Kristin Sherry is a bestselling and award-winning author, creator of YouMap®, a 2020 Career Innovator Award recipient, and she's also my mentor. Her brilliance is why I am a Certified YouMap® Coach.
If you have been struggling with your life path, career, purpose, or what I like to call - a midlife unraveling, this episode is for you!
Grief is the loss of hopes, dreams, and expectations. When it comes to what we spend most of our waking hours doing if we don't love it, don't utilize all of our skills, or aren't valued, grief is often the result.
It's also for you if you've experienced grief of any kind, too. Why? Because, also in this episode, Kristin and I talk about why I include this program with my one-on-one grief recovery clients and why as grievers, we can sometimes feel isolated within our love relationships.
Kristin shares how her own losses and career grief have shaped her work today and why perception matters. We also get into how the way we grieve, when misunderstood, can cause further conflict and grief in our lives.
There will be golden nuggets (and a new favorite analogy of mine) in this episode you've likely never heard before (even if you've listened to every previous episode). I hope this episode inspires you. And, if you want more inspiration after you listen, be sure to follow Kristin on Instagram!
"The more you know yourself, the less you look to others to tell you who you are."
- Kristin Sherry
RESOURCES:
- YouTube Channel
- Find a YouMap® Coach
- YouMap: Find Yourself. Blaze Your Path. Show the World!
- Maximize 365: A Year of Actionable Tips to Transform Your Life
- Victoria | Certified YouMap® Coach
CONNECT:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief, there are free resources available HERE.mIf you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book.
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Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)We have more agency over our physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies than we would like to admit.
Admitting that we have power and control over ourselves is admitting that it’s also our job to do something about the issues that plague our physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies.
The energy of grief can be like cancer and invade every fiber of your being. It can destroy your relationships, finances, will, and break your spirit. But, what it can’t do is choose for you. You always have a choice.
In this episode, I talk about the energy of grief and I ask you to challenge the long-held beliefs that may be the very thing that could be keeping you emotionally stuck.
Life is so much harder when you go it alone. But, you don’t have to and this episode also shares an idea to explore if a deeper connection, not only to others but also yourself, is what you long to feel.
Care to explore your emotional energy more deeply? Check out my contact info below to look into Reiki Energy Healing. What do you have to lose?
RESOURCES:
- Ep 79 | Corchele Smith
- Ep 80 | David Richman
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)What does it take to bicycle 4700 miles, with temps most often over 100 degrees and the wind against you?
David Richman did just that as part of a passion project that later became his book, Cycle of Lives, where all proceeds benefit cancer-focused charities.
However, David didn’t wake up one day and decide to make Cycle of Lives his mission. Instead, it was years in the making, following the death of his dear sister, June, due to brain cancer.
David’s sister’s diagnosis was the icing on the cake of what he was already struggling with in his life. One question he asked himself would set him on a path of personal transformation.
Listen to David’s story of transformation and what has inspired him throughout his life. Hear some of the stories that have most inspired him and some golden nuggets he’s picked up along the way.
Be sure to listen to this one all the way through! This episode is the perfect inspiration for the start of 2022!
RESOURCES:
- Book | Cycle of Lives
- Grief Recovery
CONNECT:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛 Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️ HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)Empty Arms Syndrome is a phenomenon most often associated with stillbirth. However, as Corchele's story illustrates, feeling an ache to hold your baby is a very real feeling even if you deliver a breathing child.
Ten hours after delivering Breklyn by emergency cesarian, Corchele and her husband were faced with a loss no parent should ever experience. And, the fact that it was completely preventable only added to their heartache.
Corchele, and her former husband, turned their heartache into purpose after a chance gift helped transform Corchele's empty arms of suffering into arms of action and purpose.
Whether you have experienced infant/child loss yourself or not, I hope you listen to Corchele's transformational story of heartache to meaning and how her family continued to honor Breklyn in their lives.
I don't believe we ever fully understand the impact our presence has in others' lives, but as Breklyn's life shows, even a brief presence in the physical plane can create ripples.
RESOURCES:
- Ep 65 Sirry Berndsen | The Spirit World Walks Among Us
- Book | Couple Communication After a Baby Dies: Differing Perspectives
CONNECT:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)What is grief?
Grief is the loss of hopes, dreams, and expectations.
Grief is anything we wish would be different, better, or more.
And, no one has to die for you to grieve.
Also, because there are more than 40+ losses, it’s a safe bet that you and every person you meet is or has experienced grief.
We are taught how to acquire things (or people). We’re not taught what to do when we lose them. Today’s episode is about the loss of hopes, dreams, and expectations, and how our individual beliefs play a role in how we respond to grief.
Today's episode is also about seeking the truth and the evidence of what we don’t fully understand, and how our findings can lead us to the most impactful life lessons.
Be open to receiving the message in today’s podcast and, I encourage you to explore, more deeply with self-love and compassion, whatever it brings up for you.
RESOURCES:
- Ep 76 Katie Carroll | The Best Things in Life Aren't Planned
- Ep 77 Bob Ginsberg | A Quest for Truth
- Ep 40 Dr. Chris Kerr | Death Is But a Dream: End-of-Life Experiences
- Ep 65 Sirry Berndsen | The Spirit World Walks Among Us
- Ep 75 Takeaways & Reflections | Grief Shared is Grief Diminished
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)What is truth?
For many of us, it is what we've been told to believe to be true, without any real evidence or science to back up that truth.
After the sudden, tragic death of his daughter, Bob found his open-minded skeptical heart looking for evidence that his daughter's consciousness still existed in some form after her passing.
He was having experiences that, years before, he may have dismissed. And yet, in his grief, found himself finding comfort in that which many others often raise an eyebrow at and dismiss.
In his quest for the truth of what happens to consciousness after death, he and his late wife, Phran, founded The Forever Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that shares the truth of consciousness after death that is backed by science and research. All the while, bringing comfort to the thousands of members in their (FREE) community and retreat participants.
Listen to Bob share his perspective of what grief has taught him and how, knowing what he knows, still doesn't make the grief any easier some days since losing his wife in 2020. Bob also discusses the changes he's endured after living alone for the first time as an adult since his wife's passing.
RESOURCES:
CONNECT:
- Forever Family Foundation.org
- Forever Family Foundation | Instagram
- Forever Family Foundation | LinkedIn
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
Katie Carroll had her life mapped out from the time she was a little girl. She knew, from a young age, that she wanted to be a mother one day. However, as she found success in every other area of her life, there was one area of her life that hinged on her desire to be a mother.
She was busy in her career as a pediatric ER traveling nurse, had been dating, and all the while, looking for the one who would complete her life and be the father of her children. However, love wasn't coming easily to her and by the time she was 36, she found herself in the deepest depression of her life and suffering from burnout from her life.
She had a lot of grief of what she wished would've been different, better, and more, and the grief of the loss of hopes, dreams, and expectations for what she thought her life was going to look like by the time she was 40.
As Katie found out, and you will also hear in this episode, the best things in life aren't planned. And boy, do I have my own truth around this, too.
Katie shared in this week's episode, "If you want God to laugh, tell Him your plans."
We have free will, yes. But we get ourselves so wrapped around the axel of life when we try to plan every detail of our lives. Where is there room to be delighted and surprised, when we have so many expectations of what we want to happen?
Listen to this week's episode and be inspired to see what's already in front of you and perhaps to also allow yourself to be delighted and surprised by life's unexpected gifts.
CONNECT:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)This week, I share a bit of my heavy heart as I share my reflections around sharing our grieving voices - including my own.
This podcast has enabled me to be a heart for ears for many guests, including Emma G. and Anne. However, this week's episode is also inspired by my grief in real-time.
Since 11/14, life has been day-to-day, not knowing what the future will hold for our son. As of this episode going live, he is in the hospital (for the second time after initially being admitted) with an infection after having a traumatic blunt force injury to his abdomen while bench-pressing. He's fortunate. And, if he's even luckier, he won't need surgery; however, that would take a miracle. His pancreas is sliced with a little more than 30% good pancreas left. He has a stent in place to ensure the good side of his pancreas is draining. He also has a drainage port in the middle of his abdomen to drain the pancreatic juices excreted from the sliced-off portion of his pancreas. Right now, we are in a wait-and-see phase, with surgery likely down the road.
When life decides to...well, life - so much of our routines and day-to-day lives are upended. Grief is the end of or a change in a familiar pattern of behavior. Because of this, we experience grief as a result.
Think about all of the changes to our behaviors and activities Covid-19 has brought. Changes outside of our lives that contribute to our day, still are changes. Add in a family unit crisis or health struggle, and all of those little creature comforts that are changed add to the grief one may feel due to heavier life issues. And not to mention the fear that rears its ugly head.
No matter what you're going through today, I hope you have a heart with ears. May we share our grief with one another so the load becomes lighter because grief shared is grief diminished.
RESOURCES:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)Imagine being told you have cancer. But then imagine being told you have cancer for which there was no cure. At that moment, in an instant, life is forever changed. And, although many people hear the words "You have cancer" every single day, fewer hear that the type of cancer they have will, without a doubt, kill them. That is unless a cure is found.
Anne shares, in this follow-up, what hearing those words was like and the thoughts that raced through her mind. We talk about what life has been like since we last recorded, and how she's doing now.
Anne also shares about what her first distance reiki session was like that she had with me.
I encourage you to listen to her first episode. We dig into different areas of her cancer journey in this episode and, as always, Anne brings lightness to her experience and wisdom to those listening.
If you could only plan your life 2 months at a time, how differently do you think you would plan your days?
RESOURCES:
CONNECT WITH ANNE:
______
Need help?
Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters, filled with content not shared anywhere else.
💛 Learn Your Energy Type ➡️HERE! ⬅️
______
WAYS TO SUPPORT THE SHOW:
-
Tell Your Friends & Share Online!
- Subscribe, Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Follow & Listen Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Pandora
- Read & Review my published book about my grief journey.
- Donate | Buy Me A Coffee
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA (@theunleashedheart):
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)The ripples of loss reach far and wide within a family unit; often in ways, we don't expect. Emma shares the impact the death of her cousin to suicide has had on her life and that of her family.
Emma has found solace in writing her grief in the thirteen years since her cousin Nicky's death, publishing three books since that time.
Suicide leaves those left behind having to navigate the displaced anger this type of loss often leaves in its wake. Emma shares how her family grieved together and how this loss, which left a gaping hole in their lives, has somehow managed to bring them, as a whole, more together. They talk about the hard issues and what matters to them as if they're talking about the weather. Which, as the creator of this podcast, is my hope for all of us - that, as a society, we can begin to talk about grief like we talk about the weather.
Reach out to someone you know or love today and, as Emma shares, if they need to, they will reach back. It often takes someone to extend the hand of compassion first. Will that be you?
RESOURCES:
- Nicholas Wayne Fernandes Foundation
- Helping Children with Loss - a virtual/in-person group/individual program
CONNECT:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️ HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)Do you feel like the leader of your life?
Do you believe you are leading yourself through grief in a healthy way? You may be wondering what the "healthy way" looks like.
Take a moment to consider what leaders do at the start of their day. They don't start their day dragging themselves out of bed, drinking a Mountain Dew, and grabbing a snicker bar for breakfast. Maybe some do, but I would wager to bet those leaders that do this are on the fast track to burnout.
How would you show up differently for yourself, and your grief, if you gave some deeper thought to how you're treating yourself and not harnessing the grieving process as something to push you to your edges and show you what you're capable of.
Grief pushed me to my edge until I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. It also pushed my guest, Scott Mann to his edges. And, Kristine learned how much expansion waited for her once grief entered the room.
We can lead ourselves or we can be led; one way is far more empowering than the other and helps you become the refined and evolved version of yourself after grief.
Which do you choose? I hope this episode inspires you to take your grief by the horns - not for anyone else but you.
RESOURCES:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)When Kristine's husband, Richard, suddenly died of a pulmonary embolism while descending on a flight, she had no idea how much she would rely on the tools and insights she had gained while writing several of the books contained in the "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" series.
It was the teachings, many years of personal development work, writing, and support of others that gave her the means to process the grief from, what had been at that point, the most profound loss of her life.
Kristine shares what those first years looked like, as well as takes us through what life has been like beyond, and how the loss of her late husband and most recently her soul-sister friend since age 14, Melanie.
Grief brings with it gaping wounds, but if we resolve, as Kristine says, to not allow ourselves to become a victim of our circumstances, a beautiful life with joy can unfold - if we only surrender.
Learn, through this episode, ways to cope that helped Kristine get through the darkest days and lean into joy again.
RESOURCES:
- Awakening from Grief by John E. Welshons
- Debbie Ford | The Shadow Process
- Movie | Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
- An Hour to Live, an Hour to Love : The Best Gift Ever Given
- From Heartbreak to Wholeness: The Heroes Journey to Joy
- Heartbroken Open: A True Story of Coming Alive Again After Profound Loss
CONNECT:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you are struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, free resources are HERE.
If you enjoy the podcast, check out The Unleashed Letters.
💛 Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️ HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)- What do Green Beret special forces do and how do they differ from other special forces?
- What qualities make a leader?
- How can everyday people become a leader in their own life?
- What, in leadership, breaks his heart?
- How does Scott feel about the pullout in Afghanistan, having worked directly with the Afghans for several years?
- What is Scott's take on grief and suicide prevention in the military?
Scott and I address these questions and more. He also opens up about the moment he planned to take his own life.
Grief has shaped Scott into a leader that is not only one of skill and mastery but also one of emotional intelligence. Grief has so much to teach us, as Scott Shares, and it is possible to find a path to leading a life of purpose through the pain.
Listen to Scott's journey of leaving tracks and hear the possibilities that could also be there for you in your life.
RESOURCES:
- Rooftop Leadership TEDx
- The Generosity of Scars TEDx
- Last Out: Elegy of the Green Beret
- Rooftop Leadership Website
- Rooftop Leadership Podcast
- Forbes Empathy Article
- Personality Isn't Permanent
- Tribe
CONNECT:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, free resources are available HERE.
You may enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)The one thing I found that my guests Marty Cooper and Ken Ross have in common is that they both embody optimism.
Marty can't imagine life without learning and without feeling hope for the future. While Ken, in all of his traveling and adventures, never worries about potential adverse outcomes.
Both are optimistic in their way, and both are wonderful examples of what it means to live a life that you'd do over again and not be bored.
This is why these two episodes fit perfectly to dig into the topic of grief as it relates to missed opportunities. Because, I bet neither Marty nor Ken can imagine what their life would be like, or would have been like all these years, had they not jumped feet first into opportunities and taken a chance (on themselves or others).
While deep in grief, we often can't see the opportunities before us. Throughout various milestones or phases of our lives, we may not be open to opportunities due to timing or simply aren't ready. And deep in grief, even if we recognize an opportunity when we see it, we're so often feeling beaten down, we simply don't have the energy, mental fortitude, or the tenacity to take a chance on ourselves and jump on those opportunities.
RESOURCES:
- Ep. 67 Marty Cooper | Behind the Curtain of the Inventor of the Cell Phone
- Ep. 68 Ken Ross | Rolling the Dice & Preserving the Legacy of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
- YouMap™️
- Wheel of Life, Memoir by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)Ken Ross has a theory for the way he lives his life and, it didn't come to be without the influence of his mother, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.
Ken and I dig deeper into his life experience growing up in a home where grief, death, and dying were a daily part of life and the topic of conversation. His mother, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's first book, On Death and Dying, was the conversation starter for society to take a deeper look into the dying process and all of the feelings one goes through. She started a hospice movement and became known as the founder of The Five Stages of Grief™️, which we also talked about in this episode. Aside from his mother being the pioneer of grief and dying education, his father was a neuropathologist. It wasn't unusual to have a human brain sitting at the kitchen table while his mother brought terminally ill children his age to the house for a visit.
Growing up around death, dying, and grief set the stage for Ken to understand the fragility of life and not live with regrets. His mother, Elisabeth, was also a huge proponent of living life outside of the box, as she very much expressed in her own life. One of her several final books, The Wheel of Life: A Memoir of Living and Dying, is the story of her extraordinary life as she prepares for death, in her words.
We also discuss Ken's mission to preserve his mother's work and legacy so future generations can learn, too.
RESOURCES:
CONTACT:
- EKR Foundation
- EKR Foundation on Instagram
- EKR Foundation on Facebook
- Ken Ross Photography Instagram
___________________
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief, free resources are available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️ HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate/Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)What does the wizard behind the one invention that has transformed society around the globe have to say about optimism, failure, and learning?
Marty Cooper has been coined the name the "Father of the Cell Phone" but, there's more to him than being an inventor of one of the most societal-altering devices.
It took ten years to see his dream come to fruition, and it nearly didn't happen. In our conversation, we explore optimism, failure, the importance of learning, and so much more.
We get a peek behind the curtain in this episode where Marty shares his thoughts about technological advances, his prediction for the future of how we will power our lives, advice for all of us regarding privacy (in terms of how we use our cell phones), and what he believes is the threat to our civilization.
What does Marty have to say about kids and cell phone safety, the body being a complete system (at 92 years old, he's learned a thing or two), learning from others, thoughts about grief, what breaks his heart and what gives him hope for the future? You'll just have to listen!
This is a lighthearted conversation, filled with optimism and wisdom from someone who had a dream and never gave up. Perhaps how he lives his life today is an indicator of why Marty Cooper became the "Father of the Cell Phone?"
RESOURCES:
CONNECT:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)When you find yourself the observer of a situation that brings up some emotional dis-ease for you, it may be helpful to say the following to yourself: “I don’t know what I don’t know.”
This helps me to feel better when I have felt wronged in some way or when I find myself raising an eyebrow at a situation that may or may not involve me.
Society isn’t short of judgment and criticism these days. I think there’s plenty of it to go around the world a few times. However, each of us can help change that and intentionally, instead, pause and take a moment to reflect and attempt to be empathetic, even if it doesn’t come naturally to you.
Some may say we need to be more sympathetic, but even that can come across as pity. Maybe it’s just easier to say that sometimes, our opinions are best kept to ourselves.
Whether you believe in the afterlife or don’t, or think every mother should fight tooth and nail to keep their children with them, I hope this episode leads you to listen to both Episode 64 with Kristjana and 65 with Sirry because, they couldn’t be any more different but yet, the common theme comes down to how we don’t know what we don’t know.
RESOURCES:
- Ep. 64 | Kristjana Hillberg
- Ep. 65 | Sirry Berndsen
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)There are psychics and then there are psychic mediums. Do you know the difference?
Sirry shares the difference between the two in this week's episode. And, there's so much more that we cover in this conversation including:
- Her grief growing up, things she's experienced as an adult, and what her grief is today.
- What her thoughts are on the afterlife.
- Her thoughts on religion and mysticism of life as it relates to mediumship.
- Cultural differences in self-care when it comes to grief.
- What happens to people who do bad things after they die?
- Her experience being a Certified Medium and a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist
- Tips for those who are in preparation for a loved one dying.
- Tips for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
- Learn how to connect with the spirit of deceased loved ones.
So much goodness packed into this episode! Listen with an open mind and open heart, and see what comes up for you. See if you can feel the spirit within you stirring your heart to learn more. And, if you feel called to have your mind blown, I can't recommend a session with Sirry enough! She's highly professional and has a heart full of love and light.
RESOURCES:
- Michael Newton, Ph.D. - Destiny of Souls
- Books by Brian Weiss
- Rudolph Steiner Background / Audios
- Dr. Chris Kerr Podcast Episode
CONNECT:
______
Need help?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
______
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Read & Review my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)As a parent, if you had to choose between your child's best interest or what you personally wanted, you would likely choose what’s best for your child. However, what if that decision meant your child wouldn't be with you full-time?
Kristjana was faced with a gut-wrenching decision that hung over her head for weeks on end until a moment of clarity struck her like a lightning bolt. But, it came with a whole lot of heartache and guilt. Not to mention one that made a lot of eyebrows go up and whispers swirl around her.
There is no manual for motherhood. And, there’s definitely no manual for divorce with shared custody. On top of that, there’s no manual for being a military spouse either.
There are often many layers to the decisions we must make in our lives that others know little about. However, that doesn’t stop the advice from coming.
Listen and learn from Kristjana’s story. We talk about making difficult decisions via your own guidance system, outward validation, boundaries, tips for communicating with children about tough issues, giving/taking advice, and there’s even a bit about being an empath towards the end of the episode.
I really enjoyed this conversation. I hope you enjoy it, too! And, if you do like what you hear, please offer your support by sharing it with someone you know who would love it, leave a review, or rate it! I'd so appreciate it! 💛
RESOURCES:
- Book | Untamed
- Book | Boundaries
- Grief Recovery
- YouMap®
CONNECT:
- Podcast | The Red Door
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
______
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Follow & Listen Spotify | Stitcher | Pandora
- Read & Review my published book about my grief journey.
CONNEC
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)Through the challenges and struggles of life, we often find our strength and learn what we're capable of as we search for meaning in our pain.
This episode shares two stories of the tenacity it took to dig deep, while also acknowledging the need for help and support and seeking it for themselves.
Rachel battled with her husband for two years as he fought hard to beat his cancer, only to lose his fight to ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) in the end.
Eric battled the struggle of guilt after finding his daughter after she took her own life when she was 15.
Two very different stories but similar in how the human spirit is capable of finding strength through struggle.
It is my hope that Rachel and Eric's stories, although very different experiences, help you to see yourself through their struggle. And that you, too, feel hopeful that you can find your strength on the other side of the struggle.
RESOURCES:
- Ep. 61 | Rachel Engstrom
- Ep. 62 | Eric Hodgdon
- Rachel's Book
- Eric's Book
- The Five Minute Journal
- Free Energy Quiz
- Bi-Weekly Newsletter
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
______
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)It was a great day; nothing seemed off with his daughter Zoi. They enjoyed a meal together; she headed to her room while he went downstairs to do some computer work.
Sometime later, before heading to bed, he went to say goodnight to his beloved daughter, Zoi. The music she loved blaring from her stereo; he opened the door only to see an empty bed.
What he discovered next changed his life forever - changed him forever.
No parent should ever have to experience the death of a child. And, it feels like one of the cruelest experiences a heart could ever possibly endure.
Listen to Eric’s story of how he went from struggle to strength. He describes a defining moment that set him on a path of empowering and leading himself through his devastating and life-shattering loss.
RESOURCES:
- Book | A Sherpa Name Zoi: How to Walk Through Grief, And Live With Intention
- The Five Minute Journal
- TEDx Talk
CONNECT:
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
______
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)Eight years following the death of her husband from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Rachel reminisces on the love she lost and also the pain and lessons that came from his death as well.
Rachel found purpose through her pain in writing about her experience, which later became her book, and also through cancer advocacy.
In this episode, she shares the story of her husband's diagnosis and death two years later, as well as how she found her way to feeling better.
On top of the loss of her spouse, she would later have to come to terms with the fact that she will never have biological children and, also experienced a health setback herself, later being diagnosed with a disease of the colon.
RESOURCES:
- Ep. 40 | Dr. Chris Kerr
- Wife, Widow, Now What?: How I Navigated the Cancer World and How You Can, Too
CONNECT:
______
Need help?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
______
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Follow & Listen Spotify | Stitcher | Pandora
- Read & Review my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)Grief can either suck the life right out of you or, it can build you into the most compassionate heart for others who will look to you to lean on for support in their grief.
They say grief shared is grief diminished, but many people find sharing their grief difficult. Some turn to writing as a way to express and soothe the soul like I had and like my guest, Faith shared, in episode 59. Or, they turn to others in support groups or friendships, only to be let down or disappointed, as my guest Sherrie was and talked about in episode 58.
There is one question I encourage you to ask yourself; one that I challenge you to ask yourself. If you have listened to episode 59, then you may already know what it is. If you haven't, then listen to this week's episode because I mention it again.
Also, this episode is dedicated to the founder of The Grief Recovery Method®, John James, who passed away on 8/10/2021, only three short months following his cancer diagnosis. GRM changed my life and, I will forever be grateful to James for creating this beautiful gift out of his own grief. What a gift to humankind he was and will continue to be to the many hurting hearts who feel led to doing the deep, inner-work through GRM. His legacy will endure; I do not doubt that. Love + Light, John. 💛
RESOURCES:
- Ep 58 | Sherrie Dunlevy
- Ep 59 | Faith Wilcox
- The Grief Recovery Handbook
- The Wheel of Life by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
- Grief Recovery Online or One-on-One Program
______
NEED HELP?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛 Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
______
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Purchase my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
On a day like many others, Faith had taken her daughter, Elizabeth, to a doctor’s appointment to investigate Elizabeth's knee pain.
What was thought to be an innocent visit to the doctor, who suspected the issue was nothing serious, quickly turned the family’s life upside down. After an X-ray and further testing, they learned Elizabeth had Stage IV osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer.
They didn’t know it at the time, but Elizabeth had one year to live. The last three weeks of her life were on Hospice care. Faith would spend the next 10-12 years of her life grappling with the sorrow of losing her daughter before she felt like the grief had loosened its grip on her life.
The writing she had done while at Elizabeth’s bedside would later become a memoir. It’s about the story of a courageous and compassionate young woman and a grieving mother and family. Faith shares insights into things she learned at her daughter's bedside, the many stays in the hospital, tips to understanding and absorbing the medical jargon, and all that came after.
What would you do if you knew you had one year to live?
RESOURCES:
CONNECT:
______
Need help?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
______
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Follow & Listen Spotify | Stitcher | Pandora
- Read & Review my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)As a former news anchor, Sherrie Dunlevy delivered bad news on a daily basis.
However, it was the news of a personal matter that would shatter her heart. Sherrie knew she would be delivering her son who would be born with complications and quickly swept away for medical care immediately after being delivered via cesarian. She and her husband would then spend the next 29 days holding their son until he passed away.
The years that followed led her on a path of trying to understand why people abandon those who are grieving. And, set the wheels in motion of a journey that would lead her to write a book and doing everything she could for herself to not live the rest of her life as nothing more than a grieving mother.
Wanting more for her life, she's found a way to live fully into who she was called to be, and even after the death of her beloved pet during the pandemic, learned the power of addressing and feeling the grief when it comes.
RESOURCES:
CONNECT WITH SHERRIE:
______
Need help?
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor
Are you ready to feel better? Learn more about how I can help your hurting heart HERE.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief due to any of the 40+ losses, there are free resources available HERE.
If you are enjoying the podcast, you may also enjoy my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.
💛Would you like to Learn Your Energy Type? Free Quiz ➡️HERE! ⬅️
______
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
- Rate & Review: Apple Podcasts
- Follow & Listen Spotify | Stitcher | Pandora
- Read my published book about my grief journey.
CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/victoriav)
Kristin Sherry | Career Grief and The Gift of Hindsight
54:31
Takeaways & Reflections | The Energy of Grief
13:04
David Richman | Wake Up Call
1:13:19
Corchele Smith | A Mother's Empty Arms
1:21:34
Takeaways & Reflections | Be Open to Receiving
19:06
Bob Ginsberg | A Quest for Truth
1:04:06
Katie Carroll | The Best Things in Life Aren't Planned
51:52
Takeaways & Reflections | Grief Shared is Grief Diminished
9:43
Anne Jacobs | 17 Years +++ Metastatic Checkin 2
40:44
Emma G Rose | His Name Is Nicky
41:13
Takeaways & Reflections | Leading Ourselves Through Grief
22:49
Kristine Carlson | Heartbroken Open: A Widows' Work of Unmasking Sorrow
59:54
Scott Mann | Retired Green Beret on Leadership, Afghanistan, and Grief
57:23
Takeaways & Reflections | Grief & Missed Opportunities
22:02
Ken Ross | Rolling the Dice & Preserving the Legacy of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
1:31:04
Marty Cooper | Behind the Curtain of the Inventor of the Mobile Phone
1:05:37
Takeaways & Reflections | We Don't Know What We Don't Know
15:11
Sirry Berndsen | The Spirit World Walks Among Us
1:27:08
Kristjana Hillberg | A Mother's Heartache & Sacrifice
1:11:23
Takeaways & Reflections | Struggle to Strength
30:42
Eric Hodgdon | Opening the Door To a Parent's Worst Nightmare
1:08:37
Rachel Engstrom | Life as a Cancer Wife, Widow, & Never a Mother-to-Be
51:36
Takeaways & Reflections | Evolving with Grief
29:28
Faith Wilcox | One Year to Live; Forever Without My Daughter
38:59
Sherrie Dunlevy | Infant Son Death & Pet Loss: A Story of Refusing to Lay & Decay
58:43