104: To Live Is To Suffer, To Survive Is To Find Meaning In The Suffering With Rhys Ibbott

"He had been out running and collapsed on the side of the road. No one knew what had happened and they thought he had been hit by a car so they didn't want to touch him. A woman, named Valerie was driving by and noticed the commotion around a lifeless body. She jumped out of her car in the middle of traffic and started giving CPR. When she initially started, people shouted at her to stop as she could be causing more damage, but she said she knew he needed serious help. He was lying on the ground with his eyes wide open and had no pulse, so she immediately started CPR. She performed CPR for 5 mins on her own..." This excerpt is from our guest's cousin, recapping the first cardiac arrest Rhys experienced at age 26. We'd heard bits and pieces of Rhys' journey during Yoga Teacher Training (this is how we met) but after sitting down with Rhys for just over 2 hours, hearing his story being told so openly and all at once was... and that's where we get stuck. There are so many words to describe Rhys' story. When you listen you'll experience one, two, maybe all of these: inspiration, gratitude, compassion, empathy, passion. This is an excerpt from Rhys, 'a former letter to myself', recapping just after his first cardiac arrest: "This event turns your world upside down, 2 days later you wake up in Hammersmith hospital and start to make sense of all the crazy things that have happened. That outlet of running and hardcore physical exercise to alleviate your stress has been taken away from you, and once you return home you fall into a deep bought of depression. You decide to remain in London, and start back at work soon after getting out of hospital going about your daily life as if nothing has happened. Denial is what seems to be at play here. You are very weak and constantly fatigued following the accident. Working, partying, and the inability to see the severity of what has happened to you causes several problems in your life. You continue to fall into a deeper state of depression and soon you decide to leave teaching for a while." You can tell just from reading this that this episode is very different to anything we've ever shared before. We focus on the story and then we get into the big learnings that have come from Rhys' experience. Rhys goes on to finish his letter: "Have faith in your ability and always be kind to the people around you. Spend every day mastering your health and fostering strong and meaningful relationships. Your journey is only just beginning." Be sure to tune into this one, it's full of gold, just like Rhys. Support Rhys' Everyday Hero fundraiser for Heart Care Foundation. Check out Drop Consulting: aims to enhance understanding of self, culture, wellbeing and performance. Merrymaker mantra of the week... the judge of all Earth shall do right. Which means, lead by example. Do YOU first, which will then influence others around you. Sending out huge LOVE to Rhys for being so vulnerable and open with his story. By just you doing that you have inspired many. Always merrymaking, Emma + Carla

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