Taking Care of YOU

Hope this finds you happy, healthy, and taking care of YOU!

I just had the perfect weekend. My best friend and I took a few days and traveled to Colorado to go white water rafting. It’s an activity that I love a lot but forget to create opportunity for in my life. As soon as we began floating down the Arkansas River, this incredible feeling of peace took over me. It was the kind of inner peace you feel when you know you are doing something good for yourself. The freedom of being outdoors, the excitement of challenging myself physically, and the pure joy of being with someone that I love really woke me up to something that has been missing in my life. More ME moments.

Creating the moments that help you to be fully self-expressed in your life, whether it’s a massage, a long hike, hanging out with friends, seeing a movie, playing the piano, or just resting, playing and re connecting with what makes you happy – those are the moments we need to create in our lives. I know I personally spend so much time on my career or doing the things I think I “should” be doing that I forget about exploring those moments that make me feel alive and inspired.

Self-care is an important part of recovery and it is an important part of managing a well balanced life. But often we are so tempted to overwork, over extend, and over commit, that the last person we end up having time for us is. I challenge us all this month to find 2 or 3 or even 10 self-care moments where we are truly re-fueling and rejoicing in the life we are living. And if you find that hard to do – then that’s an even better signal that your self-care may be way out of balance.

Jess and Oprah – O You!

One way you can create a ME moment for yourself is to join me in Miami on Sept. 29th as I conduct a workshop for participants at O, the Oprah Magazine’s convention celebrating…YOU! This convention is like the magazine coming to life with your favorite sections, experts, and speakers all there to provide a loving community of self-growth and exploration. I will be facilitating Dove’s Real Beauty Inspirations Workshop and will also get to spend time meeting and greeting participants on the convention floor. There is still time to register, go to www.oyouonline.com and I hope to see you in Miami!!

Amazing Partnerships and Announcements To Come:

As you can see, we’ve been making great alliances and partnerships here at with Jess™ and I know I’ve been teasing big announcements for the past few months and you’ll still have to wait until next month’s newsletter to hear all about it but – I’ll give you a sneak peek at some upcoming partnerships that will knock your socks off!!

- I am the Global Ambassador for Dove’s Self-Esteem Fund! What does that mean? Well, stay tuned for some big press announcements in early October and get ready to get involved online in a really cool program! (hint hint)

- I will be writing a column for Seventeen Magazine beginning in the December issue! My column will support the soon to be launched Body Peace Project that will invite over 1 million girls to sign peace treaties with their bodies next year. That means we’ll need some Actionist help – so stay tuned for details!

Taking Care of Your Mind – You MUST Check This Out!

We are beautifully expanding our Team Jess universe and our latest Actionist and Featured Author will soon be joining our team to talk to you about mental health issues. His name is Ross Szabo and he is a warrior for the cause of mental health and full self-expression. Ross comes to this subject matter personally as he and members of his family have struggled with mental illness. Blowing the lid off of what society still considers a shameful secret; Ross is putting a face and a powerful voice to warning signs, treatment, and recovery skills for those who are impacted by bi-polar and other mental illness. Ross is a fantastic speaker, author, and human being who has just written a wonderful book entitled “Behind Happy Faces”. This is a must-read for parents and teens alike!

YOU make the difference for US!

As always, without you guys we wouldn’t be able to reach as many people as we do. Thanks for spreading the word about our website, for signing up for the Actionist newsletter, for writing to our Team Jess members, and sending me your fantastic e mails!
We have a really incredible fall season coming up so make sure you are ready to rock and take action!

Love and Light,
Jess

Behind Happy Faces
Taking Charge Of Your Mental Health

-Ross Szabo and Melanie Hall

Do you hide YOUR true feelings?

Mental health is important for everyone…but the truth is, sometimes it’s hard to talk about or admit if you’re having problems. You’re afraid of being judged, or worried no one will understand.  And if you’re like a lot of people, you put on a happy face and try to act like everything is OK…even when it isn’t.

Well you know what?  It’s OK…not to be ok. School, family, relationships…even lack of sleep can take a toll on mental health!  And many of you are struggling with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, addictions, bulimia or other serious disorders.  You may not always know how to deal, who to tell, or what you should do. You’re not alone!  BEHIND HAPPY FACES takes on the most common emotional concerns expressed by over half a million other young adults. You will learn:

- How to determine if YOU may have a mental disorder
- Where you can go to SEEK HELP
- How to COMMUNICATE emotions in honest and healthy ways
- What you can do if a FRIEND or FAMILY member is suffering
- How to GET INVOLVED and discourage negative stereotypes!

Ross Szabo and others will inspire you with their stories of dealing with mental disorders and facing challenges like breakups, divorced parents, losing a loved one, or just figuring out how to express their feelings.  They learned how to take charge of their mental health, and so can you.  There is hope…get ready to get real, stop hiding and start living the life you want.  You deserve it!

Order your copy of this powerful book at Amazon.com!  

For volume discounts/educational programs, please contact Bonus Books/Volt Press to order at specialorders@bonusbooks.com.

Visit Ross Szabo on MySpace!   

If YOU NEED TO SEEK HELP, or want more information about BEHIND HAPPY FACES and links to related mental health information/websites, visit www.behindhappyfaces.com.

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Connecting with Jess!

September 29, 2007
Jess, Dove, and O Magazine
O You! Event
Miami, Florida
www.omagazine.info/oyou

What's on Jess's mind...
Are you curious about what's on Jess's mind lately? Be sure to read Jess's Blog to find out!

If you or someone you know would like to be a guest blogger on Jess's blog, please send your blog entry along with a 2 sentence bio about the writer to info@withjess.com.

** The topics are open - just keep in mind the goal of the site and Jess's work is to promote conversation and action**

Jess is so 21st Century...
Check out Jess's My Space page to read her blog, send her a comment, and connect with other amazing people making a difference in the world!

Jess has some advice for you...
Log on to www.mary-kateandashley.com to read Jess's advice in the "Real Girls, Real Advice" column. Jess has joined forces with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, as the syndicated advice columnist for their web site.

Actionist™ Wear!

Remember to check out our online store! You can express your Actionism with t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers and there is much more to come. Click here to check it out!

Book Jess in 2007!

Book Jess for your upcoming events in 2007 now and receive $500.00 off the total cost of program fees. Send your email to rebecca@withjess.com to find out what dates are still available.

1. Someone who motivates and inspires people to take action in their everyday lives.

2. Someone of any age, race, class, and gender who wants to walk their talk out in the world and lead by example.

3. Someone willing to do what it takes to make a difference in their lives and in the world at large.

Our Featured Actionist™ this month is...

Ross Szabo
Speaker and Co-Author of BEHIND HAPPY FACES:  Taking Charge of Your Mental Health (a Guide for Young Adults)

This month's Actionist, popular speaker and author Ross Szabo, wants to help to spread the message to all young adults that it's OK to face your issues, and more importantly, to SEEK HELP if you need it.  Even if that just simply means finding someone to talk to, as nobody should have to suffer alone. 

Ross Szabo is the Director of Youth Outreach for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign (NMHAC) and a speaker for CAMPUSPEAK, Inc. Also the youngest speaker on mental health issues in the U.S., he has addressed over 500,000 students, parents, teachers and counselors in the last five years.  He is also co-author of the new book, BEHIND HAPPY FACES: Taking Charge of Your Mental Health (a guide for young adults), co-written with Melanie Hall, creator/producer of the "Face the Issue" PSA campaign.

Szabo confronted the stigma of mental illness at an early age. A popular student leader and athlete, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 16. In his senior year of high school he was hospitalized for wanting to take his own life, and soon after his release, experienced the social isolation of the disease. His college years were also filled with emotional setbacks, as he was later forced to take a medical leave of absence from American University and was hospitalized again due to a relapse. Szabo returned to college in the fall of 2000, and began to use his broad understanding of mental health to educate others.  After graduating cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in psychology from American University in 2002, he set out on a full-time mission to speak out about mental health issues—in an effort to reach young people who are struggling to deal with their problems, and to eradicate needless stereotypes.

Szabo’s dynamic, relatable presentations and inspiring personal account of his experiences with mental illness have made him one of the top speakers on the college circuit—leading him to be named “Best Male Performer” by CAMPUS ACTIVITIES Magazine in early 2007. A regular speaker at national mental health conferences, Szabo has participated in major media events in recent years with the likes of NMHAC’s Tipper Gore and former Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher. One of his popular high school presentations was turned into a regional PBS program entitled, “What’s On Your Mind?” for WNED-TV (Buffalo/Toronto). Szabo has been interviewed about teen and young adult mental health by national publications including PARADE and SEVENTEEN magazines and major network and cable news outlets including CNN, CBS and MTV. He continues to develop educational middle school, high school and college programs while speaking to nearly 100,000 people each year.  

When people hear the word “mental,” many of them immediately think of the worst-case scenario. They think about things like depression or suicide. Or they may think of large-scale events like the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech and Columbine.  But a “mental health issue” can refer to something as simple as dealing with stress about an upcoming history test, talking to someone you have a crush on for the first time, or worrying about your future. Further along the spectrum are life events that may be a bit more difficult to handle—things like your parents’ divorce, the death of someone close to you, a relationship breakup, or the loss of a friendship. And then beyond that, there are more serious issues, things like anxiety disorders, clinical depression, and ADD/ADHD. Toward the extreme end of the spectrum are the most severe problems, including things like alcoholism, drug addiction, and mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and others. 

In his new book, BEHIND HAPPY FACES, Ross and his co-author Melanie Hall take on the most common emotional concerns expressed by over half a million other young adults! Ross shares his own personal story, along with many others who others will inspire you with their experiences dealing with mental disorders and facing challenges like breakups, divorced parents, losing a loved one, or just figuring out how to express their feelings.  They learned how to take charge of their mental health, and so can YOU!  There is hope…get ready to to get real, stop hiding and TAKE ACTION!  Take charge of your mental health, and start living the life you WANT.  You deserve it!

For more info about Ross and BEHIND HAPPY FACES visit www.behindhappyfaces.com or
www.myspace.com/behindhappyfacesbook

To get a copy of BEHIND HAPPY FACES click here.

For more info on how to bring Ross to your school please visit: http://www.campuspeak.com/speakers/szabo/

Wanna be empowered with great ways to take action in your everyday life?

Ways to Take Action

1. If you’re at a loss for new words that make you feel positive, try writing down a wish list of traits you admire in others. 

2. This one’s simple but true:  Remember that everyday actions and relationships cause a ripple effect out in the world, so practice being kind, and ask someone else to pass it on

3. Assess your own belief system.  Discover if you’re taking on others’ viewpoints or giving yourself an opportunity to craft you won.  Try writing down an opinion inventory, which can be broad and basic, silly or deep:  what are your thoughts on friendship, political issues, or even doing the laundry?  You may be amazed to discover that you have different opinions than your parents or friends do.

Small steps of action can make a great change!

Also, be sure to check out the Ways to Take Action section of our web site.