Recovered Hope

27 years and counting.... Happy Valentines day 💕

thank you so much for my gorgeous crocheted bouquet....
Flowers forever!
Anyone looking for a special gift, check out .....

❤️Our traits are a natural part of who we are, when we are little, they come out in certain ways and develop over time....
❤️One of my traits has always been Stubbornness, I would always want to do it my way....was I a naughty child? I don't believe I was...maybe my parents would disagree...but I would decide I was going to do something and very quietly and with my stubborn nature pushing me along.....I would do whatever it was.
❤️This was all sort of fine until I was battling an eating disorder....the stubbornness which had carried me through started to work in a negative way.
❤️Yes I was still stubborn, but now the things I found myself striving for were not things I needed or things I could 'MAKE' happen....
❤️On top of that came the feeling that if I couldn't 'MAKE' it happen, then I was failing and needed to punish myself...
❤️Our traits can feel as if they can only work one way for us as it's 'just who we are' but what if the trait which has served as a liability could be turned around and become a valuable asset?
❤️It was only when I focused on that stubbornness of mine and found a way to turn it into determination, that I could use my strong will to recover from my eating disorder and to start to really trust WHO I was and to believe that who I was, was enough....that no amount of hiding, of taking up less space and of staying in the shadows would bring me happiness or turn me into someone I thought I needed to be.....
❤️Healing takes time, building trust in yourself takes time, you DO deserve to take up space, you ARE enough and you CAN use your voice.....let everyone know that you are here!
Oh and yes these are all photos of the younger me...
❤️If you could speak to the younger you right now, what would you say?

Just another peaceful weekend in our little corner of paradise 😍

❤️ There will be days when it feels too hard, sit with the feeling...

❤️Pushing through the discomfort, the confusion and the doubts recovery can bring can make it so difficult to carry on walking the recovery path...

❤️It's OK to just stop walking for a bit, allow yourself to FEEL, to REST, to RESPOND.....

❤️Then, when you feel ready, gently get back up, dust yourself off and tread slowly but surely forward again....

❤️During my eating disorder it was all 'Push push push'..... Which is probably why I felt the need to push recovery.... By taking time, recognising when I needed to take a moment I was more able to continue, even when I thought I couldn't....

Another day with the animals.... Plus a sneaky little tree frog ❤️

Our dog has found her happy place rounding up the 3 little piggies..... The pigs love her!

What a fantastic day!

Working virtually with clients is great but getting to spend time with them in person is so special!

A day filled with shared coffees and chocolate....
Visiting my home and the piggies of course!

Making lunch together in my kitchen...

Out for a rainy nature walk together, talking and laughing, eating sandwiches in the car....

Recovery with in the moment support is a game changer...

Happy client, happy coach...

Recovery boost done and on we go.... ❤️

A peaceful Christmas here in NZ... Able to sit outside in the sunshine for our first Christmas in our new home...

Lovely lunch with the family... All but one very important and very missed member...

Board games, music and spending time with the piggies to round off the day ❤️

Merry Christmas.....
Recovery is.... ❤️

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....
Today here in NZ it's Christmas eve so time to prepare the desserts, pre make what we can so that tomorrow can be a chilled day around the Barbecue...
Three years ago we spent Christmas day in the hospital with my daughter as she battled her eating disorder..... This year she will be around the table enjoying the festivities with us and that alone is the best gift I could ever hope for...

Merry Christmas to you all and let's keep doing what we do to support others going through these battles..... Never lose hope ❤️