Grieving Voices

How would you live your life if a ticking time bomb was woven into the very fabric of your everyday life?

Would you carry on business as usual? Would you live like tomorrow is not guaranteed and chip away at your bucket list? 

Rachael's story isn't about a ticking time bomb that is in her body. Rather, it is about the ticking time bomb of grief that lies in wait due to the one her beloved has in his body. However, that is only part of Rachael's story. 

What if, newly married, you found out you were pregnant, but not only with one baby, but two! What are the odds?! 

But what if, a day later, your spouse has a seizure; soon after you find out he has brain cancer? And, not just any cancer - this kind is aggressive, it can never be completely surgically removed, and most people die within 18 months of diagnosis? 

The ripples of grief are felt deep and wide. And, when the love of your life, and the father of your children, are living with these odds, how do you truly live? 

Rachael's story doesn't stop there. She would find herself in her own health crisis after having the twins. Her kidneys were failing, her husband had to forego his chemo because she was in the hospital, and they were both faced with the question of what if something happened to them both? Who would take care of the babies? 

After the dust settled, processing all that had transpired has been a process all on its own as well. Grief isn't only about death. As Rachael's story illustrates, it's near-death experiences or living while death hangs around waiting to take you out that cause grief, too. 

RESOURCES:

• FREE 30-Min Strategy Session
• FREE E-Book: 5 Things Newly-Single Women Should Do First to Protect Their Finances

CONNECT:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

______

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.

Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out 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: 

• Instagram
• Website

Send Victoria a text message!

Support the show

_______

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 available HERE.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.

Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of th...

In this week's episode, Michele of @soaringspiritsintl and a 2021 Top 10 CNN Hero, shares her story about the challenges of blending a family, but then enduring a devastating loss and grieving as a blended family.

But because grief is cumulative and cumulatively negative, a previous divorce, followed by the sudden death of her spouse, then the death of her father, taught her so much more about what it means to grieve well.

It's hard enough to be a widow and raise your own children, but few talk about the challenges of grieving with the children you raised as your own with a spouse who is no longer living.

By the time her father's health was declining and he was put into hospice care, Michele had been around the grief block and was able to support her mother in a way she had never anticipated. And, the loss of her father, starkly different than the recent loss of her spouse before his passing, opened her up to have meaningful conversations at the end of his life that she still treasures today.   

Grief has been the catalyst for what was initially going to be a book but later morphed into a movement in what is called Soaring Spirits Camp Widow which takes place in several locations around the United States and now in Australia, too.

What is your grief trying to open you up to receiving? Michele allowed her heart to soar in the wake of her devastating losses. Let this episode inspire hope and instill the understanding that grief is what we make of it.

We can allow grief to destroy our spirit, or we can allow it to aid us to transform our suffering and soar.  

RESOURCES:

• Soaring Spirits Camp Widow
• Book, Different after You: Rediscovering Yourself and Healing after Grief and Trauma

CONNECT:

• Website
• Facebook
• @soaringspiritsintl / @micheleneffher

______

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.

Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out 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: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Send Victoria a text message!

Support the show

_______

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 available HERE.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.

Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of th...

As a mother, carrying and growing another human in the womb for nine months, it is expected that a healthy child will be born. However, for Elizabeth, that is not what happened. Her world was shattered when she realized that she wouldn't be a new mom overflowing with joy. Rather, she would become a mother with grieving empty arms. 

After her firstborn died, Elizabeth and her husband were fortunate to have a healthy daughter. Yet again, her joy was cut short when their daughter was only about 5 months old when her husband was deployed in the Special Forces in the Army.

Her husband owed the military one last deployment and within six weeks of that deployment to Afghanistan,  Elizabeth received a call that no military spouse ever wants to receive.  Her husband was in Germany with injuries sustained while on deployment. She flew to Germany to be with him, which would turn out to be for his final breaths. 

All of that loss within an 18-month period would be the catalyst for her to look for and ultimately create a space for herself and other grieving young widows.

Through a lot of ongoing healing and inner work, Elizabeth did find love again and has a family with so much love to give to. But, it wasn't a quick, bounce-right-back process either, and being a young widow, who was also still grieving a son, would pose its own challenges, too. 

There's truly no way to skirt around grief. You have to feel it.

RESOURCES:

• Website, Her Creative Wellness
• Resources, Her Creative Wellness 
• Book, Creative Grieving: A Hip Chick's Path from Loss to Hope 
• Art Therapy for Veterans (Behind the Mask)

CONNECT:

• Her Creative Wellness Instagram
• Her Creative Wellness Facebook Page

______

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.

Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out 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: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Send Victoria a text message!

Support the show

_______

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 available HERE.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.

Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of th...

When you're pulled between the feelings of what you wish would be different, better, or more, and faced with a moment where a decision has to be made, it can be challenging to cut through all of the emotion and lean into trust.

In this week's Takeaways & Reflections episode, I use Kasey and Michelle's stories to illustrate the challenges we can have with trust, not only in our own inner guidance but also that there potentially is something better waiting for us on the other side of leaning into trust.

Could you use a little more trust, and maybe surrendering, in your life? I hope you go back and listen to Kasey and Michelle's inspiring stories of trusting themselves; what they know to be right and true in the present moment, because that's all we're all really guaranteed, anyway.

RESOURCES:

• Ep 103 Kasey Carmona 
• Ep 104 Michelle Marsh
• Do Grief Differently™️

______

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.

Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out 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: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Send Victoria a text message!

Support the show

_______

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 available HERE.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.

Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of th...

In the grief recovery programs, one way we describe grief is that it is the loss of hopes, dreams, and expectations. This description of grief, in this way, has not been better understood by society as a whole more than it has since 2020 with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As society begins to emerge from the darkness Covid brought to so many lives, we start to see ourselves and others in a new light. We have started to see the impact of the past two years on the psyche of millions, its global economic impact, and deeply feel the ripples in our individual lives.

In this week's episode, my guest, Michelle Marsh of Western Australia and @aromanosis, shares the ripples Covid-19 created in her life. Burying a loved one is never easy. Burying a loved one during a pandemic, well, it can be downright traumatic, elevating the emotions of everyone involved and leaving a lasting imprint.

Additionally, and not often talked about, are the secondary losses during Covid-19 due to government mandates, which Michelle also experienced in regard to hopes and dreams she had before the pandemic.

Michelle shares a few lessons she's learned from her Covid-19 experience. And, how she's managed to get to the other side of the darkness that was Covid-19 (and still is creating ripples in some ways).

For a long time, I have shared the expression "Covid Ruins Everything." Well, one thing I believe it hasn't ruined and perhaps has maybe strengthened, is the human spirit in the lives of millions.

May we all carry the lessons we've individually learned from Covid-19 into our future selves and be better for it.

RESOURCES:

• YouMap™️
• Ep 6 about S.T.E.R.B.S. (short-term energy relieving behaviors)

CONNECT:

• Aromanosis 
• Instagram
• Facebook

______

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 or click HERE for mental health resources.

Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out 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: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Send Victoria a text message!

Support the show

_______

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 available HERE.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.

Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of th...

Warning: This episode contains a mother's account of her son, CJ's, final days of life. This may be difficult for some listeners to hear, particularly those who have lost a child.

99 Days. How much life can you squeeze out of 99 precious newborn days? Especially when 84 of those are spent in the hospital?

Kabuki, a major theatrical form in Japan for four centuries, became less of a theatrical experience and more of a grieving one.

Kabuki Syndrome (a rare genetic syndrome), named in part after facial art depicted in Kabuki theatre, expresses itself with distinct facial features including large eyes and long lashes.

CJ would not only fight to stay alive with Kabuki, but due to Kabuki, he was also born with half a heart (hypoplastic left heart syndrome), 3 kidneys, and a cleft palate. The odds were stacked against CJ and his family.

Kasey and her husband did whatever they could for their son. However, when it became clear that they were going to have to have procedures done to CJ, that was their sign that they weren't honoring CJ's spirit or his life. They came to accept the truth of their son's young life and decided to take him home with oxygen support only.

Kasey could have never anticipated that the day they took CJ home on hospice care would be the first day he would truly be living. For six days, they loved as they had never loved. And, they found peace in their sorrow; believing that the gift of CJ's life was to highlight the abundance in the present moment.

We often torture ourselves with questions we will never know the answer to. And, with odds of .032% of this diagnosis, "Why?" is a question with no answer. Scientifically, it comes down to one tiny missing gene. In the contrast, we can recognize the fragility of life and its magnificence, too.

"Part of living the abundance of life is experiencing loss."
- Kasey Carmona in a Valentine's letter to CJ

RESOURCES:

• Kabuki Syndrome
• Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
• Book, The Invisible String
• Ep 40 Dr. Chris Kerr

NOT MENTIONED BUT HELPFUL:

• Book, When Children Grieve
• Book, The Grief Recovery Handbook

CONNECT WITH KASEY:

• Instagram
• Additional Links

 ______

NEED HELP?

If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief, substance use disorders, or a mental health challenge, free resources are available HERE and HERE.

Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out my bi-weekly newsletter, The Unleashed Letters.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Send Victoria a text message!

Support the show

_______

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 available HERE.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.

Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of th...

Addiction isn't just applicable to a substance use disorder. Often the anxiousness of learning to live life as a griever can lead to overdoing, busyness, workaholism, etc. We can become addicted to being busy in an effort to avoid feeling our feelings.  "Keeping Busy" is actually one of the 6 Myths of Grief. 

In this week's Takeaways & Reflections episode, I reflect on alcohol and the other ways addiction may be impacting life as a griever. I also dig deeper into the energetics of addiction and emotions; sharing about a healing modality in which I recently got trained, too.

Shame and guilt are often two emotions associated with addictions of any kind. Participating in behaviors that are used in an effort to avoid only exasperating the guilt and shame that already existed. This cycle continues and makes it that much more difficult to get out of the pattern of addiction.

Of course, addiction can become a mental health disorder; however, an important question to ask anyone who is struggling with addiction of any kind is: "What happened to you?" The origin of addiction often can be traced to something that happened, a circumstance, or a situation the person was exposed to long-term. And for so many, memories of pain often stem from childhood. 

To break the patterns and cycle of addiction, one must be honest with themselves and others, expose the shame and guilt for what it is so the emotion loses its power and grip, and take positive action with support.

If you are struggling with addiction, substance use disorder, or another mental health challenge, I've recently added a "Mental Health" resources tab on my website. If you are a Military, Veteran, or First Responder, there's a section just for you as well.

RESOURCES:

• Book, Tuning the Human Biofield: Healing with Vibrational Sound Therapy
• Book, Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior
• Biofield Tuning
• Interested in Biofield Tuning, Email: victoria [at] theunleashedheart [dot] com
• Ep 6 | The Manifestation of Grief

 ______

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, substance use disorders, or a mental health challenge, free resources are available HERE and HERE.

Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out 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: 

• Insta

Send Victoria a text message!

Support the show

_______

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 available HERE.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.

Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of th...

This week's episode is a collaboration with my friend, Dru Jaeger, co-founder of Club Soda and author of How to Be a Mindful Drinker: Cut Down, Take a Break, or Quit.

Dru woke up one morning a happy child with two parents and went to bed that night without a mother. She died suddenly and unexpectedly of a massive brain hemorrhage. Within six months, his father would relocate their family to another country.

Like many of us, Dru learned that you suppress it, distract yourself, keep yourself busy, and pretend that the trauma did not happen to you when it comes to grief.

Dru shares how his grief changed and manifested over the years. Also, how only in the last several years has he found peace within where he's learned to live with himself (and his grief) well.

Enjoy this week's episode as we both share how parent loss in childhood shaped our adult lives, particularly our relationships with alcohol, and learn if alcohol has become a way for you to cope with your grief. And, to be clear, if you think this episode isn't for you, you don't have to be a daily drinker for alcohol to be a "problem-solving band-aid" in your life.
 
RESOURCES:

• Club Soda Community
• Club Soda Podcast
•  Birmingham (U.K.) Untreated Heavy Drinkers Project
• Grieving Voices Podcast Episode | The Manifestation of Grief

CONNECT:

• Club Soda Instagram
• Club Soda Facebook Group
• Club Soda 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, free resources are available HERE.

Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out 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: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Send Victoria a text message!

Support the show

_______

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 available HERE.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.

Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of th...

When you're in a place of self-loathing, self-love likely won't come naturally and will be challenging to prioritize and do. However, when grieving, self-love must be a non-negotiable aspect of grieving to grieve well.

In this week's episode, I cover the eight dimensions of wellness courtesy of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMH), which collectively address our whole well-being. These aren't areas that need to be addressed all at the same time. However, small shifts can equal significant gains by integrating even small changes into your life. And, over time, these small shifts will be cumulative (just as grief is cumulative) and progressively move you in a positive direction and create momentum that way.

Grief impacts every area and aspect of our lives; our ability to make money, physical health, regulate emotionally, spirituality, intellectual capacities, social interactions, home, and work environments, and how we view and function in our occupations. It behooves us to look at these areas more closely and see what small steps we can take to improve the situation and, in turn, our lives.

By taking steps to shift our lives in these eight areas, we are demonstrating the best kind of love we can give ourselves during grief experiences and other challenging times - love of self. Because when we make ourselves (and these aspects of ourselves) a priority, everyone wins.

RESOURCES:

• Ep 98 | Amy Medcalf
• Ep 99 | Wayne Forrest
• Ep 75 | Grief Shared is Grief Diminished
• Steve Hartman Stories
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Credit Karma
• Do Grief Differently™️

 ______

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.

Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out 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: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebo

Send Victoria a text message!

Support the show

_______

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 available HERE.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.

Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of th...

"Bang, I made a mistake!"

Those were the words, my guest, Wayne Forrest, described the moment that changed his life forever.

It was a chance happening (or was it?) that Wayne had some teammates out injured from his rugby team, and he filled in to play the game he loved.

One play during that game would have him waking up in a hospital bed five days later to realize he could not only move his legs but he couldn't move his arms or hands. In an instant, Wayne became a statistic and a C4 quadriplegic.

I've always loved under-dog stories - always. It seems the people who have endured the most unfathomable circumstances often find a way a dig deep within themselves and turn a tragedy into gold.

Wayne is now a motivational speaker, coach, and TEDx speaker and has done more in his life while in a wheelchair than many of us who have full use of our limbs.

This is one of those stories I know I will come back to and play again when I doubt myself, feel like a Debbie Downer, or just need to realize how freaking blessed I am.

No matter what you've gone through in your life or are going through, I hope you listen to Wayne's story. He shares three things that helped him get through his "dark night of the soul" and how he's no one special - we are all capable of turning our lives around at any given point. It does, however, come down to deciding to do so; only then will you see yourself becoming - who you were always meant to be.

"Do something that scares you every day." - Wayne Forrest

RESOURCES:

• Wayne Forrest TEDx Talk
• Kindness & Unity Facebook Group

CONNECT:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Website

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.

Are you enjoying the podcast? Check out 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: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Send Victoria a text message!

Support the show

_______

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 available HERE.

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: 

• Instagram
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Do Grief Differently™️, my twelve-week, one-on-one, in-person/online program for grievers who have suffered any type of loss to feel better. Click here to learn new tools, grief education, and the only evidence-based method for moving beyond the pain of grief.

Would you like to join the mission of Grieving Voices in normalizing grief and supporting hurting hearts everywhere? Become a supporter of th...