THE WANDERLUSTERS MIND PODCAST

Abby Lewtas 18/9/18 Abby Lewtas 18/9/18

Paralympic gold medal, 60 countries and a never give up mentality with Richard Colman

Richard was born in 1984 with Spina Bifida. Richard took to sport at a young age he was involved in many sports before the love of athletics took his full attention. In 2006 Richard won a Bronze medal in the T53 800m at the IPC World Athletics Championships in Assen, The Netherlands. In 2008 Richard won a Silver medal in the T53 200m and a Bronze in the T53 400m at the Beijing Paralympic Games.

Paralympian Richard Colman merges sports and travel with passion, energy and refusing to give up to ensure he lives his best life.

About Richard

In early 2009 Richard spent six months travelling Europe competing in a number of countries. During this trip, Richard managed to visit thirty-two countries. Richard has now visited sixty countries with the aim of reaching 100.

Recently at the 2012 London Paralympic Games, Richard won a Gold medal in the T53 800m and two Bronze medals in the T53 400 and in the T53/54 4x400 relay. Richard currently holds a numerous Australian and Oceania Records.

Away from the track Richard has completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University and has also completed a number of other qualifications. Richard became the first person in a wheelchair to umpire an AFL match when he officiated as a goal umpire in the Geelong Football League in 2007.

During 2014 Richard became the first person in a wheelchair to travel down the famous Death Road in Bolivia during his postseason holiday to South America. Richard is an ambassador for a number of foundations and organisations.

Richard has set himself a number of goals he is slowly working towards not just in the sporting world but in all walks of his life. Richard will continue to try and prove to people that anything is possible if you have a go and always dream big.

“There are a lot of countries that do have a lot of discrimination against people with disabilities there are a lot of third world countries still to this day don’t admit that there are people with disability in their society.”

— Richard Colman

When coming home...

Emotions Richard faced - Sometimes it felt normal, some people around him seemed to be doing the same thing whilst he was achieving my goals. The longer trips seem harder to readjust. What is the next challenge, reassess the next goals.
What changed for Richard - No too much he ensured he weaved adventure into his sporting travels. Made sure he put himself out there to enjoy life and do things that other people wouldn't.
How Richard used his mindset - Growing up with a disability he becomes stubborn and resilient which helped foster a strongly focused mindset. Knowing that success is just around the corner. Taking action and really believing himself. Never give up attitude.
3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock

Anything is possible.
There will be tough times but you have to believe in yourself.
Don't worry about the money.

Advise to himself for returning home - think about when I'm going to come home so that I dont have to endure a long winter. Go and travel now and don't wait to travel.

“No matter how bad things are, good days are around the corner and you cant give yo”

— Richard Colman

Fostering resilience, gratitude and independence during travels with Rowena Mabbott.

Rowena is a Life Coach and writer and was bitten by the travel bug early with her first round-the-world trip at age eleven. Since then she has travelled to attend school in the US, lived and worked in the UK, travelled through Europe and Africa. Rowena loves planning family travel and is now committed to ensuring her two boys are also bitten by the travel bug.

Rowena stepped out of her comfort zone and begun to form her independence. She now helps others through difficult transitions.

About Rowena

As a 16-year-old, Rowena attended school in the midwest of the US over Thanksgiving & Christmas. Then, as an 18-year old she worked as a housemistress in an English boarding school for 12 months on a GAP year, travelling through the UK and Europe on weekends and during the school holidays.

Both experiences tested Rowena's resilience and broadened her view of the world putting her out of her comfort zone and living with people she either barely knew or who were complete strangers. That alone was an adjustment. Rowena also became much more aware of how fortunate and grateful she was to live where she does

“Travelling is really different and it’s amazing but its also quite a good reminder about how fortunate we are that we don’t have to have that experience of living in one space and not know anything about anywhere else.”

— Rowena Mabbott

When coming home...

Emotions Rowena faced - She felt lonely and alone with no friends. She felt like she didn't fit in anywhere. She felt uncomfortable and a sense of longing to head back to the UK.
What changed for Rowena - Willing to meet other people (and her how people) and put your self out there. Being friendly and opening conversations.
Biggest stress - No money and being a complete dependant with no job to return to. Fostering new and old friendships back home.
How Rowena used her mindset - Used mantras like "you can do this." and "it's not so bad." Knowing that she was stronger than she thought she was because of her travelling experiences. Feeling grateful for her family and living in Australia.
3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock

You never know someone else's story and not to judge people based on your own assumptions.
Change is a constant but we can choose how we approach it.
Travelling is the best way to learn about yourself.

Advise to herself for returning home - Don't stress out, it will all work out. Give yourself time, find your people and it will all fall into place.

“Everybody has got a story and unless you take the time to say hello and greet them, you might not know it.”

— Rowena Mabbott

The one thing to do if you feel in a funk.

There are many things you can do if your struggling with the transitions, that in itself can be overwhelming. But undeniably the most important area of focus is your mindset. You must go to work on levelling up your mindset To create a conscious awareness around your thoughts and start to take control and own what you are thinking about so, if need be you can start to change it.

What do you do if you're feeling stuck, lost or feeling in a funk after your travels.

“Change the way you look at things and the way you look at things change”

— Wayne Dyer

What do you do?

How do you level up your mindset, Change your state and create new beliefs for yourself?

If you are constantly feeling sad, upset, confused, lost or frustrated with certain areas of your life, it is worth looking at what your thoughts are creating around those areas and begin making changes. There are many ways you can start to tap into your mind and create new behaviours and patterns. Ultimately you need to get yourself into alignment.

4 practices to get into alignment

Meditation / Mind awareness
Visualisation
Conscious creation and showing up as you want to be (taking inspired action)
Movement

Final Thoughts

If you are feeling in a funk after returning home from travel or any other challenging situation, start by looking at your mindset. Ask yourself these questions...

What thoughts am I thinking that are making me feel this way?
How do I want to feel?
How can I change my state, at this very moment, to make me feel the way I want to, what can I do that will make me feel joy?

Consciously start to take control and reprogram your mind to a place that serves you better so you can start feeling in alignment.

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Abby Lewtas 4/9/18 Abby Lewtas 4/9/18

Finding adventure and adrenaline in the extreme with Kirsten Alexis.

Kirsten Alexis is an outdoor adventure and travel enthusiast who strives to explore the world and document her travels through content creation and media. She is the Founder of This Adventure Life, an online adventure community that strives to inspire people to get out and live their dreams. She is an avid traveler, high-altitude hiker, skydiver, paddleboarder and photographer.

Fuelled by travel, adventure and adrenaline, Kirsten now lives 'This Adventure Life' and inspires others to do the same.

About Kirsten

Kirsten has been travelling extensively since she graduated from UCLA back in 2010. She spent months travelling to different locations and then returned back for a moment to regroup before stepping out onto her next journey. Some of her travels have been months, some weeks, but she has been travelling the world for the past eight years.

“You get to the summit and you see how far you came, from your starting point. Its such a metaphor for life.”

— Kirsten Alexis

When coming home...

Emotions and changes Kirsten faced - Changes for herself in that she is more confident and will challenge herself, even more, she feels accomplished. Life is too short to not follow your passions and dreams. Say yes.
Biggest stress - Her finances and how to can I make more money so that I can have these experiences. Not knowing what to do outside of travel and adventure. Changes that she was faced with when coming home such as rising rent, increasing traffic and different quality of life.
How Kirsten used her mindset - Stay focused on your goals at the moment, if you don't you will stray from them. Keep putting on foot in front of the other. Stay positive and learn from your experiences.
3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock

I am able to do whatever I set my mind to. Confidence and level up my mindset.
The world is a better place than we all think. Its full of opportunities and amazing people.
There is a lot more to life than just to pay bills and exist. The more people travel and adventure the more they realise this. You might not have as much (in material things) but you will have the experiences and the memories.

Advise to her 16-year-old self to - Follow your dream life, its ok to be you, its ok to have different dreams and goals to other people, its ok to live your athentic life even if others don't agree with yourself. Trust yourself and follow your heart. Happiness does take some work, beleie in yourself, beleive in your adventure and beleive in your purpose.

“I’m capable of making a quick decision and that things happen but as long as you are prepared you really don’t have to worry about them.”

— Kirsten Alexis

Travelling the US in their RV with Sarah and Zach Varnell

Sarah and Zach work from anywhere (remote information security consultants) with their 2-year-old Yorkie. They love all things travel. Their podcast Thinking Liberty seeks ways to encourage others to get out there and explore.

Sarah and Zach lived in an RV travelling the US for 2 years. They spent two months in South America, with their dog, working remotely and then vacationing in Patagonia. Exploring new cities and state parks was a highlight. They believe there is something so freeing about knowing that you could just pick up and move somewhere new at any time.

Instead of buying house Sarah and Zach bought an RV and moved in full time to travel the US

About Sarah and Zach

“Think through your processes and thoughts and dont let them overwhelm you.”

— Sarah Varnell

When coming home...

Emotions and differences Sarah and Zach faced - Realisations of all the family and friend 'life' events that they had missed whilst they were away. Peoples lives had gone on and they had missed part of it.
Biggest stress Sarah and Zach encountered - Fear of missing out on things happening at home but also when returning home what they were missing when not travelling.
How Sarah and Zach supported themselves - They had each other and felt blessed that they will be able to lean on each other during this transition.
How Sarah and Zach's mindset changed after their travels - More mindful of whats really important (physically), what adds value and what will matter to them in years from now.
3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock

Experience over material things - the more you experience the more you value.
Make the most of your time.
Open to learning new skills such as languages and fixing and maintaining the RV.

Advise to themselves when returning home - Be more open, make the most of your experiances and dont fear missing out.

“Whats really important, what is really going to add value to my life and what is really going to matter to me a couple of years from now.”

— Sarah Varnell

Stop pursuing happiness and start living it now.

So many people lead themselves to believe that happiness (success, joy, love) is in the future and they become addicted to chasing that feeling. How would you know if you're pursuing happiness instead of living it. Think about these questions...

Life is about the journey, not the destination. Cure destination addiction and the PURSUIT of happiness.

“Beware of destination addiction, a preoccupation with the idea that happiness is in the next place, the next job or with the next partner. Until you give up the idea that happiness is somewhere else, it will never be where you are.”

— Robert Holden

Are you PURSUING happiness or are you actually LIVING it?

Is there always a 'pinnacle event' on your calendar that you are looking forward too more so than anything else?
Do you always feel busy?
After a big exciting event in your life, do you fall into a mild sense of depression that you can't shake?
Do you have so many plans, forecasts, projections about what you want for your future, but you're not enjoying the process of bringing them to life?

Falling into these ways of thinking and living can be so easy especially if we are not aware that we are doing so. You must learn to stop placing everything that makes you happy in your future and outside of your control.

How can you cure destination addiction and the PURSUIT of happiness?

I'll be the first person to tell you that I still fall into the destination addiction trap from time to time. As with any addiction, I believe it all begins with regaining control of your mindset. So Here are some actions that I have applied to my life to help me feel happy NOW!

Apply personal daily practices to help get present. E.g. Active stretching routine, meditation, exercise, get into nature.
Think and FEEL about what in your life excites you right NOW?
Tune in to what is actually going on for you in your life right now.
Create awareness around your thoughts and actively choose a positive mindset for yourself. Choose to feel happy for no reason.
Stop placing your happiness in things external to yourself...your relationship, your job or your next exciting holiday. Just create it now - it is a choice.
Consciously set your day up for happiness and success.

Remember you always have a choice on how you show up. Your situation in life may not be picture perfect or your ideal. Let go of that mindset and start focusing in on your life and how you can be and feel happy now.

Drop the idea that happiness and success is something that will come to you at the end of the road, the top of the mountain, when the championship rolls around when you reach that goal, that next holiday or you finally nail that job you wanted.