Episode Details

What if the relationship structure you inherited isn’t necessarily the one that’s right for you?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Wendy Garrido, an entrepreneur, author, and coach whose work explores relationships, intimacy, freedom, trust, identity, and authenticity.

Wendy’s own journey led her to question many of the assumptions we make about love and relationships. After years of playing pickleball with her then-husband, she eventually became deeply involved in the sport, co-authored a pickleball book, and built a business around it. Following the end of her marriage, she came out as polyamorous and began exploring a different way of thinking about relationships, connection, and personal freedom.

In our conversation, we explore:

• Why we often follow relationship scripts we never consciously chose• Whether there really is one “right” way to structure a relationship• Wendy’s experience with polyamory and what it taught her about freedom and connection• Why emotional safety doesn’t necessarily mean eliminating vulnerability• The importance of trusting yourself rather than simply trusting another person• Her concept of the “Betrayal Proof Heart”• Why people who deeply love each other can still hurt each other• What resentment can reveal about responsibility and unmet expectations• The difference between accepting someone as they are and falling in love with their potential• Wendy’s idea of “self-centered relationships”• What she calls “delusional devotion”• How curiosity, envy, and discomfort can reveal something about ourselves• Why chasing novelty can sometimes become a way of avoiding difficult feelings• How our feelings can point toward the person we’re becoming• Her acorn-and-oak-tree analogy for personal growth• Why there isn’t a universal answer to what people want from relationships or life• And the question she believes we should ask ourselves: What is nourishing you right now?

This is a conversation about love, identity, vulnerability, freedom, and the courage to question the relationship rules we’ve inherited.

Connect with Wendy

🌐 Website: https://wendygarrido.com/

📖 Book: The Sexual Sovereignty Bible — available on Amazon by searching the title.

🎧 Live Your Truth Manifesto: Available through Wendy’s website.

📱 Instagram: Wendy Love Garrido

Wendy also invites listeners to reach out to her personally with their questions and experiences.

🌍 Thought AtlasMapping ideas, exploring everything.

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