Inspired by Jessica Ainscough
One of the first “healthy living” blogs I stumbled across when I was in the process of changing my diet a couple years back, was called The Wellness Warrior. It was written by one of those rare people who is truly inspiring. Her name was Jessica Ainscough, and even though she lived in Australia, and I live in the US, she had a positive impact on my life. Ahhh…the power of the internet. She made eating healthy, treating yourself kindly, and drinking green juice cool and fun.
Of course, I loved looking at pictures of her house too. Jess worked at a fashion magazine when she was younger, and her taste in clothes and home decor was impeccable.
Jess lived with cancer for 7 years, and she passed away very recently, on February 26. She was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in her arm in 2008. After conventional therapy, the cancer returned, and she decided to try alternative treatments. Among these was a protocol that included eating and juicing tons of veggies and taking supplements as she lived (and thrived) with cancer in her body.
As you can imagine, she was and still is a very polarizing figure. The people who think she should have continued along the conventional route are absolutely livid that she chose a more natural path. The proponents of natural treatments praise her. Whether you agree with her choices or not, one fact is undeniable; she did more than many people do in a lifetime during the 7 years between her diagnosis and her death.
She started a blog to document her journey, which turned into a platform that educated and encouraged people, people like me, to make positive changes in their lives.
She wrote a book about healthful eating (at first it was an e-book that she created, but it was later published in hard copy form).
She overcame her fears of talking in front of crowds and went on speaking tours in an effort to connect with and help more people with her message to, “Be Kind. Be Brave. Be Well.”
She created a jewelry line, calendars, printables, and original images, all meant to inspire people to live better lives.
I never met her, but I think about her often. It’s strange that the internet can make you feel so connected to someone, even though you’ve never spoken to them in person. I guess it felt like she was speaking to me though her blog posts. I feel like she was my friend. It’s strange to experience sadness over loosing someone you never met. But I do.
Something I keep thinking about is this; if I knew I only had 7 years left to live, how would I use them? Am I doing what I can right now to put positive thoughts and actions into the world?
What would you do if you knew these were your last 7 years?
Jess would be happy to know that she is still making people think about positive changes in their lives even after she is gone.
Goodbye, Jess. We’ll continue to be brave, kind, and well…
ooox,
Nicole
All images from Jess’s Instagram page or blog.
