- Shawn Ryan
TRAVIS HOWZE GUEST POST
I have lived a very fast life in a very short amount of time in my 43 years on this earth. This life has taken me all over the world, allowing me to have many wonderful experiences and memories while meeting some of the finest human beings along the way. One of those memorable experiences was sitting down with Shawn for episode 006 of the Shawn Ryan Show.
As a mental health advocate for the military, emergency services and those who have been affected by traumatic exposure, my conversation with Shawn was a very tough but necessary one. I have been speaking around the country for years but after my episode aired with Shawn, I was bombarded with messages through my Instagram account. Messages from so many people who have or are currently struggling with Post Traumatic Stress, Depression and Anxiety. I truly feel that my conversation with Shawn helped normalized the stigma that surrounds Post Traumatic Stress.
After my episode aired on the Shawn Ryan Show I quickly realized the need for Mental Wellness support and education was far greater than I could have ever imagined. With the influx of messages coming in, literally thousands, this prompted me to look further into what I was doing for advocacy in the Mental Health arena. Sharing my very personal story was helping but it was no longer enough. There were too many unanswered questions, and something further needed to be done.
I needed to create something else. Something that would be more than just hearing inspirational words, but what? Over the years I learned that Mental Wellness was finally on the radar of the emergency services and military training schedules. But who was to teach this stuff? I began asking around and most of my contacts were telling me the same thing in different ways. “They hand us some flyers or have some doctor or therapist talk to us, show us a slide show and that’s about it.” That is what was classifying as Mental Wellness training.
Then it hit me. I realized that I had a lifetime of extremely special circumstances and education in this field. Circumstances and education that you cannot obtain from any school. These circumstances and this education came from experience alone and what I chose to do with it was all up to me.
This is when I decided to develop a course designed to directly engage with the military and emergency service communities. This course, Finding Post Traumatic Purpose is a no bullshit, highly engaging course that teaches Leadership, Mental Wellness and Resiliency taught by me, someone my students can directly relate to. It is an extremely transparent interactive course based on personal trauma experience and everything that goes along with it from substance abuse, behavioral issues, strained homelife, communicating through trauma, signs and symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress, suicide and so much more. In this class we have the hard conversations that need to be had much like the one Shawn and I had on episode 006.
I am proud to say that my course, Post Traumatic Purpose is now being picked up by agencies all over the country and I couldn’t be more excited to be back working alongside of the brotherhood that I was so privileged to work alongside of for so many years. The overwhelming support from Shawn, his show, his staff, family and you his fans has been indescribable, and I cannot thank you all enough.
With all of this, I also decided to start my own Podcast titled after my first book “Create Your Own Light.” I started this podcast in order to keep the mental health conversation alive with my brethren. Every week I drop a new episode where I discuss serious topics ranging from Parenting with Post Traumatic Stress, to Leadership and yes even busting Navy Seal balls. My podcast has no guests and it’s just me getting after it while being real, and telling crazy stories mixed with OUR HUMOR (very dark at times). You also read that correctly above, my first book. I am in the process of writing book number 2.
As always, please feel free to follow me on Instagram (@travishowze) as I always appreciate your support. Looking forward to seeing y’all down the line.
-Travis Howze
