“A lot of times the struggle of recovery is like this huge mountain you need to climb. And you’ve fallen so far that the peak of the mountain looks a century away. Understand that you don’t need to find the path. There are Sherpas. There are people who will guide you. You don’t have to do it alone. Even if the people around you don’t understand, there are people who are out there that do” – Janine

Janine and I were in residential treatment together in 2007. As the first person that I knew who was doing well in her recovery, she was someone that I looked up to. Janine currently lives in Colorado Springs where she works as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Abundant, a leadership mastermind that supports sales professionals in their growth. Her mission is to help others experience the brightest and most authentic version of the light within themselves. In her story she talks about the feeling of loneliness and how it contributed to her eating disorder. She also talks about how having a recovery pet, being in a sales position, and starting to live life on HER terms helped her in recovery. Janine says her eating disorder gave her the invitation to learn more about what makes her happy and that sharing her story helps her to create deeper connections with other people.