The girl is back in town

Earlier this year I interviewed the lovely Jessica Holt, who's song 'Finding My Forever' still puts a huge smile on my face. I was going to meet up with her in London while she is here on tour in the UK, but our times haven't as yet managed to work out. But she has been whirling around the city with various gigs and tonight also returns to Brighton to play a one off show.

This ray of sunshine direct from Australia is just what we need during these past wet and windy weeks and if you are anywhere near a venue where she is playing I suggest you go and bask in the warmth of this voice. For now I'll leave you with the always upbeat 'Finding My Forever' as well as a cover she just did of a song I have always loved. Jess, we wish you all the success as you sing your way around London and have an incredible trip to Berlin.

x Jo & Carrie

For more information visit Jessica's Facebook page here

To read my earlier interview with this lovely soul click here

Baby Bumps In The Road

Hayden Panettiere

So as I find myself fully immersed in the throws of my third trimester of pregnancy, all the classic middle-of-the-night fears have joined in the fun too. I also couldn't help but notice Hayden Panettiere's recent admission of dealing with Postpartum depression. Thankfully this is a subject getting a lot more press these days and showing people just how real it is.

Back to Beyond - Organic Baby Clothes

With such an overwhelming amount of information out there on what to expect when you're expecting your head does start to feel VERY overloaded. The hormones and general awareness that nothing will ever be the same again have kept me up on many nights. While I am beyond excited by the little one's arrival I am also finding myself becoming a cliche of thoughts. Thoughts I honestly hadn't realised would cause me such anxiety. Questions such as "How will I really cope?, How do you get those miniature shoes on without them screaming at you?, Will I ever wash my hair again?, Will my nipples fall off?, (No I'm seriously worried that they might - apparently I'll need cabbage leaves, yes really).

Back to Beyond - Organic Baby Clothes

A few days ago I had a nasty fall, where I tackled the concrete floor like a pro Rugby player, dislocating my finger in the process. I was so high on adrenaline and mama instincts that I avoided the concrete to tummy contact with some otherworldly magic and while lying there looking at my finger at a right angle to my hand, knew I had to get the bump checked as fast as possible and my finger was just going to have to play along. I popped it out and re-set it while still lying on my back in the road... I'm not sure I would have done that a few months ago. After a trip to the maternity ward all was fine, but I was in shock at how I had responded to it all.

My bump with temporary Conscious Ink tattoo.

There has been a realisation that not only does my body no longer really belong to me, but neither it seems, does my mind. I have finally fallen in love with my body - something I NEVER thought I'd say, because here it is, despite all the crap I've fed it over the years, and verbal abuse it's had to withstand, building a human, one cell at a time, and I had nothing whatsoever to do with it... well you know what I mean. Despite all my worries and tears and angst, one bone after another has been built and now little hands and feet are currently using my internal organs as a punching bag.

So as I witness this changing vessel of a body do things I never thought I could I am also so aware of how the mind too is thinking things I never thought I would. Really strange, often totally irrelevant things. I am so aware of the potential and reality of Postpartum depression and have taken some rather drastic steps recently to get myself into a physical place where I am as supported and as safe as I can be. Because it's all very very real. And while I never thought I'd be popping back dislocated digits like it was a loose strand of hair - I also have no idea what's around this very large corner. All I can say is that with the support I have now surrounded myself with in the last few weeks, and making sure that I keep that communication open I hope that this next chapter will be the joy it's meant to be.

Back to Beyond - Organic Baby Clothes

But as my final note, you don't need a bump and hormones to relate to this. Because all of us are struggling with something. By bringing an awareness to it, whether it be financial concerns, or a difficult working environment, and trying to be as open as we can be with those we trust and love can and does ease so much of the crazy. And we all need a lot less of the crazy in our lives, and so much more of the ahhhh.

So next time someone asks how you are, you don't have to use them as a therapist, but get a little more real. Be a little more honest.

And ask for help if you need it. (And yes, I'm still learning that new lesson)

x Jo

Some Images provided by Back To Beyond - original, made to order, beautiful, Organic baby clothes.

www.backtobeyond.com

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

Morning all!

So I'm back to a favourite subject of mine, which never gets old - but what I'm so excited to see however, is that we are getting braver. Much braver. The video at the end of the post may well have found it's way to your computer by now. I've actually seen this whole standing in the middle of the road with a blindfold on asking for kindness by strangers before. But what shouldn't be astounding is how when faced, one on one with another human opening up, is that we do the same. Whether it's facing the face of a refugee, the face of a person crying, or the face of a brave woman blindfolded in the street, individually we are truly incredible.

Despite what the news would like us to believe, we are not our governments statistics, we DO NOT represent graphs and charts showing how much aid we have or haven't given. We cannot be held accountable for the choices our councils and governments make, because we know that none of us were ever asked. No one ever came to our door and said, can you help? What do you think we should do? We never voted for any of their complex and nonsensical policies and we never endorsed the mass neon advertising for diet pills. We never asked for any of it.

And the lie is so beautifully exposed when we see videos like this. We see what the news and advertising industry don't want us to see. The bold truth, that when you strip it all away we WANT to support each other, we want to reach out and help. We are still capable of creating goose bumps without Hollywood intervening. We are still capable of opening up our homes and hearts and minds to anyone.

It really is a wonderful world. 

x Jo

She stripped down to nothing but her underwear in the middle of a busy marketplace & you'll never believe the response she got: http://on.hln.tv/8KxVpS The Daily Share

Posted by HLN on Wednesday, 9 September 2015

and here are a few more human gems to light up your day.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/pictures-that-will-restore-your-faith-in-humanity#.vk7YLpLm5

Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong

I'm changing tack here a little this week. Often a TED talk will come up that might inspire me more than most, in fact I can't think of one yet that hasn't inspired me. But this one, this one really struck a cord. This talk is by Johann Hari, who clearly speaks directly from the heart. I don't think there is anyone who hasn't been personally affected by addiction in some form or another. Whether it's us, a friend, or a family member. This talk was such an enlightening look at what we think we know, and it turns a great deal of it on it's head. Not only is this talk gentle but strong in it's message it's also a view that I personally have never heard before.

This talk I know will leave you with the feeling that you want to immediately pass this onto someone, or perhaps just sit with it quietly and let its message infuse into your consciousness. Whatever you choose to do, I'm sharing it with you because I know someone you know, or even you, needed to hear it today.

x Jo

Now this, is a gift.

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

If you've heard of this man, then he needs no introduction and if you haven't then, just wait. I was fortunate enough to attend a talk by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer many years ago and that profound experience has never left me. I still recall being a young teen at the time but knowing that I was in the presence of something very rare. This remarkable soul died this week, and my heart actually aches for all the thoughts left still unshared - altough this was one man who left us with a mountain of words. He is the man responsible for so many of those great quotes we see time and again on Instagram and Pinterest and for many years still to come we will know that it was this man who truly changed the world around him.

While he leaves behind a veritable library of books, videos and interviews there was one recent creation that he wanted to share with us. It's a 2 hour film called 'Shift'. His dream was to get 3 million people to watch it although I'm sure that by the end of the week we will have easily surpassed that.

This is not film that makes you take a thousand notes and requires that you set a hundred goals, give up something or start. This film simply changes something in you. It's that moment in life when everything stops - for just a moment, and you remember something.

I don't think I will say much more, because, as you will see after watching the film, you're left in this space where you simply don't need to say anything. If you have already taken the time to read this far, then please, don't leave it till after the weekend, or once you've watched C.S.I - again, or scrolled through your timeline. Just click play, it's currently free to watch and I promise you it will be the best 2 hours you've had in a long time.

Get comfortable, and just watch what happens to you. 

What a gift you left us with.

Thank you Dr. Dyer, again and again.