Staying Power 02-18-26 When Ashley's Light Went Out

Episode 110: "When Ashley's Light Went Out" What happens when, little by little, we give up parts of ourselves to make life smoother for someone else? Not in dramatic ways, but in subtle, quiet ways: the holiday traditions we stop celebrating, the enthusiasm we mute, the joy we tone down so we won’t feel let down. Ashley noticed all of these things were happening to her, and so she decided to share it.... In this episode of Staying Power, Ashley and JD explore what it means to maintain your core identity — your light, your joy, your aliveness — even when your environment doesn’t naturally support it. Drawing on research from psychology, attachment science, emotional regulation, and resilience studies, they unpack why we slowly shrink, how it happens neurologically, and how to reclaim ourselves without blame or bitterness.