"So much has happened! My career is working better than ever and my personal life is in a more secure place. But I had to go through Hell to get there," she says.

"Once you've been burned, you never forget that. It also comes with living and learning. And I think my albums seem to reflect where I am in my life, because I need to relate to my songs on that level."

"Someone said to me, 'As much as you give away of yourself in your music, do you worry about being too honest?' And you know, I don't think you can be too honest. When you've been hurt or have been through some rough experiences, you don't want someone else to go through it. It's awful…and if by being honest about a broken heart or whatever, you can maybe keep someone else from making that mistake, who wouldn't?"

Though Jo Dee Messina has always worn her heart and her dreams on her sleeve, the success she's enjoyed in her career, the interaction with the fans and a settling in her personal life have certainly helped add perspective.

After completing the Judds' Power To Change Reunion tour, Messina spent a year balancing her headlining concerts with special guest appearances on both Vince Gill's and George Strait's Country Festival Stadium tour. In addition, she made her acting debut on "Nash Bridges" and then quickly landed a role as a candy factory worker with a crisis of faith on "Touched By An Angel."

Along the way, Jo Dee Messina has also re-written the history books a time or two. She set and then tied her own record for longest run in the Top 30 – 35 weeks! She became the first woman in the history of Billboard's Country Singles chart to have three consecutive multiple week #1s hits: "Bye, Bye," "I'm Alright" and "Stand Beside Me."

For Messina, it comes down to having a center and being generous. Having learned solid values and a hardcore Northeastern work ethic from her single mother, she wants to inspire her audience as much as she wants to thrill them.

The notion of friendship is something Messina takes seriously. Though many of the fans may only have a passing moment with her, she thrives as much on that interaction as they do. And given the limited time most people will get to spend with her, Jo Dee Messina works very hard to make sure her albums go out of their way to truly say something – even as they also catch people up in their feel-good performances.

 "To me, it's all life…some of it is hard and you have to get through it; some of it is sweet and you should enjoy it. Don't miss that good stuff!

"So many of my fans are under 25 or 26," Messina explains. "To see a 16-year old out in the audience with a guy who's yelling at her or pulling on her arm, that breaks my heart, because you know at that age, you don't necessarily know there's anything else. I've been there. I've dated the jerk and I've got my heart broken…"

Helping people is perhaps the greatest pay-off for Messina. Having bounced back from some dire career issues in '97, the freewheeling woman, who's been described by Teen People as "country's Bonnie Raitt" and by several radio personnel as "the voice of the people," is all about what lies down the road.

"Country radio and the fans reached out to me and helped me at a difficult time," Messina enthuses. "They made the difference in my life. I like the idea that I can give some of that back! Now that things aren't in such a lowdown state, I'm able to help other people more."

"Since it's not just about keeping my head above water, I'm able to reach out to help others. And you know what? Of all the stuff that's happened to me over the last couple years, that's what I live for: being able to help everybody else. As long as I've got my songs to sing and a roof over my head and I'm able to do things for others, then I'm complete."

You could say Jo Dee Messina has figured out how to live the life she dreamed. It's not always been easy, but she's more than willing to pay the price, do the work and just keep believing.