Delivering Adventure How to be More Adaptable with Wells Jones
An essential adventure and life skill is the ability to be adaptable. Being adaptable allows us to adjust to change and to keep our cool when we find ourselves in adverse or stressful situations.
In 2005, Wells Jones set out to retrace the path of the famous soldier and adventurer TE Lawrence - also known as Lawrence of Arabia. The goal of this trip was to prepare for an acting role.
On that trip, Wells and his friend Miles went through 39 border check points, trekked through the desert by camel and dared to go where few westerners were willing to travel in the wake of 9/11. All the while they had to vigilante to avoid being kidnapped.
Wells and Miles have recently released a book that they wrote based on this trip called A Line in the Sand.
In this episode, Wells shares his philosophy of adventure in a candid and at times deeply personal and intense way as well as key strategies that we can use to increase our adaptability.
Key Takeaways
How we can increase our adaptability:
You are More Adaptable Than you Think: All of us are already adapting to many different situations that we may take for granted.
Yes, I Can Mindset: When you are faced with a situation that pushes you outside your comfort and challenge zone, and you aren’t sure whether you can adapt, it can be really helpful to adopt a mindset where you say to yourself, yes I can do it. Focussing on success instead of failure, and believing in yourself can be the difference makers between adapting to new and challenging situations and potentially overcoming adversity - and giving in.
Prepare to Relinquish Control: Adapting to new situations may require you to let go of control. Trying new things requires us to go against status quo bias where we may choose familiar patterns where we feel we have control. This can require us to have an open mind and simply embrace the adventure. Embrace change.
Adopt an Adaptable Mindset: An adaptable mindset is one where we embrace even the difficult moments in a way that allows us to find value. Happy people find value in every moment, while unhappy people tend to go looking for problems. To adapt, we need to look for value.
Guest Bio
Wells Jones started his career as a US Navy Antarctic Pararescue Team Member. This included precision skydiving, technical training mountain/glacier/crevasse rescue, Antarctic survival, advanced to instructor.
Wells went on to graduate from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He has since worked in plays, commercials, TV series and films. His acting name is Tad Jones.
In addition to acting, Wells has also worked as a producer and director.
In 2005, Wells and his friend Miles Spencer set out to retrace the steps of TE Lawrence through the Middle East. The goal of this trip was to prepare Wells for an acting role.
On that trip, Wells and his friend Miles went through 39 border check points, trekked through the desert by camel and dared to go where few westerners were willing to travel in the wake of 9/11. All the while they had to vigilante to avoid being kidnapped.
Wells and Miles have recently released a book that they wrote based on this trip called A Line in the Sand. A Line in the Sand is an excellent read and can be found on Amazon.
Guest Links
A Line in the Sand: Available at Amazon Here
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