The Optimists Journal

Heartfelt Anecdotes and Practical Resources to Help You Create Wellness for Life.

What Makes A Great Athlete?

Every athlete I know, including myself, has always wanted to BE BETTER. My mission and this concept can sound a little brash to some but it’s not meant to be harsh, or make anyone feel like they aren’t measuring up. The goal is to put the emphasis on BE (instead of do) so that we […]

Wendy Jones

New Beginnings

People care, or they are curious, or both:) When people ask me what happened to my ankle, I tell them I had ankle surgery. “Wendy, you need to start saying I had an ankle reconstruction.” said my amazing PT. “I did?” I said. Well, suddenly it made a lot of sense. Both because of the […]

Wendy Jones

Beginner's Mind

When I learned to play volleyball, there were nine players standing on a blacktop volleyball court on the playground of my elementary school. I was in 6th grade and the coach was a teacher, standing in his slacks wearing his tennis shoes and carrying a clipboard. He was about 6’6 and a basketball guy, but […]

Wendy Jones

Epiphanies

Epiphanies have always come to me in the water. As a swimmer, I used to wish that there was a device that would record my thoughts as I stared down at that black line. People say it’s a lonely sport, but as an adult with real world thoughts and challenges, it was an introvert’s dream. […]

« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 … 55 Next »

CULTIVATE CALM

It’s become my mantra to back up my life philosophy and I love the imagery it brings to my mind in just two words.

Scar Tissue

Even though I consider myself a creature of habit, and changing those habits can be so hard, learning to thrive through life’s twists and turns has become one of my foundational and motivating goals. This week, as I moved again, for the second time in a year, I was tested mind, body and spirit. Old […]

Generations of Inspiration

Almost 30 years ago, the AVP traveled to Lost Lake in Fresno, where I grew up, and my non-beach community had access to amazing beach volleyball…the crowds for the final were upwards of 25,000 and it was easily over 90 degrees. I came away from those days in the sun with such excitement for the […]

« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 … 74 Next »

Most Viewed

Being a Creative

I am a creative. I didn’t know it, or even the term, until recently. I did know the word artist, and I never would have pegged myself for one of those because I had judged artists as free spirits who had talents like painting, drawing, writing music…and I’m not particularly good at any of those […]

To Raise a Champion

In April of 2016, as my almost 20 year marriage was falling apart, I turned around to grab a ball to serve as I was playing beach volleyball at 2nd St. in Hermosa Beach. Immediately, I recognized one of the players on the court behind me and said hello, thinking at the time that she […]

Wisdom Works Both Ways

One of the first times I experienced the feeling of knowing that being a mom is the best experience anyone can ever have was when the nurse took a crying, freshly bathed and swaddled, not so little 9lb 12oz baby boy and laid him on my chest. Instantly, he stopped crying. I had never experienced […]

« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 … 74 Next »

The Optimists Journal

Heartfelt Anecdotes and Practical Resources to Help You Create Wellness for Life.

10 Ways to Find Optimism in Challenging Times

What Makes A Great Athlete?

New Beginnings

Beginner's Mind

Epiphanies

You may also like...

CULTIVATE CALM

Scar Tissue

Generations of Inspiration

Most Viewed

Being a Creative

To Raise a Champion

Wisdom Works Both Ways