Changing Lives Podcast

Paulette and I discuss the religious and cultural messages that teach women to be ashamed of our bodies and sexuality. We also talk about ways to embrace your body as sacred and express your appreciation for it.

Resources mentioned: Tapping Solution App*

Shameless* book by Nadia Bolz-Weber

I Am Perfectly Flawsome* book by Michele Molitor and Tom Collins

You may also find my Self-Love Workbook helpful.

Note: Links with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Resources mentioned:

“Depression and Anxiety Survival Kit” PDF: https://wendigordon.gumroad.com/l/qluql

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org (24/7 help in United States)

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): https://www.nami.org

Depression convinced me that life would never get better, my loved ones would be better off without me, and death was the only way to escape my emotional pain.

Now I know better and want to help others who are living with depression and their loved ones. So I’m sharing resources and practices that helped me recover, along with things that did more harm than good.

Please share your resource recommendations in the comments.

Note: I am not a licensed medical or mental health provider and cannot diagnose or treat mental illness. Nothing I say is intended as medical advice or as a substitute for professional help.

What can we learn from our ancestors? Whether they model behaviors we know we DON’T want to emulate or serve as role models we turn to for inspiration during hard times, they teach us valuable lessons.

And we can learn from them even if they lived long before we were born.

They may communicate with us through family stories handed down through multiple generations or genealogical records. They may show up in our dreams. They may be spirit guides who make their presence known in other ways.

Sarah and I discuss some ways our ancestors have come to us and messages they have shared. We also talk about historical figures (like Mary Magdalene and Harriet Tubman) who are not biological relatives but have profoundly impacted our lives and society.

What have your ancestors taught you, and how have they communicated with you? Share your experiences in the comments.

Links to resources mentioned:

Wendi’s Nature + Nurture bookDeborah’s Toward The Light memoir (Sept. 16 release)Leonie Dawson’s Unicorn Biz and Life Academy* community Tapping Solution app*(Links with * are Wendi’s affiliate links; if you purchase through them, she earns a commission at no extra cost to you)

Wendi and Deborah discuss how cultural messages and personal experiences taught them to hate their bodies and how therapy, writing, and supportive communities have helped them love their bodies, reduce shame, and increase self-compassion.

Links to resources mentioned:

Tapping app I use: https://cf.thetappingsolution.com/app-download-sp-aff?fpr=wendi20 (affiliate link)

Nature + Nurture ebook: https://wendigordon.gumroad.com/l/mdryi(updated edition will be available as a paperback on Amazon starting Sept. 1)

It may seem naïve or even cruel to talk about freedom when so many people are losing theirs or afraid they will soon. But as Nazi concentration camp survivor Victor Frankl wrote in his bestselling book Man’s Search For Meaning (affiliate link):

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances …

Every human being has the freedom to change at any instant.

Frankl also noted that, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

So how do we choose better ways to respond to difficult circumstances? We become aware of our thoughts and the ways they shape our actions. We learn to challenge those thoughts and regulate our nervous systems. This conversation shares some simple practices that help us do that.

Link mentioned: https://onbeing.org

Bill and I have both not only experienced the transcendent power of music in our lives but also witnessed its healing effects on others.

You’ve probably experienced music’s power, too. Maybe you’ve heard a song that evokes a memory of another time. You feel the joy or sorrow associated with that memory, even decades later.

For example, Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark” brings me (Wendi) back to my high school days, when my youngest sister Margaret was a toddler and she and I danced around my room as that song played. Watch, listen or read the transcript to learn more about the amazing ways that music can transform lives.

How has music enriched your life? Paid “Changing Lives” subscribers are invited to join this Sunday’s Zoom gathering to discuss the role of music and other kinds of play in our lives.

Tapping App Free 14-Day Trial and 50% off affiliate link: https://cf.thetappingsolution.com/app-download-sp-aff?fpr=wendi20

If you use this link, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

My Substack blog: https://wendigordon.substack.com

Links to resources mentioned:

My Self-Love Workbook (PDF download)

Veronica's courses and guidebooks

Most of us (at least those of us in capitalist societies like the U.S.) grow up learning to conform, do what we’re told, and stay silent when something upsets us. We learn that it’s not wise or safe to express our thoughts or emotions.

But masking our true feelings and pretending to be fine when we’re not comes at a cost. So does compromising our values to fit in with the crowd or advance our careers.

This conversation explores why it’s hard to trust ourselves as well as why it’s so important to be vulnerable and authentic. The quality of our relationships with ourselves and others depends on our ability to trust, as the personal experiences we share demonstrate.

Watch, listen, or read the transcript and share your takeaways in the comments!

P.S. If you’d like extra support as you learn to find and trust your own answers and create a life that aligns with your values, Wendi’s 1:1 coaching via Zoom may be perfect for you. Check out Wendi’s private coaching page or DM her on Substack for more information.

This conversation about how journaling can improve mental and spiritual health includes me reading a letter to my inner child. I also describe my morning and evening journaling routines in detail to give examples of possible topics to write about.

For more writing prompts, excerpts from my journal, and other practices to help you be more compassionate to yourself, see my Self-Love Workbook.

P.S. Want additional support as you work on loving yourself more and/or gaining the confidence to talk or write about personal experiences? My 1:1 coaching via Zoom may be perfect for you!

Links - Katie’s “The Joy Reset” book club: onegirlstanding.com/eventsWendi’s self love workbook: bit.ly/mylovebook A powerful conversation between a former pastor (me) and an atheist (Katie) about rejecting patriarchal religious and cultural beliefs and embracing beliefs and practices that honor both divine feminine and divine masculine energies.

Interested in a six-week small group on Zoom devoted to exploring your authentic spirituality and learning about others’? Comment below or DM Wendi on Substack for more details.

P.S. Want 1:1 help from Wendi to navigate the spiritual wilderness between old religious beliefs and those you’re exploring now? Need support as you deal with people who think you’ll spend eternity in hell unless you share their beliefs? Get info about Wendi’s private coaching here: https://wendigordon.substack.com/p/am-i-the-right-coach-to-help-you

Know of an organization that might want to host or sponsor an in-person or online workshop about mental health and/or spirituality? Please share this link: https://wendigordon.substack.com/p/presentations-and-groups