An Appreciated Award

Last week, I was thrilled to receive an email from Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC, Founder and Director of Eating Disorder Hope (EDH) naming me one of the Top 25 Eating Disorder Blogs! It's truly an honor.

Eating Disorder Hope’s mission is to offer hope, information and resources to individual eating disorder sufferers, their family members and treatment providers.

Actively Arielle will receive a feature and a link on their website distinguishing it as one of the best eating disorder blogs available on the internet. I am so appreciative.

Thanks, EDH! I look forward to further collaboration!

The Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude. It's not a very big word, but it can do big things. I think to some, I sound cheesy and chirpy, like a happy little bird. But with a knowing smile, I just go on with my day...with my life...and I am content.

Back in October, I decided that I wanted a new project for 2013. I came up with Project Positive Thinking: Lessons & Gratitude. The plan was to start it January 1st, 2013 and when the new year came, I began! So I thought I'd share the idea and the link here; perhaps it will ignite some kind of gratitude project of your own.

What IS Project Positive Thinking?

I will record the most important thing I learn each day.
I will also record the thing for which I am most thankful each day.
By the time 2013 is over, I'll have a lovely list of lessons and gratitude. I'll be sharing these lessons and gratitude with you each day on my Project Positive Thinking blog, but I don't have to do it alone. Feel free to join me.

Hero?

My dear, delightful, and beautiful friend Tracey surprised me the other day by nominating me for the 2012 Health Activist Hero Award at WEGO Health. I visited Facebook to find that she had posted the nomination link and a message suggesting people vote for me in a variety of different groups and on my own Facebook wall.

Other friends and followers have joined in too and I am ever thankful. The page to nominate someone is here:
http://info.wegohealth.com/health-activist-awards-2012/ and the specific award would be Health Activist Hero if you want to follow Tracey's lead. :-)

I'm honored to be nominated and want you to know that regardless of any award recognition, I will never stop using my voice to support you, teach you, and advocate for you.

Thank you again!

One Page at a Time: A Quick Note ;-)

Just a note to say:

In addition to the many thank you letters, emails, and messages I receive for the work I do on this blog, through my YouTube videos, and in the eating disorder recovery arena, I often receive comments from people asking for more personal tid-bits about me. In fact, as my posts here are most easily characterized as motivational speaking/advice/self-help/encouragement, it’s not often necessary for readers to leave comments. They get what they come for and go on with their days. They don’t have to cheer me on or express empathy or ask how an event/task/problem that week went. This blog is for YOU, and therefore, the exchange via comments is not what you would see on other more personal blogs.

And so, as you might expect, I’ve found that my posts here that have generated the most comments are ones in which I talk about a personal experience, or share a memory, or give you a glimpse into my life. I’m so humbled by the fact that my readers are so eager to know more about me, to converse with me. As you can see from the About Arielle tab in my header, I wear many hats and do many things. And as I am sure you’ve guessed, there is much more to me than a woman who dedicates herself to this site.

So I thought that I’d take a minute to say thank you. Thank you for asking about my husband, my cats, my friends. Thank you for asking me what I do in a typical day. Thank you for asking me about my family life, my work life, the books I like to read. Thank you for inquiring about my future plans. I’m not keeping these things from you. I just have a personal blog called One Page at a Time, and it is there I write about my life, the things I see, the people I meet, my tragedies and my triumphs.

I have had my personal blog since 2007 and for the last few years you may have noticed a link to it on this site’s sidebar under the small heading “Want to Know More about this Blog’s Author?” but with hundreds of readers now accessing this site from smartphones, I realize the sidebar is not displayed in mobile interface. This, is my main site, but One Page at a Time is my every day life and may be what you’re more used to seeing from other blogs you frequent. This is not a plug for my personal blog – far from it – it’s just a reminder that it exists and if you are just dying to know more about the woman behind Actively Arielle (haha), you are welcome to visit me there.

In light of recent messages that are so kind and curious as to the life of this Arielle lady, I invite you to One Page at a Time.

Peace & love,

Arielle

Day #1: I Write About Eating Disorders Because...

...because eating disorder recovery, advocacy, and activism is My Life's Work (and I'm not joking when I say that)...because I believe that Hope is where healing begins...because I love to share and teach and HELP.

While I may have a unique understanding as a recovered individual, I can also offer a professional perspective from a social work standpoint as well as that of an ANAD Support Group Leader, ANAD Resource Person, and speaker. I mold all of those together for my work as an Eating Disorder Recovery Blogger...and that work, though unpaid and on the web, is very important to me. Part of my blogging style is to post regular videos on specific eating disorder topics, because I recognize the impact of seeing the face (and hearing the voice) behind the words. I'm passionate and I'm passionate about showing my passion!

 I write about eating disorders because for me, every week is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. I want to give voice to pain, stigma, problems, hope, solutions, fear, education, encouragement, and celebration. I want to be a voice for those who are not able to use their own. I want to be a voice in order to show others what they can do to use theirs! Being a leader in this area is vital and fills my life with purpose. I write about eating disorders because I care about you, about the ones you love, about the society and the world at large.

I write about eating disorders because THERE IS A NEED.

I don't write for me. I write for YOU.

Brief but Heartfelt Thanks

Last week I officially reached and surpassed 1,000 subscribers on YouTube for my eating disorder recovery/self-help/motivational speaking videos. Also just last week I reached and surpassed 1,000 followers on Twitter. I was especially excited by the YouTube subscribers number because it's a lot easier to gain followers on Twitter and my target audience on YouThbe is quite specific. I only make videos regarding eating disorders and recovery, so for that many people to actually SUBSCRIBE means a lot. I know many more people WATCH my videos without subscribing to the channel, so I'm astounded by the numbers. Knowing that I am reaching 1,000+ people with eating disorders is huge and important.

I'm very thankful to all my blog readers, all my YouTube viewers, and all my subsequent Twitter followers and Facebook fans. The thoughtful feedback I receive regularly is something for which I am very grateful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, watching, and writing to tell me how the blog and videos have been helpful to your recovery. YOU are doing the work, not me - and your recovery is special and unique to you. It's something of which you should be proud!

I also wanted to take a minute to thank all the YouTube viewers who do NOT have eating disorders who write to me to tell me that I have helped them with their recovery from alcoholism, drug addiction, even chronic pain... and conditions beyond. And a special thank you to the video viewers out there who just write to tell me my videos simply help them with LIFE. It's proof that we're all people and our similarities outweigh our differences.

Thank you all again. Have a fantastic week!

Want to Follow Actively Arielle on Facebook?

You can still "friend" me on Facebook personally via the icon to your left in my sidebar, where you will most certainly get random updates and eating disorder info in addition to all the notifications of my thrilling personal life. :)

BUT you can also follow MY BLOG via Facebook. It has its own page and you will get all the updates through Facebook there if you so choose. Link just below. Click and you'll be taken there to follow through your Facebook account. :)


Follow Actively Arielle: A Voice with a Commitment on Facebook now.

Be Body Positive!

Today and every day, be body positive! Check it out: Be Body Positive!

HOPE for Recovery! Take THAT, NY Times!

Kat over at Recovering Inspirings asked me to do a guest post in response to last week's NY Times article, which had a distinctly negative slant on eating disorder recovery. Some amazing people were interviewed for the NY Times article, and yet after reading I was emotional and angry, and so were MANY others. Recovery is real! Here's what I have to say in a nutshell and you can find it over at the collaborative blog - Hope, Truth, and Possibility {{Guest Post}}

Please check it out, take heart, and have hope!

Voices Unite!

Eating Disorder Awareness Week is almost over! What have you done for the cause?

It doesn't have to be something BIG.

If you wear an awareness ribbon, bracelet, or shirt, you are supporting the cause. By facilitating discussion over these items, you are spreading the word.

By telling your story, sharing your desire to help, or providing resources to those in need you are doing a great service.

If you are simply reading and re-posting important recovery related info, you are doing a great job of keeping the heart of ED Awareness Week beating strong!

Don't stop now. There are still 3 days left.

The sweet author of Butterflyshapes just did a post on me and I'm ever grateful and very honored. You can check out her blog and the piece here: Wednesday Warrior.

Keep using your voices, everyone!

The Food Side of Things

Here's this week's video - The Food Side of Things. We talk so much about the emotional and psychological aspect of eating disorders (which are very important), but this week I talk a bit more about the food aspect.

The Beauty Message Challenge

I am participating in the Beauty Message Challenge. And I hope you will too.

Click here to see what it's all about.

I will actually be a guest blogger for the first week in September. And here's what I'm doing for my special challenge:

1 - Each day for the next 10 days (starting with today), I will tell one woman in my life that she is beautiful and why. I plan to do this in a variety of ways, depending on the woman in question - by email, phone, card in the mail, in person, etc.

2 - I will also keep up with the main goal of the Beauty Message Challenge by telling myself that I am beautiful.

3 - I will have a special message for all my readers/viewers posted on September 4th, and the readers of The Beauty Message blog will see it as well, as it will be posted there too. The special message on September 4th will detail my experience sharing the beauty message with others and I will also share my thoughts on beauty. In addition, there will be a video posted that relates to the topic at hand.

Join me in telling yourself that you are beautiful each day for the next days. Please?

Question # 20: Taking Responsibility & Being Real

KRYSTAL left a comment a couple of months months ago (sorry it's taken me so long to get to your questions, Krystal!) and I'm going to break them up up into 2 parts to respond. First:

"Thanks for your videos, Arielle. I am just now catching up on them (of course, after the holidays are over)! One thing I have been struggling with lately is a realization that I may really not be the nice person I always thought I was. People have always thought of me as a really nice person. I have been able to find numerous flaws in my personality, but whenever I have had a "mean" moment, I have written it off and blamed it on depression, ED, or whatever stress was going on at the moment. I have been pretty negative and downtrodden lately about my realization that maybe I am just not as nice of a person as I have always thought.

On the brighter side, I am going to take some of your advice from your video "Appreciating What You DO Have Instead of Trying to Change What You've Got". I am going to blog about some things I am thankful for, maybe every day if I can find the time to get on my blog. I am also going to look for some good quotes to frame - I loved those quotes in your bathroom - awesome!"


Okay - you've probably heard the saying "You are your own worst critic" before, but let me talk about that for a second. We can all find flaws in our personalities, and not one of us is perfect. We can strive for perfection, we can strive to be nice, but we may never live up to our expectations. If you are looking for flaws, you will find them. You can keep in mind that you are only human - without making excuses for yourself. You don't always have to be one extreme or the other. By that I mean, you don't have to either be a horrible person or a perfect one. It doesn't work that way. You are who you are and you will change in many ways as you grow as a person.

That said, a part of recovery is definitely taking responsibility for your actions. So if you think you've been making excuses for yourself based on depression, stress, or your eating disorder, perhaps you are. But it doesn't mean those things are not a factor in why you are not able to be as nice as you wish to be.

I think being honest with ourselves is a difficult thing at times. As you say,you're downtrodden lately about the realization you may not be as nice of a person as you originally thought. If this is a true assessment, I can imagine it's rough. But keep in mind that many things can alter one's perception, and one of those things is an eating disorder. Your very sense of self could be askew. The way you view yourself could be completely off. The best thing to do is examine your actions, thoughts, and feelings - and see where they lead you. If you can recognize that you are not feeling like a nice person for valid reasons, you will be better able to change that.

The best advice I can offer is akin to what you are already doing. The more positive reinforcement you have around you, the more positive you will become. Surround yourself with the right things, and you will see a change. You can help your mood, you can help your "niceness." So definitely frame some positive quotes - and put them where you can see them on a daily basis. Make that list of things you're thankful for - and while you're at it, make a list of all the positive attributes YOU possess.

Might be hard at first... but don't let it slide. Complete a list. And add to it as you think of more positive traits. We all have them. Dig for them.

Krystal continues:

"On another note, I have been struggling with the decision on whether to blog about ED stuff. I was bulimic for so long and it was such a big part of my life, but since I was mostly normal weight, not a lot of people knew about it unless I told them. A lot of the new people I know have no clue I ever struggled with ED. I feel like blogging about it sometimes, but don't know if it would change things between me and my newer friends, or make things weird between us. . . What has been your experience? Sorry if you have already blogged or done a video about this. If so, you can just direct me there. . .Thanks."


I think blogging can be very therapeutic. Whatever you want to disclose to the public is up to you. Do only what you feel comfortable doing. If you want, start out small and see how it feels. See what kind of feedback you get. You don't have to tell your whole story all at once. You don't even have to give a backstory if you'd rather not. You can simply write your thoughts, and if some of those thoughts happen to be eating disorder thoughts, put 'em in there.

Your blog is your space. No one can tell you what to write. But if you constantly feel you are censoring yourself, it doesn't make for as therapeutic an experience. You know? Furthermore, if you are refraining from putting some honest bits of yourself out there because you're worried about what other people will think, say, or do - you're giving in to something that will not help you. That mentality is only going to hurt you. That is no way to live your life.

My two cents: I'd rather have a friend who's being real than a friend who's not.

Can I promise you one of your new friends won't ask questions? No. Can I promise you one of them won't shy away and act strangely? No. But as you've probably been told many a time, if they are really your friends, they'll still be your friends when they know more of your story. Don't let fear back you up against a wall.

I have met and befriended a lot of people since I recovered. Do I start having full blown conversations about my disorder with them? No. But do I blog about it? Obviously, yes. I'm not ashamed. And if someone will think differently of me because of my past, that is on them, not on me. Go in with the right attitude and you will not be disappointed.

Best of luck!

Videos of mine from the last year or so you might find helpful:

Friendships & Eating Disorders: Gaining Perspective Part 1
Friendships & Eating Disorders: Gaining Perspective Part 2
Addressing Trust and Friendships
Perfection & Imperfection
Telling, Fielding, and Dealing
Learning to Like Yourself
Stop Pretending & Start Being Real

And the Giveaway Prize goes to Artist...

VEGGIE!!!

As you know, I've been doing what I called my Calling All Art! Show & Tell and Giveaway for the last couple of months. I want to thank you all for the beautiful and courageous art I received and shared. I know everyone benefited from seeing all the wonderful artwork. In fact, I loved everyone's work so much I couldn't pick a "winner." I was so moved by so many of the pieces it just didn't seem fair to declare someone's the best. And I stand by the statement that no one's is better than another's - they were all different and special and they each told a unique story. They simply couldn't be compared.

So, since I didn't feel right choosing someone to get the prize (which again, isn't much considering the beauty of everyone's work), I decided to let the "comments" section be the judge...or rather, the artwork that received the most reader comments is the one I chose to be awarded the prize.

Therefore, Veggie, thank you for your art, which many of you will remember. It's called "Recovery Way" and clearly demonstrates a thought-provoking (though clear and strong) message.
Send me an email to arielle.becker@gmail.com with your mailing address, Veggie, and I'll ship your prize right away. :)

I hope you all enjoyed seeing the art - if you did, leave me a comment, because it's something I'd like to do again next year. And thank you all for your votes for me in Wellsphere Blogger Awards. I was # 16 in the Top 100 Bloggers! and had the 2nd highest amount of votes for an Eating Disorder recovery blog (with the wonderful Carrie Arnold obtaining first).

Last Call

I will be posting more art, as well as getting back to all your questions. I have a few more in the lineup that readers have sent in and I will get to them all at some point. BUT before I go back to the art and the questions and my usual videos, I wanted to shamelessly remind you all that there are only TWO more days left to vote for my blog in the Wellsphere Blogger Awards. If you'd like to vote, please do it soon! You can click here to do so (it takes you to an earlier post of mine where there's a badge to click on to place your vote). Or you can simply click on the badge on the left sidebar of my page to vote for me. It takes just a couple of seconds to make your vote count, and I would so appreciate it. ;)

I hope you are all starting the week off right and taking care of yourselves. Keep the questions coming. :)

Time's Running Out...

Thank you, everyone, for all the kind words and for all your votes for my blog. I'm still in the Top 20 and...

There are only 2 weeks left to vote for my blog!

You can vote only until Dec. 15th, so please cast your vote for me now, if you haven't already. I truly appreciate all the support. If you watch my videos, read my posts, and like the art/writing/ideas/suggestions/recovery-oriented advice you find here, help me make it to the top of the Wellsphere Blogger Awards.

You can click on the badge below to place your vote. (Or use the badge located on my sidebar.) To make your vote count, it will ask you to create a username, but Wellsphere only sends one initial email and no more. You will not be bombarded with emails you don't want to receive, so don't worry. Please help! Take a second to vote! Thank you!!!

Arielle B. http://tearstowords.blogspot.com/

Love to all.

Your Votes are Helping!

Just a quick reminder to vote! :)

You may remember that about a month ago, I asked for a little help regarding my blog. I'm a Top HealthBlogger with Wellsphere and that badge on my sidebar is there because of the Blogger Awards. Well, you guys have been voting for me, and it's really made an amazing impact! Last I checked, I was #9 in the Top 20!

You guys are fantastic.

The voting continues until December 15th, so if you'd still like to place a vote, there's plenty of time. If you like this blog and it's been helpful for you, I'd appreciate it so much.

Arielle B. http://tearstowords.blogspot.com/

My response to the last reader question is coming, as well as more art from... you!

Thank You!

I just want to take a minute to thank you all for voting for my blog. My blog is currently #10 in the Top 20 HealthBloggers on Wellsphere, so it's definitely making a difference. You are all wonderful and I really appreciate it. Voting goes through Dec. 15th, so I'm hoping I stay near the top or even move on up!

I have amazing readers.

You can only vote once, but if you'd still like to vote and haven't, you can do so here or just click the "Vote Now" button on the left sidebar of my blog.

A Little Help? :)

A little shameless promotion... well, actually, it's more like asking for support...

Vote for me?

Please?

Arielle B. http://tearstowords.blogspot.com/