Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Taking a Walk with Resiliency podcast! We are so glad you have found us and hope this episode will provide you with a new perspective and the encouragement you need to step forward in your own resiliency.
Throughout this episode, our host, Ashley Jordan, intertwines lessons and difficulties from her own experiences with the defining moments that provided her with the purpose and clarity that led her where she is today. As a result of the episodes of trauma and addictions that she endured during her childhood and adolescence, Ashley joined the military at age 17, one year before the tragic events of September 11th shook America. During her time in the military, she learned a lot about herself and the world, and she eventually became a member of the Military Police. As a civilian, she started working as a law enforcement officer and then a corrections officer in Georgia, where her perspective of the difficulties that so many people experience began as traumas in their family of origin.
Her thoughts and perspectives gleaned from so many difficult experiences and observations culminated in her realization that she wanted to do everything she could to prevent tragedies and traumas before they even occur, rather than dealing with the aftermath. Ashley went back to school again to get her Masters in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy. She found that she had a knack for relating to people with unconditional positive regard, which affirmed for her that she was right where she needed to be to make a difference.
A steady theme throughout all of these chapters in Ashley’s life was her faith in God and her belief that her purpose on earth is to trust where He leads her by accepting change and continually learning to be resilient. She believes that God knows the end from the beginning and the best way to go about life is to have the character to rise above her circumstances and pray often. Ashley speaks from experience when she says that someone will need your counsel and guidance based on what you have gone through sometime down the road.
When the load you are feeling seems unbearable, take life one moment at a time. Go for a walk and take a deep breath every time you start to feel bad. Celebrate the miracle of being alive and breathing, and reach out to someone you trust for help or just to talk. Do not give up because you get so much stronger and resilient by staying in the fight.
Topics Covered in this Episode:
•Trauma rooted in the family of origin
•Gaining new perspectives
•Learning tenacity and coping skills
•Finding purpose through faith
•Overcoming addictions
•Expectations lead to anxiety and depression
Key Quotes:
•“My hope with this channel and this podcast is that you can listen in to real situations, real experiences, and know that you’re dealing with people who…are just people.”
•“I learned at a young age that you can’t have peace without war.”
•“Nothing that’s worth having is going to be easy.”
•“It’s the default for people to think that people who have it together have had it easy.”
•“When you’ve experienced trauma as a child, you want to grow up to be the hero that protects people and steps up to give others what you never had.”
•“I decided that I needed to be on the other side of tragedy and hopefully prevent it.”
•“Passion must be your driving force.”
•“At the heart of every broken person is a trauma or tragedy that has been rooted in their family of origin.”
•“My life is not my own.”
•“We have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable because it is in that discomfort that you grow the most.”
•“There’s always going to be more than what meets the eye.”
•“Would I still be here right now if I wasn’t meant to...
