Discovering Yourself In Tragedy: Steph Catudal On Love, Grief, Healing & Finding Meaning in Life’s Profound Moments

77 snips

Oct 16, 2023

Join Steph Catudal, author of the New York Times bestseller 'Everything All At Once,' as she shares her poignant journey through grief and healing. After nearly losing her husband, ultra-runner Tommy Rivs, to lung cancer, Steph explores the complexities of love and vulnerability in the face of tragedy. She discusses how writing can empower healing, the search for meaning amid pain, and the balance between personal struggles and public scrutiny. With candid reflections on identity and self-love, she inspires listeners to find beauty and gratitude even in life's darkest moments.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Steph and Tommy's Story

Steph Catudal's memoir, "Everything All At Once," details her experience with grief and healing.
It's inspired by her husband Tommy Rivs' battle with a rare form of lung cancer.

INSIGHT

Healing is Neverending

Healing is a continuous journey, not a destination.
Steph Catudal emphasizes the importance of accepting this ongoing process.

ANECDOTE

Steph's Search for Answers

Steph's search for answers led her through rebellion, substance abuse, and spiritual exploration.
Tommy's illness forced her to confront her past traumas.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Your darkest moments will either break you beyond repair—or make you stronger.

This was the choice faced by Steph Catudal as she navigated mortality, motherhood, and the search for self while her husband—beloved ultra-runner Tommy Rivs—battled a rare form of lung cancer that nearly took his life.

Beautiful and heart-wrenching, Steph relates the intimacies of this experience in her New York Times bestselling memoir, Everything All At Once—an arresting, must-read perspective on trauma, rebellion, faith, tragedy and the painful struggle to identify one’s place in the world.

If you count yourself among the millions deeply impacted by Tommy Rivs’ brush with death and return to life—one of the most beloved episodes the history of this podcast—then today’s conversation is non-negotiable.

This is a conversation about the big things in life: trauma, death, grief, pain, identity and faith.

An artist with words, Steph shares the details of her complicated upbringing, the loss of faith that catalyzed a decade of rebellion, her journey with substance abuse, and the experience of very nearly losing her husband Tommy—juxtaposed agains the mirrored trauma of losing her father to lung cancer during her adolescence.

This is about seeing healing as a never-ending journey—and the importance of assigning meaning to life’s profound moments.

It’s also about how to cultivate gratitude—how to recognize love and beauty amid tragedy, while also holding space for pain, anger, and sorrow.

In other words, how to allow everything all at once.

I was very moved by Steph’s vulnerability—and the power with which she owns her story.

May you find this conversation equally impactful.

Show notes + MORE

Watch on YouTube

Newsletter Sign-Up

Today’s Sponsors:

On: On.com

Momentous: LiveMomentous.com/RICHROLL

BetterHelp: BetterHelp.com/RICHROLL

Babbel: Babbel.com/RICHROLL

Squarespace: Squarespace.com/RICHROLL

Seed: Seed.com/RICHROLL

Plant Power Meal Planner: https://meals.richroll.com

Peace + Plants,

Rich