113: Grief Is A Natural Part of Life

Today Angela joins me again for a jam and we’re talking about grief, transitions and health. This comes because we have gone through some death and grieving recently and it’s something that people ask Angela about a lot, and I do get questions sometimes, so we’re going to go ahead and do a jam about the subject. Ready? Let’s do this!

 

Key Takeaways:

[0:54] Charlie and Angela introduce the show with some personal insight on why they chose to address these often overlooked hard issues that do come up in life.

[3:09] Angela opens up on her recent loss and the gifts and blessings that came with that process of passing and the importance of opening up a discussion about grief and loss.

[5:07] Grief is often portrayed as a life shattering thing, and we rarely address smaller scale grief — a child going to college, or getting over who we thought we might be.

[7:58] The way each person experiences grief is unique and very personal, and what may be a “big G” experience for you, could be a “small g” experience for another.

[11:40] Because each person processes grief uniquely, the multitude of possible definitions is acknowledged even as a broader definition is offered.

[14:14] The feeling of loss, in all of its forms, will be positively correlated to the energy and meaning that we have vested those people, things and concepts that we feel we’ve lost.

[20:11] It’s important to note that it is perfectly normal if grief is never completely resolved, even if it is less frequent and painful, it may come up for years.

[25:04] Unhealthy grief happens and can be fueled, among other things, sudden loss, remorse, lack of inner resources or unhealthy boundaries in dealing with grief.

[35:50] Healthy versus unhealthy grieving could be defined by the act of processing versus not processing, the important thing is to stop and acknowledge the loss and begin a process.

[39:50] Having rituals is very important and affords us a space in which to grieve.

[41:21] Charlie and Angela touch on some ideas about what to do when you aren’t certain how to help someone when they are grieving.

[42:50] We wait for crises and emergencies to find out who our friends are, but if we did that when it wasn’t an emergency, we would be better equipped to help them.

[48:56] If someone grieving is able to ask for something specific, especially if they ask for time and space, it is important to respect it and to not take it personal.

[53:39] Grief also impacts teens and children and they need help and support in a most tangible way because they're not yet emotionally mature.

[56:00] Grief is a natural part of life — good and bad emotions are part of life — even if it isn’t easy.

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Episode 75 with Kathy Kortes-Miller

Episode 58 with Christine Meekhof

The 5 Love Languages

Live Your Legend -- Scott Dinsmore

Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group

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