Gearing Up For Another Challenge!

You might remember, that way back when I began this blog, it was part of a recovery project.  The idea was a weekly prompt that was posted in the group, was to be written about with the recovery lens.  It was supposed to be one prompt per week, 52 prompts total, giving us a year of recovery blogging.  (Here's a sneak peek at the list of prompts, linked to my first round of responses.)

Well.
It took more than a year.  Quite a bit more, actually.
I began the challenge on October 29, 2011,
and completed the 52nd week's prompt on October 9, 2013.

And now I think I'm ready to begin it again.

After all, it's been over two years since the first prompt!

So I invite you, whether you're recovering from an eating disorder, recovering from anything else, or not recovering at all, and just want to participate in a pretty cool year of blogging, to join me.  My plan is to post every Sunday, which means week one's post will go up on Sunday, January 5th.

I'm going to attempt a link-up, as well, so those of you that choose to participate, can post your link on each week's prompt.

Even if you don't "join" the group, I can attest that these prompts will make you think, and could make for a nice, year-long reflective journey!

30 Day Recovery Challenge Questions

While the 30 Day Recovery Challenge is complete, I wanted to put the questions all in one place.  See, when I read a few posts on the site where I found the challenge, Danielle had put all the questions into one post.  That made it nice and easy for me to find the questions, and to participate in the challenge.

And I want to do the same thing for you.  And to help even more, I'm linking each question to my response.  In participating in blog challenges like this, I find it helpful to read some responses prior to writing my own.  It helps me get my head wrapped around the topic.  It also helps with writer's block!

So my friends...... what's stopping you?  Get writing!

(P.S.  You can always substitute the words "eating disorder" with whatever it is you are working on........)

30 Day Recovery Challenge

Day 1 - Where are you in your recovery right now? What are some goals you are working on to help you to move forward in your recovery? 

Day 2 - What part of your eating disorder is hardest for you to overcome or let go of right now?

Day 3 - Give yourself credit for the progress you’ve made - what are some positive steps you’ve taken in recovery, or recent progress that you’ve made?

Day 4 - What motivates you to recover?

Day 5 - Who supports you in your recovery?

Day 6 - Does your family support your recovery? How do they help or hurt your efforts to recover?

Day 7 - What type of treatment are you getting right now? Talk about your current treatment team - are they helpful, do you trust them? Are you honest with them?

Day 8 - Do you have a role model in recovery, or someone who inspires you? Talk about that person.

Day 9 - What do you think caused or contributed to your eating disorder? What are some steps you can take now to work through these issues?

Day 10 - Did you have a turning point or a certain moment that made you decide to recover? Or was it a decision that happened over a long period of time?

Day 11 - What are some enjoyable activities you do which are unrelated to your eating disorder, but help you to cope and feel positive?

Day 12 - Who in your life knows about your eating disorder? Has sharing about your eating disorder been helpful for you?

Day 13 - What are some things - blogs, quotes, books, mantras, etc - that inspire you and keep you motivated?

Day 14 - Describe at least ten things you like about yourself. If you don’t believe those positive things, try to think of praises and compliments other people have given you, and write those down and then make an effort to believe in those compliments.

Day 15 - What does your weight/body image mean to you? How has your body image changed throughout recovery - has it gotten harder or easier to deal with?

Day 16 - What experience(s) has been most helpful your recovery (for example, meeting a supportive friend, deciding to go to therapy, etc)?

Day 17 - What do you want your life to look like when you’re recovered? What are some life goals you have that you think you could only accomplish if you recover?

Day 18 - Do you have any other diagnosed disorders aside from an eating disorder? How are you dealing with these issues? If you don’t have another disorder, what are some psychological issues that affect your eating disorder right now?

Day 19 - What scares you most about recovery?

Day 20 - What scares you most about your eating disorder?

Day 21 - What is something you have learned about yourself in recovery?

Day 22 - Do you think you are fully committed to recovery and willing to do whatever it takes to recover? If not, what do you think is holding you back?

Day 23 - What can you do for yourself when you are having a bad day or struggling which will help you?

Day 24 - What are some examples of things that your eating disorder has taken from you?

Day 25 - What has recovery given you?

Day 26 - What does recovery mean to you?

Day 27 - Do you believe in full recovery?  Why or why not?

Day 28 - What are some things you do that help you cope when you’re having a hard time?

Day 29 - How have you and your life changed from when you were in the worse periods of your eating disorder versus now, in recovery?

Day 30 - Has this recovery challenge helped you, and how?

Good luck with the challenge!  If you do choose to tackle it, please let me know, I'd love to follow your journey!

NaBloPoMo

Every November, writers all over the world (published, non-published, and soon-to-be-published) can choose to participate in a pretty cool writing project called NaNoWriMo.  That stands for National Novel Writing Month, and writers are challenged to write an entire novel during the month of November.  The goal is to write a 50,000 word, 175 page novel by 11:59pm on November 30th.  Sounds challenging, yet.... inspiring!

They have a great program for young authors, as well as a plethora of resources to inspire willing writers.  In fact, you may have even read some books that began as NaNoWriMo projects!  (Water for Elephants anyone?)

Anyway, after perusing the web last night, I learned that there is something a little different for those in the blog-o-sphere.  It's called NaBloPoMo.  National Blog Posting Month.  If I am understanding correctly, there are similar challenges that go on year-round, but November is the birth-month of these great writing projects.  It sounds like something worth giving a go, so.... I signed in the empty box and clicked "submit" and voila!  I'm going to give this challenge a go!

What does that mean?  One post a day.  For an entire month.  Might be a bit tricky, as November is one of those crazy months at work, but then again, so was June. I survived the June Blogger Challenge and actually really enjoyed it!  I'm hoping NaBloPoMo is equally as worderific (yes, I think I did just invent a new word) as June was.  As there are no "set" blog prompts (though there are prompts available!) I am eager to see what transpires! 

Week 25: Something I'm Proud Of

Let's take a quick peek back at the accomplishments I wrote about way back in December for week 10.  Did you click the link?  Read up?  Good.

I can say that I am still proud of the accomplishments I wrote about nearly seven months ago.  They all stand true today.  Especially teaching, I am so proud of all my students, and the way we impact each other.  I am proud to say that I still love my job, despite the challenges over the years.

I am proud that I have chosen to continue to walk the path in front of me.  It's not been an easy journey and there are many, many times where I wanted to give up.  But I didn't.  I won't give up.  I am proud of my decision to join my team in the fight against my challenges.  I'm proud of the fact that I still show up for therapy and dig into things I don't want to acknowledge, much less look at and talk about.  I'm proud of the fact that I've learned to better take care of myself during family situations that get out of hand.  Instead of toughing it out and letting my family walk all over me, I will now do what I need to do to take care of me, even though it feels impossibly hard.

I'm proud of this blog.  I never thought that I'd become a blogger.  Sure, I've always loved to write, but I've shared my writing with maybe 5-6 people, three of whom were my former teachers.  Otherwise, my writing has always been private.  I never thought it good enough to share.

Hmmmm.... pride.... this is a pretty decent list of things to be proud of... if only I can transfer them into sources of confidence.... guess I'll just have to wait and see!