Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 168
Date: April 15, 2025

Participants: John Webster and Elise Seifert

Guest: JD Smigelski

Start Times and Segments:

[0:00:17] What’s On Your Mind: We ask Elise about experiences as a new mom. Life after having a baby reshapes daily routines and social connections. The spontaneity of outings, casual conversations at work, and personal autonomy are often replaced with meticulous planning. Though rewarding, the shift can be isolating at times. Baby groups and neighborhood walks provide brief but meaningful social interactions that help bridge the gap.

[0:10:21] Expanding Minds Interview: [Mental Wellness] Guitarist JD Smigelski shares a raw account of managing depression, anxiety, and imposter syndrome throughout his life and career as a professional musician. Touring intensifies these struggles—despite being constantly surrounded by people, feelings of isolation persist. Through trial and error, JD moved from medication to more natural coping strategies like staying active, spending time in nature, and practicing present-moment awareness. Music, while therapeutic, also exposes his emotional state, forcing him to confront what he feels rather than hide it.

[0:24:10] Running Popup: I like the expression, “Live Life in Every Breath”, but what does it mean in practice? I'm learning that it means appreciating what I have now, like my home and its view, without fretting about potential future losses. It's about enjoying today and trusting that I'll handle tomorrow when it comes.

Guest Information: J.D. Smigelski started playing guitar at a young age. He started his on-stage journey with his guitar teacher John McKinley and his open jam at the Huether Hotel (which is in Waterloo and by the way makes one of my favourite craft beers). He knew J.J. Wilde from middle school, who also grew up in Kitchener. J.J. is a Canadian rock singer. Her debut album Ruthless won Rock Album of the Year at the 2021 Juno Awards. Her new album Vices is nominated at the Junos this year. JD has been touring with JJ. I got lucky, ran into him in town and asked whether he’d chat with us about what it’s like to tour as a musician.

Connect with Let’s Be Well Together Podcast:
website: https://letsbewelltogether.com
Follow our Instagram account: @lets.be.well.together use hashtag #letsbewelltogetherpodcast
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle, Noura, Julie and Riley

Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 167
Date: April 8, 2025

Participants: John Webster, Isabelle Sinclair and Sheila Webster

Guest: Ryan A. Bush

Start Times and Segments:

[0:00:17] What’s On Your Mind: We wonder about a possible shift in social media habits, exploring what we see as a decrease in posting and the increase in passive consumption on TikTok and YouTube, including privacy concerns and the desire to be more present in real life.

[0:08:56] Expanding Minds Interview: [Intellectual Wellness] Ryan Bush explains Nietzsche’s concept of “beyond good and evil” as an invitation to escape conventional moral frameworks that divide the world into absolute rights and wrongs. Traditional morality can be dogmatic, rigid, inherited and reductionist—often based on unquestioned assumptions that reward obedience over understanding. Ryan sees these systems as creating intellectual stagnation by discouraging critical thinking and nuance. Instead, drawing from Nietzsche, he prefers evolving our values through personal reflection and philosophical courage. Ryan encourages moving past dogmatic moral binaries toward a more dynamic, context-sensitive approach to ethics—one that evolves with insight and experience.

Link to Ryan’s Video: How to Go Beyond Good and Evil (and Why You Should) – Nietzsche on the Mistakes of Morality

[0:29:11] Move That Body: Gardening not only beautifies your surroundings but also serves as an excellent exercise routine. The physical tasks involved, such as raking, lifting, and cutting, help you stay fit while enjoying the fresh air and the rewarding sight of your hard work.

Guest Information: Ryan A Bush is a thinker, author and designer focused on building better systems, better people, and a better future. His background is in the design of systems. He’s worked with tech startups to design and develop everything from physical products to software, to buildings, to business models. He’s had a lifelong interest in introspective investigation, ravenous reading, and obsessive self-optimization. For many years, Ryan has studied the insights of ancient teachers, practical philosophers and cognitive scientists. He’s written two books – The first – Designing the Mind – helps readers understand the workings of their own minds and the keys to sculpting them. The second – Become Who You Are – is about the psychology of well-being and concepts connected with Happiness.

Links to some of Ryan’s books:

Designing the Mind: The Principles of Psychitecture

Become Who You Are: A New Theory of Self-Esteem, Human Greatness, and the Opposite of Depression

The Book of Self Mastery: Timeless Quotes About Knowing, Changing, and Mastering Yourself

Link to Mindform community: https://mindform.io/

Connect with Let’s Be Well Together Podcast:
website: https://letsbewelltogether.com
Follow our Instagram account: @lets.be.well.together use hashtag #letsbewelltogetherpodcast
Provide input on Instagram using hashtag #letsbewelltogetherinput

Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle, Noura, Julie and Riley

Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 166
Date: April 1, 2025

Participants: Elise Seifert, Sheila Webster and John Webster

Guest: Mike Morrice

Start Times and Segments:

[0:00:35] What’s On Your Mind: We discuss the seven wonders—seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, feeling, laughing, and loving—and how they shape our experiences. The conversation highlights how technology and daily routines often disconnect us from these senses. By sharing moments of wonder, we reflect on the importance of presence, mindfulness, and truly engaging with the world around us.

[0:12:59] Expanding Minds Interview: [Artistic Wellness] Our guest, Member of Parliament Mike Morrice, tells us about his initiative to reform arts funding to support artists, galleries, performance centers, cultural events and community displays. He discusses the gaps in current government programs, which often provide only short-term relief rather than long-term sustainability. He is seeking fair compensation for artists, improving grant accessibility, and ensuring that creatives from all backgrounds receive equitable support. By working with industry leaders, policymakers, and grassroots organizations, he aims to shift the conversation around arts funding, demonstrating that investment in the arts benefits not only artists but also communities, local economies, and Canada’s cultural identity.

[0:31:44] Flipside of the Coin: Flipside of the Coin – We contrast the passionate, impulsive nature of young relationships with a more thoughtful, experienced approach when we’re older. What if couples could combine youthful passion with a mature wisdom. The best of both worlds.

Guest Information: Member of Parliament of Canada Mike Morrice is inspired by the great things people can accomplish when we genuinely listen to one another, look to find common ground, and prioritize future generations. Before being elected, Mike founded Sustainable Waterloo Region co-created ClimateActionWR, piloted Canada’s first Green Economy Hub, later founded Green Economy Canada to share this work across the country. Mike was the first Green Party of Canada candidate to be elected in Ontario. Since his election in 2021, Mike uses his platform to amplify his community’s concerns.

Connect with Let’s Be Well Together Podcast:
website: https://letsbewelltogether.com
Follow our Instagram account: @lets.be.well.together use hashtag #letsbewelltogetherpodcast
Provide input on Instagram using hashtag #letsbewelltogetherinput

Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle, Noura, Julie and Riley