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For Immediate release
MentorCONNECT
Contact: Shannon Cutts
Phone: 713-906-9888
Email: mc@key-to-life.com
www.key-to-life.com/mentorconnect
Attention: Eating Disorders Events
RE: Best-Selling Author Jenni Schaefer presents a FREE teleconference for MentorCONNECT
Sept. 28, 2009 – Jenni Schaefer, popular best-selling author of “Life Without Ed” and “Goodbye Ed, Hello Me” will present a FREE teleconference on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009, at 8pm central time. All are welcome to attend. RSVP’s are required.
This event is sponsored by MentorCONNECT, the first global eating disorders mentoring organization. Since its inception in September 2007, MentorCONNECT grown to have a presence in 32 USA states and 10 countries, and has sponsored free events featuring such notable authors and speakers as Thom Rutledge, Dr. Carolyn Becker, Doris Smeltzer, and others.
Event Details:
To Register: Send an email with “RSVP for Jenni” to mc@key-to-life.com
RSVP Deadline: October 7th at noon
For More Info: Contact MentorCONNECT Founder Shannon Cutts at 713-906-9888 or mc@key-to-life.com
View Event Flyer: You may also view the event flyer online here: http://www.key-to-life.com/storage/mentorconnect/MC.Jenni.9_09.pdf
More About MentorCONNECT:
MentorCONNECT is the first global online eating disorders mentoring community. Membership and all services are always free to members, and certain events are also opened up to the larger community. In addition to offering one-on-one mentoring matches, membership includes access to a password-protected, moderated, PRO-recovery community forum with two live weekly e-support groups, periodic retreats and special events, a wide variety of online themed support groups, recovery blogs, personalized profile pages, the ability to upload photos/ videos/ songs/ artwork, and moderated chat/email services. To volunteer your services as a caring mentor, be matched with a mentor, or find general support, visit us at www.key-to-life.com/mentorconnect.
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I always hated when someone told me that recovery means taking baby steps. I didn't want to take baby steps. I wanted to take big huge steps and be done with my eating disorder and get on with my life. But unfortunately, this is not how it works...we have to learn to be patient, we have to learn to be kind to ourselves. And these are all important lessons that recovery teaches us.
Recovery is a process. It takes time. Recovery does not happen overnight. Your eating disorder started years before you first binged, purged or starved yourself - and it will take time to overcome this disorder. And there is no rule for how long it takes for someone to recover. We all have different stories to tell, different reasons why we developed our eating disorders, and we are all at different points in our lives.
Sometimes it feels like we are not moving at all and are not getting anywhere with recovery. In those moments, it's important to look back, look at all these baby steps and see how far we have come already. It is important to celebrate these baby steps. Like when you didn't binge, or ate something you wouldn't normally eat and not feel guilty about it or when you were just about to buy laxatives but put them back onto the shelf and left the store without them. Be proud of yourself for moments like that! Yes, you can be proud of yourself. This is a huge achievement! Every baby step is a big victory.
It's one day at a time. One step at a time. One step at a time may seem too slow some days but these small steps add up to making a HUGE difference. Each of these baby steps brings us closer to recovery and a life free of ED (your eating disorder).
I’d like to share with you something that eating disorder therapist and best-selling author Carolyn Costin, who recovered herself from anorexia over thirty years ago, said to me a little while ago: “I’ve lived long enough to know that you can be absolutely recovered—where food and weight take a natural, normal perspective in your life. And you don’t deal with it one day at a time. It’s important to tell people you can recover. It’s crucial.” I agree with Carolyn. And it is in my hopes that you remember this message on your journey when you get frustrated with baby steps. Always remember, there is a way out and recovery really IS possible!
Andrea
PS. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I always welcome your messages!
PPS. For more information about me and to find out more about my recovery, visit www.youarenotalonebook.com
I'd like to share with you something I recently read in a newsletter. It's something that touched me and I hope it does the same for you...
A motivational speaker liked to begin his presentation by holding up a $20 bill and asking, “Who in this room would like this crisp, new $20 bill?”
Of course, every hand in the room would shoot up. Then the speaker would crumple the bill, throw it on the floor, and step on it. Then he would ask, “Now who still wants it?”
All the hands would naturally stay raised.
Then the speaker would smile and say, “Think about this: Nothing I did to this money made it decrease in value. It was still worth $20 after I stepped on it. There’s a valuable lesson here. “
“Often in our lives, we are crumpled up, dropped and stepped on, both by the decisions we make and by what happens to us. You may feel worthless. But remember, no matter what happens to you, you will never lose your value. Our worth doesn’t come from what we look like or what happened to us, but from WHO WE ARE. You’re all special—you all have value. Don’t EVER forget that.“
All the best,
Andrea
PS. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I always welcome your messages!
PPS. For more information about me and to find out more about my eating disorder recovery, visit www.youarenotalonebook.com
(by Shannon Cutts, as published in Gurze Books' Winter 2009 "Eating Disorders Recovery Today")
I can sum up my own recovery from anorexia and bulimia with four words—relationships replace eating disorders.
When I became ill with anorexia at the age of eleven, I didn’t know how to tell my parents what felt so wrong inside of me, and they didn’t know what to say to help me open up to them. When they applied to our family pediatrician for help, he advised them that it was best not to discuss it with me and reassured them that I would soon grow out of it. My father, unhappy with this wait-and-see approach, then called the insurance company and was tersely informed that “eating problems” were not covered under the family policy. Left with only my pediatrician’s advice to go by, my parents decided to keep silent.
What this meant was that the voice of the eating disorder was the only one talking to me on a regular basis, giving me confident-sounding advice about how to deal with life’s daily challenges. And I, in my isolation and loneliness, became all too willing to listen. By the time I was a freshman music major in college, I was beginning to struggle with bulimia as well.
Then, scarcely two months after I had arrived at college, the tendons in my hands gave out under the strain of my piano practice schedule. I was left with no choice but to withdraw from college and return home. My mother quickly located a physical therapist for me. She drove me to Annie’s* office every week.
It didn’t take Annie long to figure out that there was more going on with me than just hand injuries. One day, at my weekly session, she gently asked if I was okay. I opened my mouth to reassure her that all was well…and it all came spilling out—the fear of food, the hopelessness, the loss of my music, the loneliness that made me long to curl up and die. Amazingly, Annie asked if there was anything she could do to help.
Even more amazingly, I said “yes”.
Since neither Annie nor I knew that much about eating disorders recovery, we embarked upon a learning quest together. Together, we began to brainstorm ways I could overcome my fear of food. She helped me find some local support groups and encouraged me to go. She shared books that had inspired her. We talked and she got to know me, which made all the difference in my daily willingness and ability to do the hard work of recovery.
In the power of the bond that formed between Annie and me, we unwittingly discovered the eating disorder’s strength, and its fatal weakness. It had thrived while I was in isolation, but now I had a trusted friend by my side—someone who could see me apart from my eating disorder and who was not nearly as intimidated by it as I. And over time, my relationship with Annie began to replace my need for the relationship I had formed with the eating disorder. As we met each week, I, too, began to be able to look past the eating disorder and see myself through Annie’s eyes—as a hero in my own life.
Without Annie’s help and support, I would not be here to share my story of hope and triumph today. This is the power of mentoring.
Mentoring 101
Today, we have so many more resources than what was available when I was struggling with an eating disorder. But one fact remains unchanged—we still need support to get better and stay that way.
Just what is a mentor? Who can serve as one and what are the benefits of a mentoring relationship? How do you know you are ready to be mentored? For that matter, how do you find a good mentor, or learn to become one?
What do you mean by “mentor” and “mentee”?
A mentor, in this context, is a trusted guide who has knowledge and experience in a certain area, and is willing and able to share it. A mentee is a person who is in need of guidance and support, and is willing to receive it. While it is not absolutely necessary (although it is extremely desirable) that your mentor be familiar with the specifics of eating disorders, poor body image, or other related issues, the person you choose must be able to relate to your struggles on some personal level and express a willingness to learn how to best support you.
Who can be a mentor?
The beauty of a mentoring partnership is that it can happen both within and outside the context of a traditional therapeutic relationship. It is quite common for many of the principles of a quality mentoring relationship to be found in the bond that forms between therapist and patient—many former sufferers credit their recovery success to the guidance of compassionate, caring treatment team members. However, teachers, coaches, parents, siblings, clergy, significant others, spouses, friends, and other individuals may also be uniquely positioned and qualified to serve as mentors.
What is a mentor’s “job description”?
First and foremost, the mentor serves as a resource and cheerleader to a person who wants to meet certain recovery goals and is willing to do the work that is required. Mentoring is driven by the mentee’s need for support and desire to recover. A mentor’s role, therefore, is necessarily reactive rather than proactive, as it is the mentee who is driving the process by seeking out the mentor’s guidance, assistance, and advice for navigating both the day-to-day and the larger recovery issues as they arise.
What are the benefits of having a mentor?
The mentor, not being intimidated by the eating disorder, can serve as a voice of reason, compassion, tough love, and kind encouragement. The mentor is also able to remind the mentee of past successes and future payoffs for continuing to work on recovery.
Ideally, the mentor also possesses first- or second-hand experience with the recovery process, and thus comes into the partnership equipped with some level of awareness of how it feels and what it takes to overcome these types of significant life challenges. The mentor may even have personal experience with the process of transitioning through various stages of care, and is therefore well positioned to serve as a source of ongoing support throughout the entire length and breadth of the mentee’s recovery journey. The mentor can also act as a resource and support to the mentee in the unfortunate situation where further treatment may not be affordable, available, or both.
How do I know I am ready for a mentor?
There is some truth to the old saying that “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.” Beyond that, readiness to begin working with a mentor is born out of a sincere determination to achieve recovery by whatever means necessary (which includes the active willingness to attempt to replace the eating-disordered thoughts and coping skills with healthier connections and behaviors). As with all successful partnerships, courage, trust, and a sense of adventure are paramount to success.
Do I have to pay for mentoring?
Each mentoring partnership is unique. Some mentors may choose to charge for their time and others may wish to offer their support free of charge, on a sliding scale, or pro bono. Some universities and non-profit organizations offer mentoring as a part of their menu of support services. The most important thing is to find a mentor who appears to be willing and equipped to serve. From there, it becomes possible to design a mentoring partnership that will work for both participants.
How can I find a mentor?
Locating and assessing potential mentors is both a logical and intuitive process. Certainly, it makes sense to look close to home for someone within your family, local community, or spiritual home. Is there a teacher with whom you felt some rapport or a trained member of a peer support group or counseling center at school? Perhaps you might consider approaching a relative who has expressed a past interest in your health and well-being. Participating in reputable online recovery sites, such as MentorCONNECT, my organization’s private, monitored online mentoring community, is also a great way to connect with individuals who want to help each other build positive support systems. Or you could attend a local meeting of Eating Disorders Anonymous, Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous or Overeaters Anonymous, which are all fellowship organizations that consider the mentor-mentee (or “sponsor-sponsee”) relationship as integral to successful recovery. If you are looking for therapy specifically, organizations such as Gürze Books and the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) offer referral directories of professionals who are specifically knowledgeable about eating disorders.
Brainstorm a list of potential mentors, challenging yourself to consider both obvious and not-so-obvious candidates. From there, take a leap of faith! Pick a method of contact (in person, phone, mail, email, text, etc.) that feels comfortable. Explain to that person what type of support you are seeking, offer some ideas for how they could best support you, and invite them to discuss the possibility further with you. A mentoring partnership is still first and foremost a relationship, and it is important to “click” with your mentor, and vice versa, to ensure that you will derive the most benefit out of your time together.
If I have a mentor do I still need a treatment team?
In a word — YES. When I was ill, for reasons both unfortunate and unavoidable, my relationship with Annie was all that I had in terms of a treatment team. She stood right in between me and the eating disorder, helping me to remember why I chose recovery and reminding me that I had the power to choose to fight, survive, and thrive. Even so, I would never advocate attempting to “go it alone,” even with a caring mentor by your side. Rather, the true value of mentoring can be found through integrating a mentor into the efforts of a full treatment team, using the unique talents and contributions of each member to fully support the person who is striving to get better. When we all work together on behalf of someone who is striving to achieve recovery from an eating disorder, the sky is the limit when it comes to setting—and exceeding—our shared recovery goals!
*a pseudonym has been used to protect privacy
For more information about mentoring click HERE
In the beginning, the eating disorder (ED) felt like it was a friend to me. It was a solution to my problems. When everything else in my life seemed so out of control, the eating disorder was there for me, comforting me. But soon enough, the eating disorder showed its true face. And it turned out it was not a friend -- and never was.
The eating disorder did not care about me. It only cared about itself and was using me. A friend does not beat you up, a friend does not make you punish yourself, a friend does not make you feel miserable, a friend does not take away your passions... the eating disorder is not your friend.
And whenever you hear the voice in your head telling you that you aren't good enough, need to lose weight, punish yourself… ask yourself if that is the "real you" that is talking, or if it is your eating disorder that is speaking to you. At first, it can be very difficult to separate these two voices as it feels like you are "it" and "it" is you... When I struggled, it felt like the eating disorder was me, and I was “it” – “it” was my identity; I didn't know who I was without it.
During my recovery, I had to learn to separate these two voices --- mine and the eating disorder voice. And when it was the eating disorder talking, I had to learn to fight back, talk back and disobey its commands. I had to learn to take control back over my life -- after all, it was MY life, not the eating disorder's.
Now you have to do the same. And through it, your recovery will come. You can learn to love and enjoy your life again. Please stay strong and keep on believing in yourself!
All the best and take good care of yourself,
Andrea
PS. Looking for eating disorder recovery support? I invite you to check out my monthly ezine called the You Are Not Alone Support Letter which is filled with recovery stories, interviews, poems, artwork, recovery tips, and more... for more information, visit www.youarenotalonebook.com/supportletter.html
For the longest time I actually thought that my problems were about food and weight -- I really thought that was the real issue. It didn't occur to me that there were other things going on deep inside of me and the eating disorder was the sympton of these things. It took a while for me to really understand (and feel) that my eating disorder was not simply about food and weight but an attempt to use food and weight to deal with internal struggles and ultimately life.
Once I really got that my eating disorder was the symptom of something deeper going on inside and that food and my body were not the enemy (even though it often felt like it), I was able to realize the real issues. I was finally able to work on these things and ultimately find recovery.
Simply put, up to this point, I had used my eating disorder as a way of dealing with life -- it was my coping mechanism. A very unhealthy coping mechanism, of course. Once I understood this and was able to identify myself with this theory, I was able to work on my real issues and come up with better ways of coping. It was a slow process - baby steps, but I eventually got there. I had setbacks, I had a lot, but I kept on fighting. I never gave up, even though I was very close to it many times. But I had people in my life who helped me get back up again whenever I fell... and because I kept on fighting, I was able to recover. As long as we don't give up, we can and will reach our goals.
I had many motivations that kept me going.. and I'd remind myself on an almost daily basis about my goals and dreams. I had a journal in which I'd put all the things that I wanted to do in life and in order to achieve most of these things, I just had to be healthy... and I also had a goal list glued to my mirror in my room. It is rewarding to look back now and see how many of those things I have actually done.
I highly recommend you do this very powerful exercise too. Keep focusing on your goals and dreams and what you want in and from life, write these things down and remind yourself about them on a regular basis. Your goals will motivate you to move forward and keep taking action. Whatever happens, keep looking forward, keep moving forward and don't give up. You have it in you what it takes to overcome your struggles.
All the best and keep on believing in yourself!
Andrea
PS. I invite you to check out my monthly ezine called the You Are Not Alone Support Letter which is filled with recovery stories, interviews, poems, artwork, recovery tips, and more... for more information, visit www.youarenotalonebook.com/supportletter.html
I used to hide from just about everything and everyone. No one knew the real me. Hell, I didn't even know who I was anymore. I let my eating disorder consume so much of who I was that I no longer knew who I was. I hid behind a mask masquerading as a happy young adult who lived a carefree life.
Those of use who have work this mask or still wearing it can spot the others who are living this life. It's a road that is paved with pain, fatigue, hopelessness, anger, frustration, and just about every other emotion. We lose friends, family, and most importantly ourselves.
But today I am starting to regain my sense of who I am. I am living a fully energetic life. I no longer tie my happiness to the numbers on the scale.
I am a proud aunt to two little toddlers. I still have my days when I fall back down into old habits
I thought I was in control, but I was so out of control. I would have nights that I would be afraid to fall asleep because i have heard stories about girls in my situation who have died in their sleep because of electrolyte imbalances. I didn't want that to happen to me, but I also had the mentality of that won't happen to me. My every day thoughts were consumed about weight, food, calories, and exercising.
One night in the ER kind of changed my perspective on things. We're only invisible from complications for so long until things catach up with us.
I knew I had to tear down some walls that I had put up. My two sisters were in the dark about everything. I told one sister last summer and I just told my other sister. I was afraid to tell them because I was ashamed of everything and I was afraid they would tell my mom. After telling them I felt free. I didn't have to pretend to be someone that I wasn't. It felt freeing because I didn't have to hide the truth anymore.
Recovery is a slow process that takes a lot of hard work and a lot of patience. I still have my days when things don't go as they should. I have to be completly open and honest about everything to my medical team.
Today when I smile...it's ME....it's not longer a mask!!
I used to have more bad days than good days. Now I have more good days than bad days!!
My husband and I just came back from Las Vegas where we spent a few days for business reasons and we were also able to do some fun stuff. I feel lucky and am very grateful to be able to visit so many amazing places and to be able to see the world. It is literally a dream come true for me.
When I suffered from eating disorders, many times I’d sit in my room and look at all the wonderful places that I wanted to visit online. I had no idea how to get there and how to be able to pay for the trips, but this was something I always wanted to do—see the world. And now, because of my work in the eating disorder field, I am able to live my dream. My work takes me to so many great places and I get to meet so many amazing people. I just love it. Luckily, my husband also travels a lot for business reasons and we try to combine our schedules as often as possible, so we can travel together—and that’s how we made it to Las Vegas together… J
During my struggles, I actually put together a “travel goal list”—which was a list of places I wanted to visit and I glued it on my mirror in my room. And one of these places on that list was actually a pyramid shaped hotel in Las Vegas. I had read about in a magazine during my early teen years and I was fascinated by it, and I wanted to visit it one day...
And last week, was “one day”… visiting the ‘black pyramid hotel’ (as I used to refer to it as I had forgotten its name) was literally a dream come true for me.
So what's the lesson? Don’t give up on your goals and dreams. Figure out what you want in and from life, write these things down and remind yourself about them on a regular basis. This is a very powerful exercise to do. Your goals will motivate you to move forward and keep taking action. And whatever happens, keep looking forward, keep believing in yourself, and don’t give up.
All the best and take very good care of yourself! J
Andrea
During my eating disorder struggles, I would look in the mirror, many times even stare at myself—my body and face—for hours and I hated what I saw. I hated myself and everything about me. All I saw were flaws. I felt so ugly, like everything was “wrong” with me. And many times I would hide in my room, crying, punishing myself.
Today, I look in the mirror and I see a person. I see ME! And what is even more amazing is that I like what I see. I don’t criticize myself, I don’t pick on myself, I don’t beat myself up. Today, I actually look in the mirror and I smile at myself. I’m comfortable in my body and about my body.
There are no more voices in my head telling me ‘I am fat’, ‘I am ugly’ and ‘worthless’. These voices are GONE.
There are many things that helped me accept, love and embrace myself. And today I’d like to share a few of these things with you.
I stopped weighing myself. I used to weigh myself a couple of times a day and the number on the scale would determine how I felt. This number had so much power over me—it was in control. So I broke this unhealthy obsession, from one day to the other. And even though I was scared and tried to avoid getting rid of the scale with all different kinds of excuses, I did it anyways. And getting rid of my scale was a HUGE step forward in my recovery. I urge you to get rid of your scale. They don’t do you any good—all they do is make you feel worse about yourself! With breaking your obsession with the scales, you are freeing yourself from an essential part of your eating disorder.
I stayed away from celebrity and beauty magazines and TV shows. Even though there was a part of me that wanted to look at all these pictures, I knew it was poisonous for my mind—so I stayed away from them during my recovery process. Whenever I saw these *perfect* celebrities I would start comparing myself with them and beat myself up because I didn’t look like them. So for me the solution was learning not to pay attention to this information.
I would look in the mirror and say something nice about myself. I would say “I love you” and “I am beautiful.” I did that every day. Yes, it was very painful. I felt like I was lying to myself. I *knew* I was ugly and worthless and saying all these *nice things* just felt so wrong. But I stuck with it. And after some time, the things I said slowly started to feel real and I slowly started to like my appearance. Baby steps.
We are all beautiful. We are all unique. We deserve to be loved! Let’s embrace ourselves!
Andrea
Rain
The teardrops fell like rain today as once again I stray from the narrow way; I look to the heavens and ask you why Lord why? How could you love someone so unworthy of your love as I? I know you came and paid the price, the ultimate sacrifice but I , I’m not worthy of your love. The teardrops fell like rain today as I stare up at the sky and think why Lord why? I fight this fight down in my soul, and it feels like sometimes I’ve fallen in a spiritual hole. The voices that talk to me inside my head; they want me to stray from the things you said, but I can’t so I ask why? How could love someone such as I? The answer to the prayer I prayed my answer came today; You came to me and said child, my child can’t you see, I died for you, to set you free; from sin, from death, from other things too: You cupped my face with your holy hands, you smiled and said “My dear child, whatever trials you may face, whatever people do I will still and always will love you no matter what you say or what you do. You asked me why I love you so, you are mine didn’t you know? I came to die, which truly is to gain to free you from all of your burdens, including your pain so that you may come to know me and accept me as Lord; and when the time is right I will come back for you so that you can spend eternity with me because I want to spend it with you too. As I awoke from this amazing dream wondering if it was really to good to be true when I heard you say from far away “Remember, no matter what you say or what you do, always remember that I will always love you.” And the teardrops fell like rain.
All the best, and keep on believing in yourself! :-)
Andrea
Hi everyone!
I am excited to be a part of this wonderful community and am looking forward to getting to know you. I'd also like to share with you my experiences with eating disorders, body image issues and depression – and most importantly, my recovery!
I hated myself and my life for years. I cried almost every day. My body was in pain. My mind was in pain. I was a sad and lonely girl—constantly abusing my body, destroying my self-respect. Depression and self-hatred were a regular part of my life.
Most of the time I would spend in my room, alone—starving myself, binging or trying to get rid of what I had eaten. I was not living, I was just *existing*. And for the longest time, I thought that I was the ONLY person in the world who experienced this. For the longest time I did not even know that what I had had a name. I felt so alone and helpless. I was so embarrassed about my obsession with food, my body, my weight and calories that I did not tell ANYONE about what I was going through and how I was really doing.
Many nights I would cry myself to sleep, wondering if I was ever going to recover—or if there even was such a thing as ‘recovery’……
But I wanted to get better. I was sick of living this way. I was sick of my eating disorder and everything connected with it. I wanted to be FREE! I wanted to be happy and healthy again. And so I started searching for an answer, a way out.
And I found something, but it was NOT what I was looking for. I heard that full recovery does not exist and that one has to suffer with their eating disorder for the rest of their life.
However, I did not want to live with my eating disorder forever, so I made a choice not to believe what was out there. I chose to challenge this opinion. And once I opened up my mind to the thought that recovery was indeed possible, something changed…Suddenly, I discovered that there was a whole community of women and men who managed to fully recover and share their stories on their websites and in their books.
The stories of other people who managed to recover gave me hope. The main message that I got out of these stories was – if they can recover, I can too!!!
Today, I am recovered. I am happy with my life. And now it is my passion to provide hope, help, comfort, and much needed support by sharing my story. I want you to know that you are not alone!
Recovery really is possible. I am not just saying this because it ‘sounds good’. I am saying this because I believe it. I am proof that it is possible! And I am not the only one who managed to successfully recover from an eating disorder. I am not the exception to the rule. There are countless women and men who managed to successfully overcome their eating disorders.
But you must realize that recovery is something that happens within you and no one else. No one can recover for you, and there is also no magic recovery pill. But I strongly believe that we ALL have it in us what it takes to overcome our struggles.
Recovery is a process. It takes time. It does not happen overnight. Your eating disorder started years before you first binged, purged, or starved yourself – and it will take time to overcome this disorder.
There is also no rule for how long it takes for someone to recover. We all have different stories to tell, different reasons why we developed our eating disorders, and we are all at different points in our lives. Please don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Be gentle on yourself.
There will be setbacks….
But no matter what happens, do not give up!
I know how you feel. I know what it is like. I have been there! And I want you to know that this is not the end. Your life does NOT have to continue like this. There is a way out—there is help, there is hope and recovery does exist. You can learn to love and enjoy your life again. Please stay strong and keep on believing in yourself!
All the best,
Andrea
PS. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I always welcome your messages!
PPS. I publish a monthly ezine called the You Are Not Alone Support Letter which is filled with recovery stories, interviews, poems, artwork, recovery tips, and more... for more information and to join the Support Letter community, feel free to visit my website at www.youarenotalonebook.com
Here is my latest radio interview, with Robin Hardy of "Empowering You Radio - Empowered Journey". I share how you can use my system "ACT as if!" to reboot your attitude and kickstart the Law of Attraction!
I think that now more than ever, we need tools to get ourselves out of the fear and panic that many of us are dealing with right now. Remember, the Law of Attraction says that "like attracts like". Which means, that it works both ways. When you are high and you are vibrating at a positive, happy level, everything seems to be easy and good things come to you. But it also works in reverse. When things are bad, we get overwhelmed and can become victims. Then we call it Murphy's Law as the sky continues to fall on our heads. We just stay there because we become paralyzed. The solution? We need to turn the Law of Attraction into positive ACTION! But....how do we do that?
I believe that too many of us get caught up in trying to use what we learned in The Secret, and get stuck in our heads trying to make our "thoughts become things". It's a catchy little phrase, but this is where we usually slam into a wall. It's too hard to try and control our thoughts. What really triggers the Law of Attraction into working in your life is the EMOTIONS and FEELINGS behind what you want. It turns out it's not really about thoughts after all, it's about believing and feeling that you are already who and where you want to be! You have to get out of your head and into your heart and soul and passion, so you can truly "vibrate" there from the very core of your being.
I fell into this trap myself last September. I had a "perfect storm" of events in my life that left me devastated. Me, who is usually the Eternal Optimist. And then along with the rest of the world, I got caught up in the fear and panic as we watched our economy collapse. The stress manifested in me with chronic hives for three months. I finally decided enough is enough, that nobody was going to save me but me, and I consciously decided to do whatever I had to do to pull myself back up again. It wasn't easy at first, but I started taking actions, one day at a time. Using my tried and true "ACT as if!" system, I am now back fully and stronger than ever for going through the lesson.
In this interview, I am very honest about what I went through and how I overcame it to come out the other side. If I can do it, you can too! Remember: ACT as if it's already happening...until it is!
Much love,
Barbara
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Robin-Hardy/2009/02/02/Empowering-You-Radio-An-Empowered-Journey
Here is my latest radio interview, with Robin Hardy of "Empowering You Radio - Empowered Journey". I share how you can use my system "ACT as if!" to reboot your attitude and kickstart the Law of Attraction!
I think that now more than ever, we need tools to get ourselves out of the fear and panic that many of us are dealing with right now. Remember, the Law of Attraction says that "like attracts like". Which means, that it works both ways. When you are high and you are vibrating at a positive, happy level, everything seems to be easy and good things come to you. But it also works in reverse. When things are bad, we get overwhelmed and can become victims. Then we call it Murphy's Law as the sky continues to fall on our heads. We just stay there because we become paralyzed. The solution? We need to turn the Law of Attraction into positive ACTION! But....how do we do that?
I believe that too many of us get caught up in trying to use what we learned in The Secret, and get stuck in our heads trying to make our "thoughts become things". It's a catchy little phrase, but this is where we usually slam into a wall. It's too hard to try and control our thoughts. What really triggers the Law of Attraction into working in your life is the EMOTIONS and FEELINGS behind what you want. It turns out it's not really about thoughts after all, it's about believing and feeling that you are already who and where you want to be! You have to get out of your head and into your heart and soul and passion, so you can truly "vibrate" there from the very core of your being.
I fell into this trap myself last September. I had a "perfect storm" of events in my life that left me devastated. Me, who is usually the Eternal Optimist. And then along with the rest of the world, I got caught up in the fear and panic as we watched our economy collapse. The stress manifested in me with chronic hives for three months. I finally decided enough is enough, that nobody was going to save me but me, and I consciously decided to do whatever I had to do to pull myself back up again. It wasn't easy at first, but I started taking actions, one day at a time. Using my tried and true "ACT as if!" system, I am now back fully and stronger than ever for going through the lesson.
In this interview, I am very honest about what I went through and how I overcame it to come out the other side. If I can do it, you can too! Remember: ACT as if it's already happening...until it is!
Much love,
Barbara
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Robin-Hardy/2009/02/02/Empowering-You-Radio-An-Empowered-Journey