E083 Joe Ashley Accepting Self While Travelling
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 83
Date: August 29, 2023
Participants: John Webster, Isabelle Sinclair, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guest: Joe Ashley (Interview) and Liz Bellingham (Move That Body)
Start times and Segments:
[0:00:35] What’s On Your Mind: Isabelle joins us to discuss a social media post about things we should stop assuming about ourselves and other people.
[0:12:59] Expanding Minds Interview: [Mental Wellness] We interview Joe Ashley. He experienced symptoms of depression while he was young, but he did not recognize what it was. He had no coping mechanisms to alleviate symptoms. He started a long stint of travel at 21-years-old. He recognized, then accepted what he was experiencing. The travelling community is a very open one. There were times he felt very down and struggled with his mental health. He was encouraged to join conversations He felt safe to express himself. He learned about different cultures and different ways of approaching problems. If he could talk to his younger self, he would say to forgive himself for not being the person he wanted to be in every moment, and to accept what was happening to him in that moment. From that point the journey can begin.
[0:26:39] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron is getting more and more comfortable in his new role, which is opening up time for him to do new things. For example, he’s heading to Collingwood to see the band Big Tobacco and the Pickers at a concert hosted by radio host and podcaster Jeff Woods.
[0:30:08] Move That Body: Liz Bellingham got into mountain biking 5 yeas back. She loves the exercise, the challenge and being in nature.
[0:34:26] Running Popup: John often thinks about a saying by Martin Yelling of Marathon Talk: Running serves you in different ways at different times in your life. It’s a great thought.
[0:37:22] Flipside of the Coin: The library is amazing. It offers so much.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Joe – Until a few years ago, I had no concept of depression or what it was or that it was something people could suffer from. I was giving in to the depression and allowing it to do its angry work. It’s only through different experiences with different people while travelling in different places that I began to learn what it is and how I can navigate that.
Joe – The idea of acceptance has become very important in my life. By that I mean accepting something to understand what it is, then accept it for what it is. It’s only from that point of acceptance that you can then move forward.
Joe – If a hurdler running down the track doesn’t first accept and understand there are hurdles they need to jump over, they won’t put the spring in their step to jump over the hurdle. You can try to run down the track and just knock over the hurdles, but you’re going to get painful shins and you’re going to get tired.
Joe – The travelling community is a very open community. It’s a place where people in general are coming to explore new things and are open to new ideas. They are open to themselves to have these conversations. I found myself in many situations where I was feeling very down and struggling a lot with my own mental health. I was encouraged to be open as well, by having people invite me into conversations and hearing them be very open with their own emotions and things they’ve dealt with. It’s a very safe and comfortable community. You can feel very safe to express yourself. You can feel safe to explore different ideas. I feel that an open community has been very beneficial to me.
Joe – I love learning about different cultures and different ways of living. I’ve learned there are many ways to tackle the same problem. There’s no right way and wrong way. It’s about finding the way that fits you and your personal situation.
Joe – I find mediation very beneficial to me: to take that moment to allow things to be, to accept things to be, then understand the problems from where they are coming from.
Joe – Some of my most fond travelling memories are of those times where we didn’t have a lot to do or we were waiting for something to happen or we were sitting on a bus and then a spark happens and a conversation is born. You find yourself sharing very personal experiences with people you’ve only known for a day or two.
Joe – Before I let things happen to me. My depression would take over and that would become who I was. My experiences travelling gave me tools that internally help me to settle myself and balance myself and approach any problem. I don’t overcome every external problem, but it has also given me the tools to accept that and move forward, without disappointment in that sense.
Joe – If I could talk to my younger self, I would tell myself that forgiveness of myself for not being the person I wanted to be in every moment, and acceptance of what was happening to me in that moment is the most important tool a person can have. To forgive myself. To try to understand and to accept. From that point the journey can begin.
Cameron – Whenever I leave a good concert I walk away feeling energized and refreshed and inspired.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Liz: I need to go to work the next day so I try not to be too aggressive.
Guest Information: Joe Ashley is a 28-year-old from rural Shropshire, England who recently returned to U.K. for a short spell after 6 years abroad, to reconnect with those close to him. Over the years he worked many jobs in a diverse array of areas and lived in various places. He’s currently teaching English as a foreign language in a school in Bournemouth, England. He’s been on a wellness journey for some years now, focusing on mindfulness and meditation but taking the time to learn about many methods/cultures and practices. He has a strong love of the outdoors and nature and try to spend as much time within nature as possible. Joe’s very interested in sustainability and environmentalism, trying to reduce his impact on the planet as much as possible.
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle and Julie