Jasmine Harrell radiates joy. Her infectious smile draws you in, permeating the atmosphere with a judgment-free zone. We first met when I wrote an article on Sergeant Enck’s self-defense class. Jasmine was on the receiving end of a punching bag, encouraging each lady to kick harder and shout louder. Most of us felt awkward at first. Jasmine made us comfortable. She brought out our strength. And, let me just say, it felt awesome to kick “booty”. 

A twenty-something married nurse at Vanderbilt, Jasmine spends much of her free time at Vanatta’s karate studio in White House. “Working out gives me clarity,” she says. Sweating out the day’s burden is how she arms herself to “be the light in someone’s darkness.” 

Jasmine is all about empowerment–empowering martial arts students, women in self-defense classes, and the victims she helps as a Forensic Nurse Examiner. She steps boldly into someone’s worst moment, extending a healing hand. “I am able to give my patients back the power that’s been taken away,” she says.  

Working out isn’t the only tool in Jasmine’s arsenal. She credits learning to set boundaries with supporting her as she serves others. “I want to be the best I can be with what I’m doing at the moment,” she says. “Recognizing when I need to ask for help and being able to do that, establishing boundaries, also gives me the clarity to be at my best.”

What advice does Jasmine wish her younger self knew? “Take a deep breath and truly understand you don’t have to have everything completed in your early twenties. I wish I had an understanding of grace, of giving everything over to God. Chill out! You don’t have to be perfect in everything. Don’t compare yourself.”

For her peers, Jasmine adds, “Be intentional about your yes. Then stick with it. Grow in whatever you say yes to. Yes can lead to a season of not knowing, but saying yes allows us to grow. Truly helps us to share what we’ve learned in that season of life. If I hadn’t said yes personally, or occupationally, I would have become stagnant. Wellness is very important, emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical.”

Let’s be like Jasmine. Choose growth. Choose your best “yes”. Choose to breathe deep and stay positive.