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I had the pleasure of interviewing JJ Virgin for her new book called Miracle Mindset: A Mother, Her Son, and Life’s Hardest Lessons. It launches next week February 21. This book is very different from her other bestsellers, The Virgin Diet and Sugar Impact Diet which were all focused on diet and nutrition.

The Miracle Mindset is about the 7 powerful lessons JJ learned after her 16-year-old son Grant was in a brutal hit-and-run accident and left for dead.

Fighting for your son’s life inspired a new focus on mindset and the power of courage, strength, and resilience to help you not just survive, but thrive during life’s hardest moments.

You can watch our interview here:

This accident happened when her first book The Virgin Diet was about to come out and she was the financial support for her family, so she did everything for her son AND had to make sure the book got finished!

After the fact people kept asking her: “How did you do it?!”

Because I had gone through challenges my whole life and was used to leaning in when I was scared about something. Your comfort zone expands and you can take on more. We are stronger than you think!

When there seemed to be no hope JJ shares it was:

My mindset where I expected to see miracles, where I expect a better outcome, you see only possibility  

She discovered other colleagues had also gone through hard times and had gotten through them, playing bigger and full out.

And the next step was to teach what she had learned as lessons to help others. She shares:

The book takes you through the story, and it’s inspiring, but I wanted it to be a memoir with muscle where you could actually do something with it. You can see the possibility I created in my life. It’s a very specific story but it’s a universal message that you are stronger than you think and you’re never better than when you’re challenged. When you feel afraid you’re playing a big game and that’s where you should be.

For Grant, the things that pulled him through dark times was knowing he had a bigger purpose – even when he couldn’t see it.

These lessons apply to your health challenges, your business, your relationships, your money mindset.

JJ asked her community if you’re not where you want to be with your health right now, why is it? You would have thought it would be “I can’t give up sugar” or “I can’t give up cheese” – but no, the overarching themes were a mindset limitation:

• I don’t feel good enough
• I’m not worth it

We talk about the imposter syndrome and not feeling good enough. JJ shares this:

I don’t think you ever overcome it if you’re doing it right. I never even knew it was a thing. I just thought it was my thing …I’m going to get found out…I’m the fraud in this room

Instead of feeling “who am I to do this” it should be “who am I not to”

I think we need to share the struggle and show the vulnerability

When you feel like you have imposter syndrome, lean into it, step up, get courage and you’ll get more capable, more confident and stronger

We discuss asking how important it is to ask for help!

Grant was saved by a village!

We discuss brain injuries and how they can cause mood swings, depression, anxiety, dementia; how they affect the HPA axis and can contribute to insulin resistance, Hashimoto’s and more. JJ wants to get everything they did for Grant out to the world and that’s her next project!

Knowing JJ, she would always include fitness and nutrition I asked how she cared for herself during all this: 8 hours of sleep, exercise, perfect eating, and lots of water. She did allow herself coffee!

Her goal for Grant was to get him to 110% and do everything they could. The first thing they did was essential oils – peppermint, lavender, frankincense – and then progesterone cream. He was on 5g of fish oil before the accident but the doctors would only allow 2g right after the accident. Once the feeding tube was out she fed him fish oil pudding and shakes with fish oil, liquid vitamin D, probiotics and amino acids (because he was catabolic). Then she got his fish oil up to 20g and within a matter of days he called JJ speaking full sentences.   He was also given curcumin, acetyl-l-carnitine, GPC, bacopa, P5P, CBD oil, intrathecal stem cell treatments, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, hyperbaric treatments, and neurofeedback.

The CBD oil they used was from hemp and Dr. Michael Lewis advised on this. He also helped them with the fish oil doses and is the author of When Brains Collide: What Every Athlete and Parent Should Know About the Prevention and Treatment of Concussions and Head Injuries (an excellent book on concussions and omega-3s).

It was the fish oil that was most beneficial and yet the doctors said “all we can do is wait – there is nothing we can do.” The doctors were great for what they did with the surgery but after that they didn’t have answers.

She was fortunate in that she had some of the brightest minds helping – Dr. Daniel Amen, Tana Amen, Dr. Hyla Cass, and Dr. Barry Sears and many others.

JJ shares stories of two people hitting their heads – one was depressed and suicidal. How much of mental illness could be due to a brain injury?   We know there is a high incidence of anxiety and depression a few weeks after a TBI.

She shares this about fish oils and brain injuries:

You need to start with fish oil and these other nutrients as soon as possible. Even if you had an injury years prior it’s not too late – the brain can heal at any point. A concussion is a TBI and they are additive.

I end by asking this of JJ: “I’d love to hear what lesson in the Miracle Mindset really surprised you the most?”

You’re going to have to listen to this section (starting from the 31 min mark) – it’s incredible!   (hint: you have to actively go through the process and find the gift from this)

JJ shares this about her documentary You Are Stronger Than You Think. It was really hard for her to re-live everything. But it was so important for her to do because it brings the lessons in the book to life and makes them so much more memorable!

The program that she took a core group through was the Miracle Mindset Academy and it was an amazing group of people who saw wonderful results

You never know when you’re going to be faced with life’s biggest challenges – get suited up now (and be prepared). And pass it on and pay it forward.

 She’ll be offering this Miracle Mindset Academy program again in a few weeks so stay tuned for more on this. Before this starts, JJ will be offering a no-cost Live Training event on February 25.

In the meantime…

Get a copy of the book Miracle Mindset: A Mother, Her Son, and Life’s Hardest Lessons (it launches Feb 21). I read it in 2 sittings cover to cover and never do that with a book! (stay tuned for a book review next week)

And watch the documentary You Are Stronger Than You Think online at no charge (for a few more days only). It’s incredible, heartbreaking, heartwarming and inspiring. JJ has been sharing how both her boys have been reading the comments as folks watch it and are touched.

I love that JJ experiences something, learns from it and then wants to share it to help others! I’ve seen her do this over and over again through the years that I’ve known her

If you’re moved and inspired please share and pay it forward! This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime stories. The documentary and book offer so much hope and inspiration and we can all do with more of that!

Please share your thoughts, feedback and questions below in the comments.