Wendy Jones: Lessons from an Optimist
"When we tell our stories, people end up saying me too; instead of I can't believe you did that." - Wendy Jones
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In this conversation, we are joined by Wendy Jones. Wendy is the founder of the blog, The Optimists Journal. She uses the power of her own story, which includes surviving divorce, parenting four children, overcoming PTSD after her son's near-drowning almost ten years ago, and parenting a child on the autism spectrum to reflect, heal and thrive. Wendy believes that we all have to choose whether we react to life's circumstances or create them with our mindset, practice, and consistency.
Follow her on Instagram @theoptimistsjournal
Show Notes:
[00:03:50] - Feeling stuck in life
[00:00:20] - Fight Club Episode
[00:04:00] - Wendy's view of podcasts
[00:05:25] - Dropping the new cycle
[00:06:20] - Why is the Optimist Journal for Wendy?
[00:07:40] - Helping others by sharing her story.
[00:07:50] - Where Wendy's optimism comes from.
[00:08:50] - It is not a blind optimism
[00:10:10] - Letting the blog grow organically
[00:11:00] - Precision Nutrition Course
[00:11:40] - Finding Mastery: Krista Scott Dixon
[00:12:10] - "Whatever is important for you; you will make time for."
[00:12:40] - What does Wendy's typical workout look like?
[00:13:50] - How Erich started working out
[00:15:00] - What changed Erich's mindset towards working out?
[00:15:15] - Erich took an engineers view of what it means to engineer the body
[00:16:20] - Checking the ego at the door
[00:16:30] - Giving up drinking pop/ soda
[00:17:20] - Try not to drink calories
[00:17:40] - The Diet Wars: Anything or than SAD is a good diet!
[00:18:20] - The Inflammation Spectrum
[00:18:50] - One of Wendy's sons in on the autistic spectrum and learning about inflammation as a whole.
[00:19:40] - It is not allergies, but it could be sensitivities
[00:20:40] - Finding your balance within the nutrition
[00:21:10] - Wearing both Whoop and Oura Ring
[00:21:40] - Comparing data from each device
[00:23:10] - Finishing school and seeing long term positive trends in both HRV and RHR.
[00:23:40] - What Wendy has noticed with Oura Ring so far
[00:25:40] - Mindset training didn't exist five years ago, and when Wendy was in sport she never told about mindset skills such as responding to stress
[00:27:40] - Where does your mindset come?
[00:29:10] - How does Wendy approach Social Media with her kids?
[00:30:00] - Finding a lost journal from a family member and leaving something like that for her kids
[00:30:40] - Creating a family audio documentary
[00:31:50] - Wendy wishes she had the story of her grandparents
[00:32:40] - When sharing our stories, we are more likely to hear me too, rather than be met with judgment.
[00:33:40] - Dealing with Divorce
[00:34:50] - Trying to build empathy for others
[00:35:50] - We don't grow without struggle
[00:36:20] - "How was I so lucky that I was born in California?"
[00:37:00] - When her son fell in the pool, she was tested more than she had ever been, and she knew she could handle it.
[00:38:50] - Dealing with her PTSD even though she wasn't diagnosed with it officially.
[00:39:40] - How Yoga has helped Wendy to heal
[00:40:40] - Calming the instant gratification monkey and helping yourself will help everyone that is connected around you.
[00:42:30] - Not wanting to box myself in and what a degree allows you to do.
[00:43:50] - Agribusiness major and background in farm
[00:45:00] - Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan and Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms
[00:46:10] - Recommended Books
WOLFPACK: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game by Abby Wambach
Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy by Anne Lamott
Grayson by Lynne Cox
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
[00:51:10] - Recommended Podcasts
Finding Mastery: Krista Scott-Dixon and Elizabeth Lindsey
Oprah's Super Soul Conversations
[00:53:10] - Groups that are searching for more depth in experience
[00:54:25] - Bigger groups remove the ability to go deep in conversations
[00:55:35] - Dating app example; "You can't copy paste a conversation."
[00:56:40] - Thoughts on phone calls
[00:57:40] - Erich knows what it was like before social media and wants to help other people manage it.
[00:58:50] - Setting boundaries on technology
[01:00:20] - Using introversion to absorb and reflect and then going out in the world to see how these ideas work out.
[01:01:40] - Wendy's Personal Philosophy: Seeking Connection
[01:04:00] - Facilitating growth outside of formalized education
