevent myself from taking one step forward and one step back resulting in the status quo?

A: In my own experience, I have found that impatience is the biggest obstacle to recovery progress. It is so difficult to wait - we can see more, we know others who have gone further and achieved more, and yet here we are....still plodding along. This is why comparisons do NOT work. Our journey is unique, just like the reasons why we developed our eating disorder and the reasons why we want to get better are unique......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.

"Sharing Our Stories" Group

So many of you have shared that hearing the recovery stories of others is a big part of what inspires you to continue the hard work of recovery.

In this group, we can share our stories and inspire us all to continue working towards FULL recovery!

Visit this Forums group HERE

Helpful To-Do Ideas for Mentoring Teams

Set expectations early in the relationship.

The first conversation you should have with your new mentor or mentee is to set expectations.

Expectations can include:

1. How often to be in contact (daily, semi-weekly, weekly?)
2. What method of contact works best (email, phone, text?)
3. Goals for the mentoring partnership

With one simple conversation, you set the stage for a successful and satisfying partnership for both of you.

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

REFRESHER: Logging In & Locating Song Lyrics for the Monday Night Group

Each Monday at 8pm CST 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

To find the weekly song lyrics:

1. Locate the "Blogs" tab on the Community Forums
2. Find the title that says "Monday Night Chat Lyrics - TONIGHT's DATE"
3. Click on that title and you will see the song lyrics for that evening's meeting
4. It is advisable to practice logging in and locating the lyrics at least a few hours prior to the start of the meeting. We CANNOT provide last-minute technical support for login issues!

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

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.