i believe in compassion.

Hey folks! I am so excited to be a guest blogger on i believe in unicorns.! Ashley is the sweetest for letting me do this, even though what I'm about to say is definitely a departure from the usual topic and tone of her blog. My name is Josie and I was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. I have had bipolar disorder for about 5 years and as a result I was forced to drop out of school and many other aspects of my life have drastically changed. I've tried treatment after treatment without success. There are days when I can't even get out of bed because of the bonds with which this disease has me bound. One of the worst things about this disease is that so many people are skeptical of "mental illness" and have no idea how much I suffer. A few months ago, at the risk of opening myself up to judgment from others, I decided to share my story with everyone. I did this with hopes that I might be able to help someone who is also suffering, whether from mental illness or from life's challenges in general. You can read that post here. This post was met with countless e-mails from friends and family, telling me their own stories. This led me to discover that I am not alone in my struggles; that discouragement, sorrow, and hopelessness are prevalent in the world today. I became determined to prove that there is also hope and goodness alive and well in the world. And from this, The 444 Project was born (444 referring to Alma 44:4, our family scripture that has given me great strength over the years).

The 444 Project

A couple weeks ago, I left my home in Arizona and I have been traveling across country...armed with only my car, a video camera, and the prayers of friends and family. I have been interviewing perfect strangers, always ending with the same final question, "What gets you out of bed each day?" In other words, why is your life worth living? What are the blessings in your life that inspire and motivate you to get out of bed and engage each day? I plan to be on this journey until I have acquired 444 different answers to that question. There are also some fun angles to the project (like silly dares, etc.) to keep things interesting. I will post on the blog at the close of each day to report on that day's experiences, including video footage of highlights. My blog is unique in that I try to incorporate humor in addition to giving the honest truth about my illness, turning a difficult situation into something positive and offering a unique perspective that is both inspiring and entertaining. I am sacrificing a great deal to make this project a reality, because I believe in it. My hope is that The 444 Project will make the world a better place. 

So head on over to josiethompson.com and follow along on my journey! The point of the project is to lift the downtrodden; to give hope to those who are struggling with trials of all kinds. But it will be meaningless if there is no one to read it! So add some life to The 444 Project by reading and sharing it with anyone you think may benefit. Y'all are the best.

Love,

Jos