The Day Ash Chose to Stay

And what it really means to live from the heart

Author

Matt Gilhooly
August 13, 2025

Ash Perrow has lived through what most people would call the unimaginable. First, the heartbreak of holding his stillborn daughter. Then years of survival. Anxiety. Physical collapse. And just when it seemed like life might steady, he found himself bleeding out after back surgery. No pulse. No breath. No certainty he'd make it back.

But he did. And the moment that brought him back still gives me chills.

“I said I wanted to stay to walk the planet from my heart. And the instant I said that, I slammed back into my body.”

That sentence changed everything for him. And honestly, it’s been echoing in my own head too. What does it mean to really live from the heart? Not just when it’s easy. But when things fall apart. When your body is telling you to slow down. When your past keeps whispering that you don’t deserve peace.

Ash didn’t come back to life with a fresh to-do list. He came back with a contract. And the way he’s chosen to honor it says a lot about how transformation really works.

Here’s what stayed with me after this one:

  • We’re all hardwired with survival patterns. But healing starts when we learn to pause, listen, and unlearn them.

  • A legacy isn’t made of things. It’s made of presence. How you are shapes what lives on.

  • Living from the heart isn’t always big or bold. Sometimes it’s a quiet decision. A breath. A step. A redirect.

  • Your past self might not recognize who you are now. That’s okay. Maybe that’s the point.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a version of yourself that no longer fits, I hope this episode gives you a little permission. You can change. You can begin again. You don’t need a near death experience to get there.

But Ash’s story might help you remember what’s possible.

🎧 Listen to the full episode at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/198

Or just hit reply and tell me what landed. I'm listening.

Matt

Host of The Life Shift Podcast

PS: During a long weekend trip in May, I created a short-form podcast, “It’s Okay If…” Each episode is under three minutes long and provides a permission slip to simply be human. I’d be honored if you subscribed to the show. New episodes are released every Wednesday at noon ET.