Journey to Grateful

 I want to discuss failure. Ask yourself this; "Are you failing at grief?" Or, more accurately, do you "feel" you are failing at grief? I'd suggest you most likely do, but is it an absolute failure, or simply just something you perceive? In this episode I discuss why that's ok and, more importantly, normal. The significant steps you can take to allow your failure to become a positive thing will pr...

In this episode, I’ve chosen to share with you a list I believe is quite important in helping us understand grief on a deeper level. Often I see or hear stories of someone who has experienced a friend or family member in their life not quite understanding how grief affects them even years after their loss. Perpetuating the misunderstanding of grief, its depth, and why there is no end to grief. Thi...

Today’s episode takes on a voice and an experience unlike any episode before. I’ve decided to take you along on a very personal experience and relay to you my thoughts as I searched for memories I discovered I longed for. I hope to enlighten you on how we might best approach grieving positively and with uplifting results. To ultimately help us truly navigate our loss and set us on a path forward.

Through tragedy and difficult times in your life, how often have you heard the suggestion to keep busy? As we navigate our grief journey, I'm sure there have been several times you've heard yourself answering a friend's inquiry about how you are doing with, "I'm keeping busy." Here's the question I'd like you to consider today. Have you thought about your answer about "keeping busy"? Are you "keep...

We all understand that losing someone special brings plenty of grief. How we navigate our grief is the key to a successful journey through grief. Our goal through grief should be to survive our loss for our loved ones and ourselves and find a way to move forward. To do so, we need to understand grief better and discover the tools available to do so. Today, we will explore how a healthy conversatio...

In today’s episode I’d like to examine what it means to “Make Room for Hope” in your life after loss and during your grief journey. It’s an important aspect of grief which one day will we will all come to face. In my opinion, to live without hope is not to live at all. The ultimate question is how can you best begin to consider making room for hope without ignoring your current feelings of loss an...

I've recently realized, with the help and insight of a new friend, that often, in grief, we focus on the loss and how we came to deal with it and not as much on the tangible suggestions and successes we may have experienced as we attempt to take a step forward from our loss. The common question put forth by someone who's experienced loss is simple; "How do you move forward?" This question never se...

Inspiration comes from many places that I've discovered if I'm not listening, I may miss it. Thankfully, last week, I was listening. In this episode, I will share with you a few truthful messages shared with me by some incredible, insightful people. Their words are reminders for us to stop, listen, consider, and reexamine the depth of grief our family or friends may be experiencing daily. Join me...

As we know, there is no end to grief. But why? What is it about grief that seems to allow it to live on years past the initial loss? Is it the shock and despair of it all? Or is it the hopeless feeling of the loss itself? Come along with me as I discuss a new perspective on grief and the never-ending hold it can have on those left behind. We will also examine important reasons we should consider t...

Reflecting on life generally is recognizing where we came from, a point in our past. To grow from our experiences, and to strive for better as we move forward, is a noble but essential goal. Through the love instilled within us as we develop and grow, we hope always to find gratefulness not far from our hearts, no matter what we are going through. As we walk our path with grief and discover what t...

I've been thinking about how grief shows up in my life and others I know who are dealing with grief. I've been more aware of how I allow my grief to be present in my daily life and with others. It seems to be a question focused on how we, as a society, genuinely see grief in others and what we do with what we see. Do we reach out with a helping hand or an ear to bend, or do we wonder why they have...

Being defined by our grief is a risk we face when we allow ourselves to feel deeply and love unconditionally. However, allowing our grief to overwhelm us, externally as well as internally, is not healthy. While we walk through our grief journey, it becomes important to understand how to avoid allowing our grief to define us. We have a choice to let either our grief encompass us, or we can choose t...

In today's episode, I will begin by reflecting on how I approach a new calendar year. Instead of resolutions typically engaged in the new year, I choose a word for the year designed to help me focus on the year ahead and provide a clear path of intention. With Spring right around the corner and our lives firmly in the third month of the year, reflecting on how we've approached the new year so far...

In today's episode, I'd like to invite you to discuss the "New" ahead on our various Journeys with Grief. Through my Journey, I have experienced so much over the past 2 and a half years that I wish you all to learn the things I have learned. To understand the intricacies of grief - the differences between mine and yours and anyone else's and what we can walk away with by knowing those experiences....

If you're lucky, you are surrounded by people who love and support you through your grief. That goes a long way in helping you to recover from your loss, but it's often not enough. You need to find a different kind of help that understands where you are and what you are going through. You need a resource that "gets you." But where can you find help that can meet you where you are? Listen now to di...

In this episode, I'll explore memories, tears, raw feelings, and the importance of all three. We'll discuss the benefits of tears, more ways to approach your feelings, and how we can better face our choices for a better tomorrow. In your grief, the place you hold for your memories can either bring a thousand tears or present unlimited smiles. How you show up through your memories will be the decid...

For this episode, I thought I'd discuss my thoughts regarding the "Grateful" aspect of our shared grief journey.  I'll define what I believe it means and share with you how that definition affects and informs me. I will recite a few inspiring words that have been placed in my life recently, hoping they help us all finally begin our journey toward gratitude with purpose. I suppose the beginning of...

Today we discuss Self-Care, what it is, what it promises, and how we can begin to use it to grow in the New Year. Let's explore together what this term means and the steps we can take today to improve our self-care, and what benefits it can provide us going forward.

In this episode, I thought I'd speak of the holidays - the expectations we all feel and the truth we all must face. Not only as we approach Christmas or New Year's Eve but right after… those suddenly empty days that can effect our grieving thoughts and emotions just as much as preparing for the constant joy expected for holiday gatherings themselves. So sit back, and grab a moment alone with me as...

Today's episode title may say a lot or be a bit intriguing at best, but its underlying message here is simple. Men need to toss aside the perceived norms of how they think the world expects them to act in a crisis of grief and sorrow and understand this experience will break them down to their lowest point. If there's a time in your life, guys, to begin focusing on what you need to survive your lo...

In this episode, I briefly discuss the differences between "moving forward" and "moving on." The overarching idea is to progress on this journey in whatever way that is supposed to look. I then take a slightly different turn with this episode as I take you along with me as I experience something in-the-moment. Sharing an event in my day which came accidentally and as a surprise has helped to revea...

In this episode, I explore a deceivingly simple idea, which is quite simply to stop saying no and begin saying yes. The thought process here is first to be willing to discover what yes can provide for you, what opportunities you may find on the other side of simply saying yes. Still confused, then dive into the episode and discover the possibilities. 

The holidays… a daunting time of year when you are on your path of grief. In this episode, I provide you with my honest take on how best to approach this specific time of year and the steps you can take to make it through with a bit more confidence. I discuss how feeling twist and turn during the holidays and how you may struggle with the combination of joy and sorrow you will most likely experien...

Today's episode will focus on the idea of adjusting your mindset, preparing yourself to take those first steps forward, and allowing yourself to live forward. I'm not suggesting we move on. However, I suggest we consider how to create and live life in a forward motion. As we continue to mourn our loved ones, we need to begin to allow life back in, to feel ok about focusing on ourselves, and to kno...

This episode is a letter, of sorts, to anyone new to the loss of a close loved one. In addition, it will benefit anyone on their grief path needing a reminder of how grief will continue to affect their life going forward. It’s also a welcome letter offering comfort and guidance for anyone who may feel lost in this new normal while attempting to walk through life with a semblance of balance and pur...