For those that don't know me yet, allow me to introduce myself!
My name is Cassandra, I recently graduated from the University of Lethbridge with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and am currently living with my amazing husband in rural Central Alberta.
I am transforming my life one day at a time in every way you can possibly imagine. I am loving every single step of the journey and can actually see myself improving right before my eyes. Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, financially, you name it, it's become a part of my journey! :)
Today, I went for my first run since the fall and it was AMAZING! I was able to (mostly) pick up where I'd left off with almost no training since then. I had started using the c25k app on my phone and was in week three when I stopped running due to weather or excuses or I don't really remember. I picked right back up on week three today and only had to stop for a breather once! If any of you knew me before, you'd understand how big of a deal that is! This is only one of my physical milestones that I've reached and been so proud of and can't wait to share the rest with you all as they happen!
The reason that I came back to blogging and decided to start this one is that while on my run (actually, mostly the very long walk that followed), a few things happened to me, and I realized a few things.
1) I love being active. I've always kinda sorta been involved in SOMETHING that was active even if it wasn't consistently or well but I love sports and I love exercise! I am so grateful that I am now treating my body the way it deserves to be treated in order to get the most out of physical activity.
2) When I got up to start running again after my breather, a beautiful woman walking her dog stopped me. She asked me if she could pray for me and did so right then and there. There are a lot of beautiful people in this world and sometimes we need to stop and allow ourselves to see them.
3) I've denounced most religion for multiple reasons but I am slowly rediscovering my spirituality and don't yet know what that means but I am willing to open my mind to what presents itself to me! That's all any of us can ever ask for or do - open our minds to what is possible and available!
4) People enter and leave our lives for a reason. There is no single person who we have ever met who was not placed at that exact place and time for us. Some people may last long enough for a smile as we walk past them on a walking path or in the mall and others are there for our lifetimes. There is a reason and we should recognize that and be grateful for each one, for as little or as long as we had them for.
5) We live in a BEAUTIFUL world and we are working our hardest to destroy it. This breaks my heart. Walking along the path, I would look up and see the sky, the beautiful sunshine, the gorgeous trees, the open space, the beauty. And then I would look down and see the garbage, the destruction. It's mind blowing how much effort we actually put into DESTROYING our amazing world. This planet is an amazing gift and we should cherish it. Nature happens, that's true. Animals and plants go extinct regardless of what we do, but we don't need to make it any worse. We have amazing power, let's use it properly! Choose not to throw your garbage out of your car window, choose to recycle where possible, choose less plastic, make less waste - some of these I need to work on myself, and this was my realization!
6) When you look at every situation through different eyes, it is amazing how differently we can see things. I don't generally love dogs (or pets of any kind, really), but I chose today to approach these two women who were walking three dogs and recognize the beauty of all 5 involved. 2 people, 3 dogs. All beautiful, all special, all worth everything good in their lives!
Thanks for reading!
Much love and kindness,
Cassandra Jackson
