Pink!

P!nk

Wow where do I start with this one? :D

She is truly awesome is so many ways. Her music. Her attitude. Most importantly her strength to be purely just herself, inspite of what anyone may have to say!

Her music touches & inspires me. I must be able to relate, in some way, to almost all of her songs/singles from the beginning of her career;

• Like a Pill... "instead of making me better....."
• U & Ur Hand.... "I'm not here for your entertainment..."
• Long way from happy....
• Conversations with my 13 year old self...
• Raise your Glass.... "if you are wrong in all the right ways..."

Not only can she pick me up when I'm down or lighten a dark mood but she also touches my heart with songs like: "Dear Mr. President" & the song that she recorded with her father was .. amazing. She is a true inspirational legend. May she always continue on with the same strength & love in her heart.

Much Love & Respect to Pink! xo









~ "Amazing Grace" ~

"Amazing Grace"

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.



T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.


Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.



The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.



Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.



When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.



"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

Special Thanks from the Soweto Gospel Choir & YouTube for the video

& http://www.littleleaf.com/ for the lyrics.. this song sang by the Gospel choir sends chills down my spine.. awesome!!





 

(+) " Let the Sun Shine "

"Let the Sun Shine,

Let the Sun shine,

BABY!

Let it all Go

Let it all go

BABY!"

There may not be many lyrics in this song but those it does have a uplifting especially sang by the Gospel Choir... An amazing sound  dimension to the track!.

** Inspirational =)

Covergirl ~ Rihanna

**Rihanna** not only gorgeous & talented, but hugely inspirational to myself & many others who strive to be strong, independent women!!

Much Love & Nuff Respect ~ My Girl!! ;-x

To read a little about how I was once a Covergirl...... click here.....



 

                              

     















 



















                                      


      

Resettlement Programmes

"For providing me with the confidence to approach employers with that level of honesty I must thank & applaud the officers at HMP Askham Grange for leading the way in effective Resettlement Programmes for Offender Rehabilitation. Not forgetting the local businesses who actively take part in the scheme & make it possible. Hope the good work continues. The key thing to remember on this subject is that being as there are criminals involved there is likely to be mis-haps or in some cases total failure but it is not the programme or system that is at fault. It is merely the work of human nature. Where some will thrive in the opportunities given to them, others could also fall flat............................read more"

This is an extract from a post I have just released on my website that discusses my own experience with disclosure of convictions to potential employers & my own thoughts & opinions on 'spent' limitations.

Please read the full article & share your own thoughts or opinions on the subject. It would be interesting to compare.


 


















  

Sex & the City

            

Now Sex & the City may seem like a strange programme to be considered an inspiration, so let me explain... Not only are they all strong, beautiful & glamorous ladies but they are also independently wealthy individuals who still manage to maintain a lasting friendship.

It inspires me to follow my heart, ignore negativity & be myself. It's a lesson in standing up for yourself & staying true to yourself even in difficult times. So many people follow trends in fashion & even lifestyle just because others are doing it. To me those people are just followers without imagination but then I could be wrong, they might just be chasing their own dreams of stardom or similar. I have just never believed that the best way to carry yourself is in the shoes or style of others. How can you honestly claim to be unique when you look like someone esle from head to toe & even down to the way you speak?

I am not & will never be a fashion icon but then I wouldn't let anyone dictate what I should & shouldn't wear. In the same way I couldn't allow someone to tell me how to speak or behave.

I watched Sex & the City today & felt inspired to just be myself & maybe choose my friends & lifestyle much more carefully. They have shown me in two films that it is okay to be yourself, strive for my own ambitions & not worry about what others say about me because all I need is to be true to myself in order to be truly happy in life.

A New Day :)

From the dark,

There comes light.

Like a heart,

In loving flight.

Like the morning sun,

rising on the hill.

The day has begun,

off to the mill.

Part of the daily grind

like crispy bacon rind

Pollen in the breeze

causes many to sneeze.

My heart is hollow

But I shall not wallow

My mind is inspired

& my thoughts wired

Today is the day!

I have come to say.

I hope it will be

For once good to me

Through stress & strife,

Onward & upward.

I could move to Fife?

but then I'm not that tough!

I'm happy with what I have

My family in good health

But I would be mad,

Declining a bit of extra wealth.

Good luck to you all

Remember to stand tall.



"Pixie" Angel

This is my good alter ego, my playful & cheerful side.

It is a poster on my wall alongside my dark ego;

The dark angel

Sunshine

You open the curtains on a new day & the sun is there waiting to greet you..

"Good Morning, Miss Jones. Smile it's going to be a beautiful day!!"

Nothing could be more inspiring than that!?

The suns glow shines down on the world, making it look crisp, clean & brand new. Everything is bright & cheerful. The birds sing in the trees. It makes me feel so alive! I want to dance & laugh!

That's the only natural high there is, feeling alive!!

It can be found in many places, from many different things.

The first day of Spring; Christmas morning; In the arms of a loved one.

To find a little peace of something that makes you feel alive is the best high there is!

The sun shining high in the sky on a warm summer afternoon is truly glorious.

The way it makes me feel could be compared to a flower. I've seen it on so many documentaries & tv programmes, they play it in slow motion. As the sun rises & touches the petals, the flower starts to open up until it's in full bloom. I wake up in much the same way on a sunny morning, as do most of us I'm sure. On those dark &  miserable mornings, I stay closed, shut down.

Oh but when the sun is shining, the weather truly is sweet!! ;)

It makes me want to move my dancing feet.. yes! 

Extreme Makeover - Home Edition !!

Wow Wow Wow Wow is really the only way to sum up this show!! Not only is it amazing to see such community spirit in building the families new homes but some of the people themselves are incredible!
There are two that really stand out for me:

Garrett Grommesh

He is a 10 year old boy with Spinabifida who doesn't let his disability phase him at all! There home before the show was quite small & narrow so it was hard for him to move around as much as he would like to but he still tried. His parents setup & run a non-profit organisation called Hope inc which brings other wheelchair children together in sports activities & events that they wouldn't normally be able to do. The whole family is an inspiration really.
However the pinnacle of this story is that not only is he an inspiration to so many but he is also so unselfish. A young Kosovan girl who befriended him at school & saw past the disability, touched him so much that even given the chance of a new home he still requested that the old house be given to his friend in order to make their lives better.

Such a remarkable young boy who I hope will go on to do many great things. He has definitely inspired & motivated me to try a make a difference in whatever way I can.

Finis Gaston

A young African-American male who gave up a college scholarship in Gymnastics to look after his niece & nephews after his mother passed away. Not only that but he actually taught himself gymnastics from watching it on the TV & now teaches other children in gymnastics & cheer leading.

His positivity & optimistic outlook on life is what inspires me about him. The home they rented before the show was practically falling apart. There were holes in the walls; the house was just a wreck! In spite of that he was still smiling & cheerful.

Amazing guy!

The show awesome & I love it. It always restores my faith in human nature on so many levels!!

Prison Officers!?

A lot of people's first reaction to the title would be: "What!?" but to those I say: "YES!"

Prison Officers get such a bad reputation, sometimes with good reason for some, however, there are so many that also don't get the recognition they deserve!

I spent 13 months & 2 weeks in prison at Her Majesty's Pleasure & in that time I obviously met a number of Prison Officers. Some admittedly just clocked in, did the bare necessities of their job & then went home. To be expected really as I'm sure it's a rewarding job for all those who do it. There were others then went through the motions & were polite & respectful, possibly because that's just how they were raised, with manners, regardless of the situation, just like me. Others were just always meant to do the job, like a vocation in order to help & assist people change their lives for the better.

One in particular, who I can't name (I'm sure!?), was a pillar of inspiration & motivation to all who understood her good intentions. She was middle-aged, strong-minded & blunt when it came to the truth. It was refreshing for me to have  personal officer who could see the good in me. Someone who recognised that I wasn't just another number & addict statistic. She noticed my determination & my many differences to other addicts in the prison, from the very start. I saw her on every wing that I was on until I reached 'her' wing & she became my personal officer, by chance, I might add, not intentionally.

She was always consistent in her grievance's with inmates & on rare occasions, with other officers & how they conducted themselves. It was one of the things I liked so much. There were no double standards with her at all. It was just one rule for all. She didn't beat about the bush when it came to a telling off either. She could be very harsh, well not so much harsh but outspoken, on many things & if you had done, you knew about it! She was not one to tolerate self pity either.

"We are all responsible for our own actions!"
"Only you can change or determine, what happens next!"

She gave me the encouragement & motivation I needed - during difficult, self doubting days - to continue my pursuit of abstinence without any judgement or prejudice against my past indescretions. She was a true inspiration & an excellent example of the 'prison officer' role.

Much love & respect to you - Miss F. xx

Dark Times

Here I lay in wait,
It is getting quite late,
I pray the Lord my soul to take!

Will it be the morning I make?
At dawn when I wake?
Oh for goodness sake!!

I know it's late at night,
I've become a dreadful fright!
Afraid of shadows cast by the lamp light..

I'm awfully tired & so need to sleep,
I here the distant bleeting of sheep,
Off to my slumber I want to fall so deep..

I tried so hard to relax
even whilst my skin felt like melted wax
Until my legs started & needed a wack!

My body is so hot!
I'm about to blow my top!
Will this torture ever STOP!?

Well I believe it should?
Of course it would!?
All I wanted was a hug.. !?

I was on the edge,
Hanging on to the edge,
Desperately searching for a ledge..?

I knew I was to blame,
For feeling so lame,
Just like I knew I would when this time eventually came!

(This can also be found on my most recent blog "From the Dark......"  @ http://thedarksoul-tressa.blogspot.com/ )

The Future?

So what does the future hold?

Will it be big, beautiful & bold?

Or will I just die, alone & old?

Who Knows?

With the sky as the limit,

The possibilities are endless, init!

So sit back & enjoy the ride,

To far off places & beyond blue skies!

Restoring faith in mankind, While we're at it!!

Oooodles of Love,

TrudieEssa Jones

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Inspired by Nature

When I'm feeling a little cloudy or thoughtful I like to try my hand at poetry. I am no expert poet & sometimes its more a jumble of thoughts than actual sensible rhyme, but I hope you enjoy it anyway...

Ode to all things wonderful!

The trees blowing in the breeze,

Like passing thoughts through my mind.

Back , forth & then freeze!

My life; good, bad & sometimes blind!

Where am I in all of this?

Trapped somewhere in the abyss!

The pit of my brain, dark & lonely

But the top is cheerful, bright & holy :)

I want to be good but I'm more often Bad,

Learnt behaviours destroy & make me so Sad,

But I'm also good, with Special Thanks to My Dad,

With the bad nearly put to bed, I'll soon be fully Glad.

I'm sure it's not long to wait,

But I'll probably be late! :-/

As somethings are harder to fix,

In just a few short clicks!

I will persevere as always,

For life is truly moreish!

Through thick & thin

In health & during sin

 At the very Top,

Is where we'll eventually Stop!

To experience everything in full & total Glory.. :)

 Good luck to you all in whatever you do.. Take Care, Stay Safe & Strong          

With oodles of love,

Miss TrudieEssa Jones

xxxxxxx