I don’t know about you, but I’ve learned that New Year’s resolutions don’t work well for me. Eat healthier, exercise more, and have more gratitude—those are the usual go-to's.

Maybe it’s my Midwestern stubbornness that makes me think, “Don’t tell me what to do!” so I end up doing the opposite—eating more sugar, sleeping in instead of going for a run, and complaining more than feeling grateful. It's embarrassing to admit, but it's true.

What I’ve found that works for me is to choose a word for the year, one that will guide me toward more adventure, joy, and truth. This year, my word is love.

Today’s guest on the Cracking Open podcast, Christina Rasmussen, embodies this word beautifully in her work, relationships, and teachings.

Widowed at a young age, Christina was left managing the devastating loss of her partner while also raising their baby and toddler on her own. Initially, all Christina wanted to do was run away from her pain as far as possible, despite her master’s degree in guidance and counseling. Four years after her 35-year-old husband passed away from Stage 4 colon cancer, she finally found the courage to confront her grief and created the Life Reentry process, which launched her on a mission to bring compassion, grace, and validation to thousands, while simultaneously establishing an exit from what she termed the Waiting Room.

Christina has also published three bestselling books: Second Firsts in 2013, Where Did You Go? in 2018, and her most recent book published in 2024 - Invisible Loss.

In this episode, you’ll feel the love and wisdom Christina brings as she discusses the concept of “invisible losses”—experiences that are completely devastating yet often difficult to articulate. These losses can sometimes be more perplexing and challenging to navigate than the overt tragedies we face.

Christina shares how to honor our invisible losses, using writing exercises she calls “cleanses” to move out of the “Waiting Room”—that place of uncertainty where we feel disconnected from our true selves. We also dive into identifying invisible losses and the three inner narratives we create as we process them: the survivor, the watcher, and the thrive.

This episode is full of actionable tips and tools for navigating grief and honoring all the moments that crack us open in life. Christina reminds us that love is the best medicine—not just to heal grief but to embrace any experience that helps us grow.

Christina is currently finishing her Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing at the Academy of Art University. Her work on grief has been featured in The Guardian, Oprah Daily, ABC News, Women’s World, The Washington Post, and the White House Blog. Christina lives and works in Austin, Texas, with her husband Eric, and their two dogs.

Love,
Molly

Learn more about Christina Rasmussen and her work here
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Purchase Invisible Loss here

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