175: Kris Carr, Bestselling Author, on Why She's NOT a Mourning Person and How to Navigate Loss & Grief
Oct 4, 2023
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New York Times bestselling author Kris Carr talks about her journey with cancer, her childhood ideologies, and the surprising truths explored in her book 'I'm Not a Mourning Person'. She shares her experience taking care of her father with cancer, advice for supporting loved ones with terminal illness, and the underlying spirituality in her writing process.
Adopting a simple and sustainable approach to self-care can lead to a more fulfilled and balanced life.
Chris Carr's journey with cancer highlights the importance of reshaping our perception of the disease and inspiring others through experiences.
Following one's passion and purpose can positively impact and inspire others, creating profound transformations.
Deep dives
Embracing a Simple Sustainable Approach to Well-being
The speaker emphasizes the importance of adopting a simple and sustainable approach to filling one's well-being needs. Rather than getting caught up in the pressure to constantly optimize oneself, the speaker encourages a more realistic and attainable approach to self-care. This involves tending to one's inner ecosystem and nurturing the rivers, streams, soil, and beautiful terrain within. By taking small steps each day and focusing on the present moment, individuals can experience a more fulfilled and balanced life.
Navigating Cancer and Inspiring Others
The podcast episode features an interview with Chris Carr, a New York Times bestselling author who has been navigating cancer for over two decades. Carr shares her personal journey with cancer, highlighting the importance of reshaping our perception of the disease. She discusses her mission to provide others with a cancer resource book filled with humor and love, as well as documenting her interactions with doctors, alternative methods, and fellow patients. Carr's story is one of resilience and inspiring others through her experiences.
Taking Leaps of Faith in Pursuit of Purpose
The podcast episode explores the stories of ordinary individuals who have taken extraordinary leaps of faith in the pursuit of their passions and purpose. These individuals have positively impacted and inspired others through their work, whether it be in terms of their personal journeys, their missions, or the lives they touch. The episode highlights the power of following one's path and the profound impact it can have on both the individual and those around them.
Facing Challenges and Embracing Healing
The podcast episode delves into the challenges and transformations that come with facing illness and loss. Chris Carr's journey of navigating cancer and mourning the loss of her father serves as a backdrop to explore the complexities of healing and self-care. The episode emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort, exploring emotions, and finding personal strength through connection and vulnerability. It provides insights on the healing process and invites listeners to reflect on their own journeys of growth and acceptance.
Importance of Taking Small Steps
The podcast emphasizes the importance of taking small steps instead of expecting drastic changes when it comes to personal growth and self-care. Rather than seeking grand gestures or overnight transformations, the speaker suggests focusing on small, manageable actions that feel aligned with one's values and resonate with them. It is emphasized that these small steps are more sustainable and can help individuals tap into their sense of agency.
Embracing and Exploring Emotions
The podcast highlights the value of embracing and exploring emotions, particularly the ones that are often deemed inappropriate or unsettling in society. The speaker encourages listeners to pay attention to their emotions, as they are valuable sources of information and can provide insights and teachings. Specifically, anger is discussed as an emotion that can be channeled in a productive way, acting as a call to action and a means of self-protection. By acknowledging and understanding the underlying emotions, individuals can navigate grief, anger, and other intense emotions more effectively.
Kris is a New York Times best-selling author, and her seventh book offering, I’m Not a Mourning Person, cements her status as “a force of nature” as quoted by O, The Oprah Magazine. She joins us today to explain how cancer was the catalyst for her venture into wellness and beyond, and we begin our conversation with Kris explaining why she is still so passionate about writing after already having numerous written accomplishments.
After taking us through a day in her life, Kris shares her childhood ideologies and the ones that she still carries with her today, how her many jobs in entertainment helped to form her worldview, the ins, and outs of her fateful cancer diagnosis, and how she found herself in the presence and company of Oprah.
Our guest then opens up about what she learned from having to take care of her father who was also diagnosed with cancer, how his words changed the direction of her life, her advice on how you can support a loved one with a terminal illness, and the many surprising truths that can be found in I’m Not a Mourning Person.
We are grateful to Kris for her vulnerability and honesty throughout this captivating conversation, and there is much for you to learn from hearing about her writing process and the underlying spirituality behind how she landed on a title for her book.
