The Engineering Emotions and Energy Podcast

***Live From Belize***

Ever been on vacation and things don't seem to be going your way? It's OK! Things will work themselves out.

This week I am coming to you from Belize as I prepare for a 7 day excursion full of aquatic dives! But it wasn't easy to get here.

Follow along to see how I got here and where I am going next!

I'm now on TikTok and Twitter! Check out @justinwenckphd there for super quick ways to relax,...

***Grillin' and Chillin' in Atlanta*** 

My summer travel has begun! First stop is Atlanta where I'm Grillin' and Chillin' with a slower pace compared to the California Bay Area. I'm talking about how changing your routine can help you relax and connect with what matters to you and connect to others. 

Make sure you subscribe and follow the podcast so you can here about all my travel. Next stop: Belize!

I'm n...

"It is what it is" 

Have you ever used this phrase or heard someone use it? It's often used when there's a frustrating situation that can't be changed. 

There isn't much that offends me, but I do find this phrase offensive because it's 100% a lie. 

Nothing is 100% static. Nothing is what it is. IT is whatever we interpret IT to be. This is a verifiable fact of Quantum Physics where if you choose to see a ph...

Celebrating Growth

When was the last time you celebrated growth? 

Why not celebrate growth with me today as I celebrate the 100th episode of the Engineering Emotions and Energy Podcast.

 I'll be taking a look back at the first episode, You ARE Influential, published on Dec 29, 2019 . 

I'll also be revisiting some of the most loved episodes…

 Guided I Love Myself Meditation Episode 35 from 2020

Depression, Divorce, & Dissoluti...

"You can be right or you can be happy." 

How do you feel when you read that quote? When I first hear that quote when going to Al-anon meetings, as someone who loved to be right, it did not make me happy. Yet, I really really wanted to be happy. 

I thought if I learned the right things and did the right things, THEN I would be happy. 

Just as the Free Beer Tomorrow will never be available now. You will never be happy in the fut...

***Be Your Own Truth Detector*** 

How open is your mind to new information? 

Or if it doesn't fit with what you've been told by an authority, do you write that off as lies, nonsense, or fake? 

Have you ever asked where that authority discern fact from fiction came from? (Hint: It's usually self-given.) 

Am I telling you to disbelieve everyone and everything? Absolutely not. Many, if not most authorities have great intention...

***What Would You Do IF You Almost Died?***

What would be the first thing you do after being released from the hospital after almost losing your life?

Did you answer "clean the house"? I'm guessing not.

That was the answer of someone close to me the day after they got out of the hospital. Since I knew this person so well, my response wasn't surprise or scolding. I simply asked:

"Is someone coming over?"

"Some...

*******Hoʻoponopono for Healing*******

When your heart breaks or your body aches, what do you turn towards? Drugs? Distractions? Depression?

Last week I pulled a muscle in my back and pain was practically unbearable. How could I handle this? I turned to Hoʻoponopono for healing. What's that?

Hoʻoponopono is a traditional Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. It's simplicity is only matched by it's power. Rep...

What you need is already so close, maybe too close

Hawks, wildflowers, sunshine, breezes, bay views, redwoods, succulents, and...the Salesforce skyscraper? 

Recently I wanted to go for a hike that got me away from the overcast and cold near the Ocean where I live and enjoy some sun and trees. I thought I might have to drive 30 to 45 minutes, but a quick search found everything I wanted and more only 15 minutes away. 

I've always l...

Inflation, Market Crash, Housing Bubble...Does information about the economy going down worry you? 

It doesn't bother me because I choose to not see it as a problem for myself. I understand it represents a challenge for many people in terms of jobs, businesses, and lives, and because of that I want the economy to do well, but personally I choose not to worry. 

What if...Good, bad, or indifferent you chose to see the news simply a...

To get a vasectomy or not? That was the choice, or was it? 

"Freedom of choice

Is what you got

Freedom from choice

Is what you want" 

-Devo 

There are infinite possibilities in choice, so actually it was a decision, and last week I decided to get one. For so long, I didn't entertain this option, and when I talked to my mom about it after the procedure, I understood why.

 On this episode I talk about how there's always choi...

Work hard, grind it out, make something of yourself, and then…what exactly? 

Success, but with a side depression, anxiety, or declining health leading to death. 

This way of living that many of us consciously or unconsciously live by is effectively a big "Go F*ck Yourself" to ourselves. 

What if we did a George Carlin-esque switch and replaced "F*ck" with "Love"? 

Then you'd work smart, kind it out, and love...

How does it feel when you lose something in life? It could be a relationship, health, money, or almost anything. 

Usually it doesn't feel so good. And sometimes it doesn't feel so good for a really really long time. 

This pain often comes from the loss of one of our basic human needs being met, like the need for closeness, love, security, expression, etc….we humans have a lot of things we need to be living our #bestlife. 

The ...

***** Tune Out to Tune In (to what you want) ***** 

Have you ever had a horrible experience somewhere and you wish it would just end? 

I recently had a bad experience at a grocery store. It's a chain I usually try to avoid because I usually have a bad experience, but this store was on my way home, so I stopped into the Unsafeway, and guess what?

 The experience was NOT Good! Low selection of items, high prices, it was effectively ...

***Naked and (Un)Afraid***

What scares you? And what do you do about this fear?  In school I used to be so afraid of being seen at all. Being seen naked? Forget it! The hernia check to get cleared to play football was terrifying for me. So how did I recently go to a resort where some sections require au natural attire to attend? This podcast episode is all about overcoming fear. You might not ever need to be naked in front of others...

*** Your Triggers Are Your Traps *** 

Crypto, Covid, Trump, Taxes, or even...Help...what triggers you and automatically puts you into an irrational state where you don't even want to hear any more on the topic because you KNOW already? 

Today I'm talking about how I've seen close friends of mine get triggered when talking about some of my passions lately and how I continue to work on one of my key triggers: Needing HELP. 

...

*** How to Handle Hard Situations: My Escape from Folsom***

The reservation isn't held, the hold time is over an hour, continuous interruptions, text messages not returned, unexpected renovations, missing items, gridlocked traffic. Maybe you've experienced some of these situations or perhaps even all of them in a 24 hour period like I recently did in my escape from Folsom this past weekend.

On the latest podcast I talk about ...

***Spring Cleaning Your Life***

 In this podcast I'm talking about how to live a happier life by letting go of people, places, and things that are a drag on your life.

‘Does this spark joy?’ is the question Marie Kondo suggests to ask when deciding whether or not to keep an item that someone has owned for a long time. 

The sooner this is done the faster joy can enter your life. Recently this happened very quickly when a friend and...

***Focus on Progress Not Perfection to Pursue Your Passion***

My last podcast was one of the worst I've EVER put out. This was my assessment after listening to the entire episode. 

What did I do with this smelly, stinky, pile of pod?

I published it…why?

My name is Justin and I'm a recovering perfectionist. 

My first memories of needing to be perfect go back at least to Freshman year of high school, if not earlier. I remember the...