She didn’t like school much so when it was time for her to enter the working world, she was excited to try new things. She knew she loved helping people, so she once worked as an EMT but with limited success. She’s good at CPR, but she’s really a little too small to be lifting people on to stretchers.

After that, she took a job as an office manager for a distributor of high-fashion clothing. There, her fashion sense was a great asset, but her appearance scared many of the models. She’d often hear them whispering when she walked away knowing they weren’t saying nice things about her. She began to feel unlikable, useless, and just not good at anything worthwhile.

When she went for her next physical, her doctor asked her how she had been feeling. She couldn’t hide it anymore, so she told her doctor everything. About the jobs, about the people who made fun of her and how the world seemed to be mad at her all of the time.

Her doctor listened carefully and when Lil’ Mo Big World was finished, her doctor explained what she was experiencing was called Depression. As sorry as she was to hear this she was just as happy to finally have an answer to why she had been feeling this way!

With a new diagnosis and a lot of hope, Lil’ Mo Big World did all the research she could to learn all the different ways she could help herself to feel better. She wanted a balanced life, and she was determined to make it happen. She got a therapist, she began taking an anti-depressant medication, and she even got an emotional support animal!

It wasn’t long after Lil’ Mo Big World started to feel better that she found the job of her dreams! She was hired by the No Bones About It Gazette to interview people in her community and write columns on how they help the people around them.

Oh, does she love her job! She gets to talk to everyone about their lives, their struggles, their strategies and their accomplishments. Her life experience allows her to connect with all types of people by being open, honest, non-judgmental, and a great listener. She loves this job and hopes to keep it forever, but she knows if it changes, she now has the coping skills to manage her mental health and get the help she needs when she needs it.

Experience has taught Lil' Mo Big World there are many things needed in one’s life to feel in balance and she wants to share them with anyone who will listen. She was tired of feeling so sad all of the time and wants others to know they too can feel better.

Of course, she still has her moments, depression doesn’t just go away on its own. But she now accepts the dark times as part of her and works continuously to utilize the strategies needed for her to balance the darkness with the beauty all around her.

We asked Lil’ Mo Big World what she finds important to living a balanced life. She explained the three things that has helped her to stay on top of her mental health.

Curiosity, Laughter & Adventure.  Embracing curiosity, laughter and adventure is what keeps Lil’ Mo Big World engaged and connected to the world. Dancing, running, biking, hiking, whatever it is, she'll try it! And while you’re adventuring together, she’ll get you chasing butterflies and asking questions like “why is the sky blue” before you both break out into the giggles!

Sharing Stories. Lil' Mo Big World has improved her life by listening to others. By hearing their stories, she can better relate to them and to the world around her. She has started to share her story, too and has found it cathartic for her as well as others. She wants everyone to feel safe sharing their stories, to be free of judgment and stigma, and to have open ears to hear what people are saying in hopes to instigate hope in everyone who needs it!

Fun Clothes and Bright Colors. Lil’ Mo Big World lives in the vibrance of bright colors. They make her feel alive and remind her of those moments in life where she felt free like she did as a kid, digging in the dirt, spinning around in circles or doing cartwheels on the front lawn. Her polka dots are her staple. Not one of them the same and they bring even more fun to the party! Even the flower on her little bare skull reminds her to stop and smell the flowers as often as she can because, like Lil’ Mo Big World says, “This is life. Let’s live it!”

Mental health is no laughing matter, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun learning and sharing with one another while rockin' some cool designs! Lil’ Mo Big World has teamed up with doublesolid to bring as much fun, positivity, and polka dots as possible to every situation she is in; and she is here to share that passion with you!