When Gina Harris' parents died, she tried to stay connected to them through memory and music. As a jazz singer, over time she began to sing her sorrow, and her healing. The music that came out of this deep place in her led her to offer it to others, in performances and a podcast series dedicated to them and to her own grief process. Join us as we talk about what compelled her to create the series and how it helped her to move forward after loss.

How does a lifelong spiritual seeker face a serious cancer diagnosis? She commits to learning all she can from the experience. She gathers a team together of medical professionals, friends, healers and supporters who form a solid ground beneath her. She shares her experience for the benefit of others. She deepens her commitment to living in the moment and living life fully. She eliminates everything from her life that does not express what her heart is trying to communicate. She takes chances and tries new things. She observes. She loves herself through it. Be inspired by Bridgett Perry, coach and blogger, who truly lives with cancer!

Karen V. Johnson, a successful judge promised a lifetime appointment, was sure she would continue living the same way indefinitely. But when her son died of a heroin overdose she soon realized everything needed to change. Setting off on a quest to sooth her overwhelming grief, she found her way over time to a life she had never imagined, full of rich spiritual experiences, new practices and a freedom she had never allowed herself. Join us as we talk about how she learned to follow her own inner guide and leave behind what she had been taught to do- succeed and listen to others!

Little House on the Prairie personified a simple, pioneering and wholesome lifestyle, bringing love and family into our living rooms. It is still loved around the world long after the series ended. But what of the real people who created and starred in the show? Karen Grassle had struggled with building her acting career but was finding success in New York. She never imagined herself on t.v. until she was offered the role of Ma. How did her own struggles impact her in those years and how did she fight to be recognized as a costar- including the pay that should go along with it? Join us as we talk about her father's alcoholism (and her own) her passion for acting and a behind the scenes look at the iconic Little House on the Prairie. All these experiences led to a deep passion for women's rights.

When Rachel Michelberg's husband crashed into a vineyard, suffering a severe brain injury, she'd been thinking about leaving the marriage and even entertaining the idea of an affair. How would she find it within her to take care of him and their children? Shouldn't a wife naturally rise to the occasion? But she didn't feel able to do so. She faced her own judgement and disdain from some of the people around her (especially his family). In the process of coming to terms with what she could and couldn't do, she learned the power of supporting herself and being honest with herself about what was best for her, and maybe even the rest of her family!

An unconventional childhood led Jessica Vitalis, circuitously, to a career as a young adult fiction writer. In exploring themes of death and grief, domestic violence, and socio-economic disparities, she guides her young readers to grapple with the challenges that face them. Many of her stories create magic and fantastical environments that keep young readers engaged and helps to open them to the deep subjects Jessica shares. How did she come to this way of writing and how has it helped her to investigate her own life? Join us to find out.

When both of Meghan Riordan Jarvis' parents died within a short period of time she experienced what could only be called Post Traumatic Stress. As she moved through her experience she called on all her humor, wit and knowledge to go forward even when she didn't know how. What emerged was a new aspect of the work she was doing, dedicated to supporting other grievers. With her blog, podcast and soon to be released book, Chasing Dark Skies, sharing her own experience has brought comfort to a community of grievers, normalizing the experience in myriad ways.

Do you remember where you were when two jets plowed into the World Trade Center buildings? If you were at ground zero, you have a particularly harrowing story to tell. But that day affected most people no matter where we were. For the people who then navigated boats on the Hudson, their peaceful everyday world became a rescue operation. In interviews afterwards they shared the compelling drive that led them to improvise, regroup and help 10s of thousands of people get off the island of Manhattan, often at risk of their own lives. In gripping detail we learn their stories and also get confirmation of the best in us as human beings; the call to help when we see suffering.

What makes it possible for some of us to create the lives we dream of while others are held back by our life stories? Sherry Fernandez was always geared to growth. She never saw rough times in her childhood as a reason to fail. Even when she encountered bumps in the road she always looked for a way forward. Over many decades she noticed the skills that kept her on track. She studied with masters who added to her natural abilities. And over time she became a mentor for others, encouraging them to find a way to their best lives too! Join us to talk about some of the powerful tools that have led to a fulfilling and satisfying life.

Although a diagnosis of autism is not, by itself, a loss, many losses come as a result. Most autistic kids are bullied, kept out of activities they would enjoy and sometimes rejected by the people closest to them. Temple Grandin's mother decided early on to raise Temple with love but also to push her to have the best possible life. As a result, Temple has lived a life of meaning and purpose, helping to completely change the beef industry's practices and becoming a college professor. Her new book, Navigating Autism, offers advice from her own experience and from her knowledge of the science. Join us to learn about the different ways autism can present and how to support children to excel!