Jasmine's Journey

Jasmine's Journey: Pandemic Life 2020 /  by Jasmine Tate

Living through a pandemic in 2020 has been everything but simple. No one expected or planned to spend a quarter of the year social distancing and wearing masks in public spaces, but we’re here and we’re surviving. Although that, for many, is a win in itself, for others the pandemic has been a period of rest, reimagination of possibilities and a resurgence of energy to be reallocated to projects that continued to get pushed down growing to-do lists, hobbies we’ve always wanted to pursue or never thought we would, opportunities we couldn’t imagine and much more.

Outside of Work Life, I too have picked up some new hobbies and added some boxes to my personal to-do list. Keep reading to learn more.

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Making sense of what matters /  by Jasmine Tate

If you’ve ever sang along to a song written or performed by a black artist

If you’ve ever celebrated a touchdown, putt, shot, home run or score from a black athlete

If you’ve ever quoted words from a black poet, speaker or author

If you’ve ever felt feelings for a member of the black community you know that

Black Lives Matter.

Say it, write it, post it or don’t, but know that it is true.

You saying it doesn’t make it more true.

You not saying it doesn’t make it less true.

It is the truth and although the words coming from your mouth or being displayed on your page or story or paper doesn’t make it more or less true here’s what it does…

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Jasmine's Journey: Life after loss /  by Jasmine Tate

For 363 days a year I tell myself to be strong and grateful. Sometimes I have tough days and moments, but I pull myself together and move forward. Every year on April 21 and Mothers Day I give myself a pass to be weak, to think all the thoughts and feel all the feelings that come with losing a parent. After 15 years without my mom three feelings are most prominent. I’ve shared a raw picture of what that looks like and why in words below.

On most years I spend the anniversary of her death with family or doing something active, but in the midst of the pandemic and sheltering in place I’ve been coping in a cycle: think, pray, cry, sleep, eat, repeat, but this too shall pass.

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Jasmine's Journey: My STEP X-perience /  by Jasmine Tate

I recently took my body on a journey to experience STEP Xtreme, a full body fitness class in Mission Viejo, CA. I was gifted four free classes and decided to give it a try. Although I had taken a step class before, it was far different from what my body had previously endured as I worked through 60 minutes of movement including stepping, climbing, jumping, squatting and most importantly SWEATING. Pushing through each sequence of the hour-long High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) I got a full body workout including cardio, weights, resistance training and more.

The workout definitely pushed me past my comfort zone and challenged me to keep the beat, lift higher, push harder and grow stronger.

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