I spoke last night at the new Perth Children’s Hospital for Body Awareness and Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

I wanted to share with you my talk for the night.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Hi my name is Tracey and I am going to talk tonight about what recovery is actually like for me now.

I had an eating disorder for a long time and have now I have been recovered for over 10 years now. I am never going back.

I have this saying that today is a gift, it was a day that I didn’t think that I would have and I embrace every moment.

I am passionate about giving back and sharing my journey.

Tonight, I wanted to share what recovery for me is like. This is my journey and what I have learnt along the way.

 

Recovery for me was about finding my purpose, it is about rediscovering who I am- Tracey without the control and thoughts of the eating disorder consuming me and keeping my world small.

I have great support of amazing friends who were there for me.

 

It is about embracing the new, I had to learn to explore new ways of doing things.  It was doing things totally different then what I was used to. I had to step out of my comfort zone.

I had one year where I would just say yes to new experiences. A friend of mine challenged me. Just to say yes and to see what happened.

Which was a little bit aaagh but it was so important in expanding my world and experiences.

Recovery for me was -discovering my creativity and that was such an important part in my recovery.

Journaling helped me so much, I love to journal.

Being creative helped me so much. I love writing.  I can now call myself a blogger, I have a blog,I write about my journey, I write about encouraging women.  I have written for some publications in America, I just submitted an article and it was accepted, I am a singer/songwriter and I am passionate about making a difference.

I work as a primary school chaplain for nearly 7 years and I love what I get to do. Every day is an adventure. My days are so varied and my life now is so completely different to the woman I was who was stuck in an eating disorder.

I laugh, I have a very distinct laugh and I make no apology, there was a time where the eating disorder stole my joy. I laugh and I have learnt to laugh at myself.

My role as a primary school Chaplain has seen me-

• Speak at assemblies
• I run a girls’ group for years 4 to 6 where we look at friendships, identity, self-esteem.
• I have run a Disco, never run a disco before.
• I have a Drumbeat group.
• I have gone on camps where I have gone abseiling, rock climbing and orienteering.
• I am there for the whole school community. Love community.

I am still learning that my life has meaning, my life has purpose.

I am a work in progress, I love that cause it just allows us to rest in it.

She designed a life that she loved.

I want to leave you with these words tonight you are worthy, valued and loved. Yes, you are.

Thank you

 

Do you ever have those days, you know those days when you do those things that you know, that you just know that you shouldn’t do?

Those days that when you reflect on them, they just seem messy.

Those days when you may have felt shame closing in on you for what you have done.

Those days when all you want to do is stay in bed and pull the doona cover over you.

You know those days like-

• You may have been caught up in a gossip session, yes it does happen.
• You may have spoken in an angry manner to someone and said something that you know would hurt the other person.
• You may have indulged to much in something that you know is not good for you.
• You may have avoided someone because you know that they just want to be heard.

I could go on.

Yes, those days are hard, those days are difficult, those days can consume us.

We need to be kind to ourselves, this is not who we are, we are humans and we make mistakes. Yes, we do.

Do you notice how things happen when we are tired, when we have not looked after ourselves? When we are tired things seem magnified, things seem at lot more difficult.

Don’t let these days define you they are just a little bump on the road. You are on your journey and these things are going to happen.

But it is how we embrace the messy days that will help us, move forward.

Acknowledge the messy days and learn from them.

How are you embracing the messy days?

 

Lately I have been thinking about what God is wanting me to do.

Have you had that thought this?

There is so much that I want to do for God?

I want to say to him, yes thank you so much for what you have done for me and I want to encourage others.

God, did not leave me he saved me for a purpose.

There was a time when I didn’t want to be here, there was a time when I just didn’t want to go on.

 

But I am still here, I am still here and I know that it is because of Him.

I know that I am still here because of Him.

 

I struggle with this, why God did you save me?

I struggle with this, God what is it that you want me to do?

 

I know that I want to serve you. I know that I want to make a difference. I know that I am saved for a purpose on purpose.

I know that I am trusting you. Lead me and guide me.

I will share more soon.

 

 

The last few weeks I have been recovering from a cold and yes, I am finally feeling better.

Do ever have the realisation that when you are unwell, you think of all the things that you want to do?

It gives your body sometime just to be and not be consumed by all the day to day business or distractions.  I am really not that good at being unwell and having to rest, but I am learning.

I have had two really busy weeks with some amazing professional developments for my role as a Chaplain. I have been on a course about drumming and also learning about trauma in children.

I did have one day at home because I just didn’t feel well and that is okay. (I still struggle with not being at work). I am a work in progress.

This week I have been thinking about creativity, I love being creative.

I have been thinking about how much I love writing, how much I love blogging. I really want to get back into it and also to finish my book. Oh, the book it is also a work in progress.

My Goals for June are-

• To blog twice a week. Yes, twice a week is achievable in my very productive life.
• I also want to make a difference in helping women with an eating disorder and I will be working on this as well.
• To study and finish two assessment.
• Find someone accountable with working on my book.

What are some goals that you have been dreaming of doing this month?

Is there something that we can encourage each other today?

So, she is dreaming of-

• Making a difference
• helping someone
• being an encouragement
• travelling
• Writing a book
• Being a woman of God
• Helping others find their hope
• Speaking about her journey
• Blogging………………..

What are your dreaming of…………………………..

 

Will share more soon.

 

 

I have been thinking lately about She is…….

I have been thinking about the Proverbs 31 Woman, she is so inspiring and she really encourages me. There is so much that I am working towards.

I really want to be a Proverbs 31 woman, how about you?

This is a goal of mine.

What I really want to be is an encourager, someone that can just let a woman of God know that- hey I see you, I see what you have done and yes you have been noticed. Yes, you are an amazing woman of God you have made a difference.

I love the verse- when she speaks she has something worthwhile to say and she always says it kindly.

This is the verse that I want to focus on, yes, I want to say things in kindness.

Do I always get this right? Um to be honest no I don’t, I do reflect on those times that I may slip up. I feel confused and I want to learn from the times when I really don’t speak kindly of others.

I need to be lead by the Holy Spirit.

I want to be a Proverbs 31 Woman, I really do.

So, I have been thinking about-

• I haven’t blogged for awhile and I really miss writing. I do, I really do.
• I have been busy lately studying and working towards a Diploma of Counselling which I am really loving.
• What I really love to do is be creative, whether this is singing, writing, blogging, journaling, art, singing and dance.

I also love encouraging others.

I am going to challenge myself to blogging every day during June.

Will share more soon.

 

 

 

A few weeks ago, I embarked on a creative project, I really wanted to encourage women, this had been on my heart to do for some time now.

So, I started experimenting with colours, paints and cards. It was so much fun and I was really in the moment. I love giving to others.

Another little adventure was going to the post office and finding out how much stamps cost. I went to the post office to buy some stamps, which I had not purchased for a long time. I found out to send a letter in Australia it was one dollar, to send a letter to America it was three dollars, to send a letter to England one dollar and to send a letter to Bali it was two dollars thirty.

Who knew?

The creative journey began, women messaged me and I wrote to them encouraging them. I wanted to them to know that they are so worthy, valued and loved. The message where personal just for them. I thought about how much they helped others and how amazing they are.

Do you need encouragement?

Would you like a letter?

We all need some encouragement from time to time.

Be brave.

You can nominate someone to receive a beautiful encouraging card.

Will share more soon.

 

 

 

This has always been on my heart about encouraging women.  I am passionate about encouraging women to believe in themselves.

Last weekend I spent the day experimenting with paints, pens, with colours and also with encouraging words.

I have been thinking about women who have been going through an eating disorder and how I could encourage them. This week as I was driving to work I had one of those amazing moments where I had an answer to my question Yeah!

What I would really love to do is send you, yes you beautiful one an encouraging message.

If you would love an encouraging message please message me. I want to remind you that anything that you tell me is confidential, I will not share anything that you have shared with me.

I am really excited about this project.

You can contact me on traceybuckley2@hotmail.com or you can message me.

Looking forward to hearing from you.