Dubbed “the real-life most interesting man alive” by The Chive, Ira Edwards isn’t just out there living an active outdoor lifestyle in Alaska, he’s doing so from a wheelchair. After creating a wildly adventurous and outdoor-centric life, Ira was struck by a falling tree about 10 years ago and paralyzed from the waist down. Today he continues many of his adventures despite the physical barriers, inspires others to do the same and advocates for creating and maintaining accessibility for all users.

In this episode Ira talks about what it takes to stay positive and active despite a life-altering disability and guides us through what everyone can do to make sure nature is as accessible as possible for all types of users.

[2:41] Ira Edward’s favorite outdoor space

[3:53] How Ira became someone who likes to go outside

[4:45] The story of Ira’s injury

[7:36] The challenge of recovery

[9:12] Moving forward mentally

[12:44] The crazy expenses

[16:08] Why modeling the possible matters

[20:28] The role of heading outside in staying positive

[22:00] Staying warm while doing it

[26:12] The biggest challenge of heading outside

[28:12] Why this crazy thing that I didn’t think of is the real barrier (literally)

[30:14] It’s all about money and policy

[31:26] The easy things we can all do to help

[35:00] Did you ask a person with a disability?

[36:50] Ira’s favorite outdoor gear

[40:45] Ira’s favorite outdoor moment

Dubbed “the real-life most interesting man alive” by The Chive, Ira Edwards isn’t just out there living an active outdoor lifestyle in Alaska, he’s doing so from a wheelchair. After creating a wildly adventurous and outdoor-centric life, Ira was struck by a falling tree about 10 years ago and paralyzed from the waist down. Today he continues many of his adventures despite the physical barriers, inspires others to do the same and advocates for creating and maintaining accessibility for all users.

In this episode Ira talks about what it takes to stay positive and active despite a life-altering disability and guides us through what everyone can do to make sure nature is as accessible as possible for all types of users.

[2:41] Ira Edward’s favorite outdoor space

[3:53] How Ira became someone who likes to go outside

[4:45] The story of Ira’s injury

[7:36] The challenge of recovery

[9:12] Moving forward mentally

[12:44] The crazy expenses

[16:08] Why modeling the possible matters

[20:28] The role of heading outside in staying positive

[22:00] Staying warm while doing it

[26:12] The biggest challenge of heading outside

[28:12] Why this crazy thing that I didn’t think of is the real barrier (literally)

[30:14] It’s all about money and policy

[31:26] The easy things we can all do to help

[35:00] Did you ask a person with a disability?

[36:50] Ira’s favorite outdoor gear

[40:45] Ira’s favorite outdoor moment

Time management can be used to make you more productive — or it can be used to simply make your life better. Dr. Cassie Holmes, a happiness researcher, author and professor, shared how to make that happen in a recent episode of Humans Outside. But what does that mean on a practical, day-to-day level in Amy’s life? In this episode Amy talks about the small yet important changes Cassie’s advice and research has prompted in her own life. Listen now.

[:45] What I’ve always focused on for time management

[1:00] A shift in how I thought about it

[1:22] My conversation with Dr. Cassie Holmes about this

[1:40] A little bit about “Happier Hour”

[2:35] Here’s how I reframed it and the resulting action

[3:10] The secret sauce is this (yet again)

[3:35] What I did about it this week

Time management can be used to make you more productive — or it can be used to simply make your life better. Dr. Cassie Holmes, a happiness researcher, author and professor, shared how to make that happen in a recent episode of Humans Outside. But what does that mean on a practical, day-to-day level in Amy’s life? In this episode Amy talks about the small yet important changes Cassie’s advice and research has prompted in her own life. Listen now.

[:45] What I’ve always focused on for time management

[1:00] A shift in how I thought about it

[1:22] My conversation with Dr. Cassie Holmes about this

[1:40] A little bit about “Happier Hour”

[2:35] Here’s how I reframed it and the resulting action

[3:10] The secret sauce is this (yet again)

[3:35] What I did about it this week

Authenticity is one of those whole-life emotional skills that makes a big difference. In a world that rewards us for putting our best foot forward every day and presenting that social media ready life, living authentically can be really hard. Learn how to align what’s really going on with you with good boundaries, and you might feel more settled and successful.

But can heading outside help you build an authentic and aligned life? Congruency coach Lori Halliday says it can, and leans on equine therapy to help her clients build those skills. In this episode Lori gives us a framework for understanding why authentic living matters and how spending time in nature can offer a gentle on ramp to learning how to do it.

[3:02] Lori Halliday’s favorite outdoor space

[6:18] How Lori became someone who likes to go outside

[8:24] What is “congruency?”

[9:45] Why horses are perfect for learning this

[14:01] The link between heading outside and self-care

[17:09] The release brought by nature

[21:03] Why equine therapy helps build alignment

[31:04] Do you have to get this from a horse?

[39:00] Can you build a congruency muscle?

[41:00] Tips for doing this now

[45:00] Lori’s favorite outdoor gear

[49:14] Lori’s favorite outdoor moment

Authenticity is one of those whole-life emotional skills that makes a big difference. In a world that rewards us for putting our best foot forward every day and presenting that social media ready life, living authentically can be really hard. Learn how to align what’s really going on with you with good boundaries, and you might feel more settled and successful.

But can heading outside help you build an authentic and aligned life? Congruency coach Lori Halliday says it can, and leans on equine therapy to help her clients build those skills. In this episode Lori gives us a framework for understanding why authentic living matters and how spending time in nature can offer a gentle on ramp to learning how to do it.

[3:02] Lori Halliday’s favorite outdoor space

[6:18] How Lori became someone who likes to go outside

[8:24] What is “congruency?”

[9:45] Why horses are perfect for learning this

[14:01] The link between heading outside and self-care

[17:09] The release brought by nature

[21:03] Why equine therapy helps build alignment

[31:04] Do you have to get this from a horse?

[39:00] Can you build a congruency muscle?

[41:00] Tips for doing this now

[45:00] Lori’s favorite outdoor gear

[49:14] Lori’s favorite outdoor moment

Maybe it’s part of the loss or grief process – first Amy was in denial about the changing season, then there was some anger and now there’s acceptance. Part of that acceptance is hunting for the good stuff, including the things she actually likes about fall. And doing that takes two steps. Listen to this episode to hear what those are, plus a quick preview of what’s coming for Humans Outside season 6.

[:45] The problem with skipping the PSL

[1:30] My attachment is about to change

[1:54] What to do about the opposite problem

[2:18] Opening to hope

[2:36] 2 steps: a thought and a action

[4:30] A Season 6 preview – here is what’s coming

Maybe it’s part of the loss or grief process – first Amy was in denial about the changing season, then there was some anger and now there’s acceptance. Part of that acceptance is hunting for the good stuff, including the things she actually likes about fall. And doing that takes two steps. Listen to this episode to hear what those are, plus a quick preview of what’s coming for Humans Outside season 6.

[:45] The problem with skipping the PSL

[1:30] My attachment is about to change

[1:54] What to do about the opposite problem

[2:18] Opening to hope

[2:36] 2 steps: a thought and a action

[4:30] A Season 6 preview – here is what’s coming

With a thousand demands on our time every day, it’s hard to find the space for even everything you absolutely have to do, much less the nice-to-haves. Time tracking exercises, productivity hacks and streamlining are all great, but they can feel like they don’t always leave time for the good stuff that makes you happy — just time to fulfill more obligations.

So how do you find time for things that make you happy, like heading outside? And what role does going into nature play in happiness?

In this episode Dr. Cassie Holmes, a popular UCLA professor, happiness researcher and author of the new book Happier Hour shares with her best tips and insights on how to manipulate your time to make space — real space — for the things that make you happy.

[2:57] Is this just an Amy intervention?

[4:02] Why we can blame Amy’s mom

[5:34] Dr. Cassie Holme’s favorite outdoor space

[7:02] Why nature and joy is interesting

[10:08] All about time tracking and why what she suggests is different from normal methods

[13:00] The happiness difference between indoor and outdoor things

[18:26] What makes outside time happy

[25:03] How to actually make time happen for you

[29:00] What to do if you hate time tracking

[35:27] What to do with the info you tracked (or not)

[39:00] What to do if you get on track with time management but then fall off the wagon

[47:00] What this is really about — a final nutshell takeaway

With a thousand demands on our time every day, it’s hard to find the space for even everything you absolutely have to do, much less the nice-to-haves. Time tracking exercises, productivity hacks and streamlining are all great, but they can feel like they don’t always leave time for the good stuff that makes you happy — just time to fulfill more obligations.

So how do you find time for things that make you happy, like heading outside? And what role does going into nature play in happiness?

In this episode Dr. Cassie Holmes, a popular UCLA professor, happiness researcher and author of the new book Happier Hour shares with her best tips and insights on how to manipulate your time to make space — real space — for the things that make you happy.

[2:57] Is this just an Amy intervention?

[4:02] Why we can blame Amy’s mom

[5:34] Dr. Cassie Holme’s favorite outdoor space

[7:02] Why nature and joy is interesting

[10:08] All about time tracking and why what she suggests is different from normal methods

[13:00] The happiness difference between indoor and outdoor things

[18:26] What makes outside time happy

[25:03] How to actually make time happen for you

[29:00] What to do if you hate time tracking

[35:27] What to do with the info you tracked (or not)

[39:00] What to do if you get on track with time management but then fall off the wagon

[47:00] What this is really about — a final nutshell takeaway

September 1, 2022 marked five full years of Amy’s 20 minutes outside daily habit, and it has her reflecting on some of the life skills she’s gained spending that many days — 1,825 to be exact — outside experiencing all nature has to offer. What can building a daily nature habit give to you, too? Listen now to find out.

[:45] FIVE YEARS.

[1:04] My daily habit by the numbers

[2:45] Lesson one: my superpower

[3:55] Lesson two: I’m one tough cookie

[4:45] Lesson three: gratitude

[5:35] Yeah there’s other stuff too

[6:10] OK one more gift

September 1, 2022 marked five full years of Amy’s 20 minutes outside daily habit, and it has her reflecting on some of the life skills she’s gained spending that many days — 1,825 to be exact — outside experiencing all nature has to offer. What can building a daily nature habit give to you, too? Listen now to find out.

[:45] FIVE YEARS.

[1:04] My daily habit by the numbers

[2:45] Lesson one: my superpower

[3:55] Lesson two: I’m one tough cookie

[4:45] Lesson three: gratitude

[5:35] Yeah there’s other stuff too

[6:10] OK one more gift

What do you do when you encounter mud on the trail? We don’t mean a little mud — we’re talking mud pits of sucking, oozy, gooey mud for miles and miles. Do you go around? Over? Through?

And what about “mud” in life?

In this episode, Amy talks about a recent outdoor mud experience and what it reminded her about handling the tough stuff when it appears. Listen now.

[:45] In case you need a recap of “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”

[1:30] About the annual Lost Lake run

[2:07] What a ton – a TON – of rain does

[2:45] Here are your mud options in real life

[3:20] The temptation and what you eventually do

[4:15] What it teaches me about tough life stuff

Read “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” (because you know you want to)

Learn about the Lost Lake trail

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

What do you do when you encounter mud on the trail? We don’t mean a little mud — we’re talking mud pits of sucking, oozy, gooey mud for miles and miles. Do you go around? Over? Through?

And what about “mud” in life?

In this episode, Amy talks about a recent outdoor mud experience and what it reminded her about handling the tough stuff when it appears. Listen now.

[:45] In case you need a recap of “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”

[1:30] About the annual Lost Lake run

[2:07] What a ton – a TON – of rain does

[2:45] Here are your mud options in real life

[3:20] The temptation and what you eventually do

[4:15] What it teaches me about tough life stuff

Read “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” (because you know you want to)

Learn about the Lost Lake trail

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

When the seasons change — both literally and figuratively — it’s easy to get stuck being sad about what was, what’s gone or what’s going. But as Amy remembered this week, sometimes a little shift towards gratitude can make the whole thing easier.

In this Outdoor Diary episode Amy remembers how to find that gratitude and why heading outside every day no matter what has given her the tools to do so. Listen now.

[:48] You know this about me

[:53] Have you met my boyfriend, Alaska summer?

[1:15] The problem with summer flings

[1:33] The status of that relationship

[2:20] Sadness is OK but then there’s this

[3:06] They’re back! My little buddies

[3:30] A changed perspective from gratitude

[4:45] What you can find on my feed right now

When the seasons change — both literally and figuratively — it’s easy to get stuck being sad about what was, what’s gone or what’s going. But as Amy remembered this week, sometimes a little shift towards gratitude can make the whole thing easier.

In this Outdoor Diary episode Amy remembers how to find that gratitude and why heading outside every day no matter what has given her the tools to do so. Listen now.

[:48] You know this about me

[:53] Have you met my boyfriend, Alaska summer?

[1:15] The problem with summer flings

[1:33] The status of that relationship

[2:20] Sadness is OK but then there’s this

[3:06] They’re back! My little buddies

[3:30] A changed perspective from gratitude

[4:45] What you can find on my feed right now

Ever stopped to consider when the right time to start a new habit might be? In her book Happier at Home, Gretchen Rubin has a suggestion on when that is — and Amy tends to agree. In this episode Amy talks about why now is a great time to try a new habit like going outside every day. Listen now.

[:46] I’m a junky for this

[1:08] Why I decided to try this for a year

[1:24] How that got me to The Happiness Project, which is about this

[1:38] Gretchen Rubin’s second book gives this idea

[2:20] What she suggests instead of that other thing

[2:49] Which brought me to this

[3:08] And that has inspired me to suggest this

[3;22] Let’s have a party together!

[3:30] I made this help

[4:15] No regrets — none

Ever stopped to consider when the right time to start a new habit might be? In her book Happier at Home, Gretchen Rubin has a suggestion on when that is — and Amy tends to agree. In this episode Amy talks about why now is a great time to try a new habit like going outside every day. Listen now.

[:46] I’m a junky for this

[1:08] Why I decided to try this for a year

[1:24] How that got me to The Happiness Project, which is about this

[1:38] Gretchen Rubin’s second book gives this idea

[2:20] What she suggests instead of that other thing

[2:49] Which brought me to this

[3:08] And that has inspired me to suggest this

[3;22] Let’s have a party together!

[3:30] I made this help

[4:15] No regrets — none

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