"Negative emotion poured into what we perceive as a positive outlet is still going to catch up to you at some point. We’re still feeding that attachment to our negative energy source. We’re still fueling the cycle."
John Wolf
Oct 27, 2021
EFR 541: Can Fitness Be an Addiction and How to Develop True Inner and Outer Strength with John Wolf
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EFR 541: Can Fitness Be an Addiction and How to Develop True Inner and Outer Strength with John Wolf
In today’s conversation, John Wolf shares a journey that saw him emerge from the depths of grief and loss to undergo a holistic transformation that ultimately led him to be the Chief Fitness Officer at Onnit.
Having lost many of the people closest to him early in his life, John quickly found himself descending down a path of drug addiction. He talks about the years of inner work that he did (and continues to do) to maintain his self-worth, as well as the outer work he underwent to rebuild his body and indirectly build stronger belief systems as a result.
John rediscovered his passion for fitness and martial arts down the road. Trading one “addiction” for another, John saw exercise as a way to continually reforge and optimize not only his body, but his entire being.
In training his clients at Onnit, John uses an approach he calls “conscious coaching” that leads them into a state of flow “where skill and effort intersect.”
To John, “ever forward” is a matter of maintaining this flow, of staying laser-focused on your purpose while staying receptive to continuous learning and growth.
Follow John @coachjohnwolf
Follow Chase @chase_chewning
Key Highlights
John speaks on his downward spiral into apathy and drug addiction, and how a few small nudges from the people he loves gave him the strength to climb out of that hole.
What drew John to the world of fitness and how did strengthening his body lead to his holistic transformation?
John shares an example of a modality that he and his team use at Onnit to empower his clients to face their perceived weaknesses and break through barriers.
Powerful Quotes by John Wolf
Negative emotion poured into what we perceive as a positive outlet is still going to catch up to you at some point. We’re still feeding that attachment to our negative energy source. We’re still fueling the cycle.
Our coaching cues are not meant to drive you harder. It’s meant to drive more awareness and change your inner dialogue. Through that, you can decide to push further; but, there are a lot of qualifying perspectives we want you to be empowered with so that you don’t just do what many of us have done, which is to run away faster from the things that we need to face.
What if your goal is represented by that front door? I just want you to commit to move towards what that door represents, no matter what happens. [...] Then I stand in front of [you]. Why are you worried about me? I’m inconsequential if your only purpose is to get to the door.
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