Build A Life After Loss Podcast: Recent Episodes
Julie Cluff
The holidays are upon us. Memories are heightened during the holidays therefore you tend to create more memories during the holidays than any other time of the year. The traditions, the music, and the celebrations all create memories. All those ... Read More
The post Ep#178 Emotions During the Holidays appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
As human beings we are wired for progress. Whether you recognize it or not, you desire and crave progression. In fact, you crave it so much that you sometimes ignore our progress. “It’s not enough”, you say. But what if ... Read More
The post Ep #177 Claim Your Progress appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Hope is crucial in your healing process. Without hope it’s hard to have a direction and it’s difficult to move forward in any meaningful way. Hope is everything. But you may be confusing expectations with hope. Or you may lose ... Read More
The post Ep #176 Wishes, Expectations and Hope appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Hope is crucial in your healing process. Without hope it’s hard to have a direction and it’s difficult to move forward in any meaningful way. Hope is everything. But you may be confusing expectations with hope. Or you may lose ... Read More
The post Ep #176 Wishes, Expectations and Hope appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Cindy’s life was not what she planned for even from the young age of 5 living with abuse. Facing multiple losses throughout her life, including losing her home after a divorce and financially devastating medical bills following her son’s brain ... Read More
The post Ep #175 Facing Life with Hope and Courage with Cindy Benezra appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Cindy’s life was not what she planned for even from the young age of 5 living with abuse. Facing multiple losses throughout her life, including losing her home after a divorce and financially devastating medical bills following her son’s brain ... Read More
The post Ep #175 Facing Life with Hope and Courage with Cindy Benezra appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
One of the most challenging aspects of grief is its unpredictability. One day you may be feeling like things are improving and the next day you wonder if you’ve made any progress at all. One week you begin to start ... Read More
The post Ep #174 Riding the Waves of Grief appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
This week we welcome Krista Isaacson to the podcast. With tremendous faith and hope, she traveled the painful experience of losing her seemingly healthy 2 year old daughter overnight to cancer. She speaks to the overwhelming experience of losing a ... Read More
The post Ep #173 Unbearable Burden with Krista Isaacson appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Loss and grief shoots you headlong into disruption. Your life feels shattered in pieces and unrecognizable. But it’s not just your life that feels unrecognizable, it’s you. You feel different. You feel unrecognizable. Loss by death, divorce, or a host ... Read More
The post Ep #172 Rebirth and Transformation appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
We all have a tremendous desire to be understood. Which is interesting because I wonder if we even truly understand ourselves! Creating understanding between people is such a challenge because of the limitations of language. Then you add body language ... Read More
The post Ep #171 Feeling Misunderstood appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Well-known author C.S. Lewis wrote in his book A Grief Observed, “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” He goes on to the feelings of grief that resemble fear. Even in the experience of grief feeling ... Read More
The post Ep #170 Grief and Fear appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
On January 18, 2003 at age 25, Vinney Tolman died in a public restroom. By the time his body was discovered, he was cold and stiff. Paramedics arrived on the scene and confirmed him dead. As they transported him by ... Read More
The post Ep #169 Love and Light with Vincent Todd Tolman appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
In my book Miracles in the Darkness I said, “Happiness is as present and elusive as air. It’s in the process of becoming who we were always meant to be that we discover it, but only if we are paying ... Read More
The post Ep #168 Intentional Happiness appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Everyone is affected by divorce in one way or another, whether as a spouse, a friend, or the child or family member of divorce. Today on the podcast we welcome divorce coach, Andrea Hipps. Andrea is a wealth of knowledge ... Read More
The post Ep #167 Reimagining Divorce with Andrea Hipps appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
What is emotional honesty? I’ve asked myself that many times. I wondered if it’s spilling our guts all over everyone but that didn’t feel right. I’ve wondered if emotional honesty is even a thing or if it’s just an excuse ... Read More
The post Ep # 166 Emotional Honesty appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Fear is a tricky emotion. Fear is vitally important and can keep you safe. But so frequently in our modern world we fear experiences and even emotions that feel scary but are relatively harmless. Fear of the harmless or exaggerated ... Read More
The post Ep #165 Calming Fear appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
I often find that looking at something less emotional is a great way of learning lessons to apply to something that is hugely impactful and emotional. It allows a different perspective without the super charge of emotions. That different perception ... Read More
The post Ep #164 A Simple Way to Look at Grief and Healing appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Wayne Dyer said, “The more you extend kindness to yourself, the more it will become your automatic response to others.” What does extending kindness to yourself look like in grief? And how can you create more kindness in yourself for ... Read More
The post Ep #163 Be Kind appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Recently I was interviewed for a divorce summit that will air in August. One of the questions that I was asked had to do with the spiritual aspects of loss and grief. While I loved the interview, and it was ... Read More
The post Ep #162 Spiritual Aspects of Loss appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
In this episode of the podcast, we welcome guest Julie Hawkes to talk about all things grief, anxiety and rebuilding. Julie has a remarkable story of overcoming anxiety after the death of her brother plunged her into a dark and ... Read More
The post Ep #161 Getting Unstuck with Julie Hawkes appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
I had the wonderful privilege of interviewing my client, Angela Clement. She is an absolute delight. Despite devastation of losing her husband Blaine to cancer last year, she was determined to move through the pain and find happiness and light ... Read More
The post Ep #160 Healing through Growth with Angela Clement appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Regularly when I post about the possibility of grief healing I’ll have people comment ‘not if it’s your child.’ It’s true that losing a child is particularly painful for so many reasons. – it’s your child, who you put your ... Read More
The post Ep #159 Child Loss appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
After the kids died and I was told to feel my feelings, I remember being so frustrated because I didn’t know what that meant. How do we feel our feelings? And frankly, wasn’t I already. I was feeling my feelings ... Read More
The post Ep #158 All the Emotions appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Joy is not found at a destination. Joy is in the process of living. It’s found in the day-to-day experiences – in the moments of life. On this episode I share 3 fundamental principles that will help you to see, ... Read More
The post Ep #157 Joy is in the Process appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
I believe in hope. I believe in angels and heavenly help. I believe in miracles. On Instagram and Facebook, the past few weeks I’ve been sharing words of encouragement from card decks of affirmations. I love inspired words! Words are ... Read More
The post Ep #156 Messages of Hope appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Let’s talk all about triggers, expectations, and disappointment. I had a lot of hard emotions because of my expectations on Mother’s Day this past weekend. I know how important it is to work through tough emotions rather than let them ... Read More
The post Ep #155 Inspired Answers appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Today we’re exploring the song translation for Kacey Musgraves song Rainbow. This song walks us through from despair to seeing the light that has always been there but we haven’t been able to see because we’re too focused on the ... Read More
The post Ep #154 A Rainbow Above You appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
This episode is personal and very much for you, just like all the episodes. Today I explore the power of music to move us and give us messages of encouragement. In the song from the musical Waitress, She Used to ... Read More
The post Ep #153 You- Before and Now appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Forgiveness isn’t easy but it is so worth the effort. Author Maya Angelou said, “it’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.” Forgiving others who have wronged you intentionally or unintentionally allows you to ... Read More
The post Ep #152 Forgiveness and Boundaries appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
It’s common for relationships to suffer during grief. When we’re in pain, that pain gets projected into a lot of areas of our life. Being aware of what’s happening and why is crucial to restoring the hope in your relationships. ... Read More
The post Ep #151 Hope in Relationships appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
As I coach people through grief there are 3 problems that show up over and over again. My coaching is here to help with grief and the problems of grief – the things that take a hit during grief – ... Read More
The post Ep #150 Top 3 Problems in Grief appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
When you’re grieving, you often feel that you only have two options: to just get over it or to grieve forever. But it doesn’t take long for you to realize that neither of these options are ideal or helpful. So, ... Read More
The post Ep #149 Grief is a Season appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
I have been reflecting recently on unexpected rewards from tough circumstances. I was reminded of a traumatic event in our life several years ago that resulted in a rather funny response from my daughter. In this episode, I share this ... Read More
The post Ep #148 Unexpected Results appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Albert Einstein said, “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Living as if everything is a miracle feels like a better and more magical ... Read More
The post Ep #147 The Miracle is You appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Grief is messy!!! Wow! So messy and confusing, lonely and exhausting and all the things. In this episode, we talk about relaxing into all of it to work with our emotion instead of against it. Because it’s crucial that we ... Read More
The post Ep #146 Relaxing into Emotion appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Why do we sometimes feel motivated and other times we don’t even when we want to be? This week I learned more about the Expectancy Theory of Motivation and I noticed how that was playing out in my life with ... Read More
The post Ep #145 Motivation That Works appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
If you’re like me and most people, there comes a time in your grief and healing that you start to recognize patterns that haven’t been healthy. It’s so normal to depend on unhealthy patterns to take the edge off of ... Read More
The post Ep #144 Coping That’s Healing appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
We experience natural limits every day. You can’t pour more milk in the bowl than is in the jug of milk. You can’t withdraw more from the bank than you have deposited in the bank. You can’t work more than ... Read More
The post Ep #143 Natural Limits appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Remember when emotional intelligence was all the rage? Emotional intelligence is defined as “the ability to perceive, use, understand, manage and handle emotions.” But what does that mean? In this episode I’ll break down each step of emotional intelligence piece ... Read More
The post Ep # 142 Emotional Intelligence appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Judgment is hard. It feels yucky and knocks you off balance. The grief you’re feeling already causes you to feel vulnerable, exposed and raw. The last thing you need is judgment from those that you hope will love and support ... Read More
The post Ep #141 The Pain of Judgment appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
The most important thing we can do to change our experience is to change the way we think. For years, I thought that my thoughts and feelings just were what they were and there was nothing I could do about ... Read More
The post Ep #140 True Self Empowerment appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
We all know what it’s like to be ill and recover. Everyone has had a flu or a bug of some kind in their life and gotten better. The process we go through in recovering from a physical illness is ... Read More
The post Ep #139 Lessons Learned from Illness appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Balancing your own needs with the needs of others can be a tricky practice. On this episode of the podcast, we explore that exact thing – how to balance your personal wants and needs with other people’s wants and needs ... Read More
The post Ep #138 Identity and Connection appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Meet Cytel Schults. She’s a musical intuitive and on this episode of the podcast she’s sharing her song translation of When You Believe from the Prince of Egypt animated musical. You will love this message of hope and miracles. Hope ... Read More
The post Ep# 137 When You Believe with Cytel Schults appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Perhaps you’ve heard the quote, “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” But what does it mean? Aren’t pain and suffering the same thing? Yes and no. When you have a loss the pain of grief is a normal and natural ... Read More
The post Ep # 136 Secondary Pain appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
With Christmas, Hanakkuh, New Years Eve and all the winter celebrations upon us, you have a lot of questions about how to survive during this time of intense emotion. You are already dealing with a LOT! and then you’re facing ... Read More
The post Special Episode The Holidays and Grief Survival Guide appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Untruths literally cause weakness – physical and emotional weakness. That’s why it’s so important for you to seek truth and understanding. There are three persistent and dangerous lies about loss and grief. And it’s interesting that two of these directly ... Read More
The post Ep # 135 Lies About Grief appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Living an inspired life is exciting and fulfilling but how do you go from living in grief, frustration, and fear to living in inspiration. It’s a path worth exploring. In today’s episode I share my personal experiences with learning to ... Read More
The post Ep #134 Living an Inspired Life appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
This week I sat down with my friends Annette and Mark Anderson. Ten years ago their 21 year old son Reid died after years of medical intervention due to a brain tumor. Through the highs and lows of life they ... Read More
The post Ep #133 Thriving Together with Mark and Annette Anderson appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Jennifer shares her story of multiple sexual traumas and how she has found healing and recovery through redefining her relationship with God. This is a very special conversation that will crack up the societal explanations of God and challenge you ... Read More
The post Ep #132 How to Find God After Trauma with Jennifer Dobberfuhl-Quinlan appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
We live in a world of consumption. We consume books, goods, food, podcasts, tv, movies…there’s no end to what we can consume or learn. On the other hand, sometimes we spend a lot of time doing but not balancing our ... Read More
The post Ep #131 Balancing Learning and Applying appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Shifts in your understanding and belief are crucial to acceptance, healing and growth. Hope is about knowing that with new input, new information, and new shifts in belief, changes can happen in your heart, in your head and therefore in ... Read More
The post Ep #130 Belief Shifts appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
It’s easy to get stuck in only seeing what’s right in front of you. The current activities, challenges and obstacles. But to create a life you want, it’s vital to look beyond today and create clarity around where you’re going ... Read More
The post Ep #129 Expanded Vision appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Belief in self takes a big hit when you’re in pain. You may feel fear, anxiety, depression, discouragement, isolation and confusion. It may be costing you in your relationships, career, health and well-being. That’s what grief tends to do to ... Read More
The post Ep #128 Believing in Yourself appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Fear is our default; faith is a choice. We live in a world full of fear. Fear is where our brain goes automatically when there is a perceived danger or threat. One of the functions of our mind is to ... Read More
The post Ep #127 From Fear to Faith appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Former client Emily is on the podcast today sharing her grief story of losing her dad and how she has dealt with her grief. She speaks to continuing to honor her dad and missing him and how she uses the ... Read More
The post Ep #126 Making Space for Grief, An Interview with Emily appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Overwhelm is a common emotion and never more common than in grief because we are so filled with emotion. The overload of emotions leaves little room for the onslaught of activities and information in our world. Then we add thought ... Read More
The post Ep #125 Overcoming Overwhelm appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Grief is hard. Really, really hard! It’s unknown, uncharted territory. Your grief territory is unique to you. Some losses bring a little grief, but some bring big grief. But every grief experience demands attention. When you don’t give it attention, ... Read More
The post Ep #124 Reframing Your Experiences appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
According to Dr. Lois Tonkin’s model of grief, as a mourner continues to live life and have new experiences, they build around the grief creating a new life of new people and enjoyments. Dr. Tonkin believes that the grief remains ... Read More
The post Ep #123 Expansion of Your Soul appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Grief is work. It’s not just time that helps you to navigate grief, it takes effort too. Most people won’t tell you that. Most people will tell you to wait it out, you’ll feel better soon enough or they might ... Read More
The post Ep #122 Why Waiting Doesn’t Work appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Recently, I’ve been studying the work of Dr. Bernie Siegel. As a medical doctor his premise of healing is that it’s very much a body and mind matter. Without the patient’s effort, their body had little chance of healing. The ... Read More
The post Ep #121 Living Again appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
You’re not crazy. Weight gain during grief is normal. It’s ok that you put on a few pounds. It’s one of the many ways we numb our feelings during the pain of loss. Many times it’s how we cope from ... Read More
The post Ep #120 Weight Loss without Judgement appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
You are central to your world. We reject this idea because we don’t want to be self-centered but who else is there with you all the time? Only you. You are with you all the time so it makes sense ... Read More
The post Ep #119 Your Inner Cheerleader appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Divorce and breakups are hard. Almost everyone goes through some type of loss of love in their lifetime. And when you do, you are filled with questions. What did I do wrong? What should I have done differently? Why am ... Read More
The post Ep #118 Rebuilding After Divorce or Breakup appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
When something doesn’t feel good, we think there’s something wrong with us. Our modern culture has separated us from our feelings and so we don’t know how to deal with our feelings much less the feelings of others. Because of ... Read More
The post Ep #117 There’s Nothing Wrong with You appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
In November 2019, Nikky Oswald was a mom of two boys due with her third son when the unthinkable happened. At 40 weeks pregnant, she went into the hospital to be induced and there was no heartbeat. Devastated, she made ... Read More
The post Ep #116 Facing the Grief with Nikky Oswald appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
You are not your mind or your body. You are a combination of Body, Mind and Spirit. Your spirit is your higher self that holds wisdom. Your higher self wants to communicate with you. The more you can connect to ... Read More
The post Ep #115 Connection for Real Results appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
In grief, we often need to retrain our brain to pay attention, notice and savor joy in our life again. It’s easy to feel like because this horrible thing has happened everything is hard. And the truth is – everything ... Read More
The post Ep #114 Creating Joy appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Does living with intention feel overwhelming? With the information out there about living with intention, no wonder you feel overwhelmed! I felt overwhelmed just researching it. Each step suggested in most articles was a vast yearlong process. But that’s NOT ... Read More
The post Ep #113 Living with Intention appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Today as I traveled slowly down the highway because I was riding on a spare, I thought of you. I thought of the challenge of slowing down life because of tragedy when it looks like everyone around you is speeding ... Read More
The post Ep #112 Reflective Journaling appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Your emotions fuel your actions and outcomes. What emotion fueled 2020? What emotion do you want to fuel 2021? In this episode you’ll learn how to look at your emotions in a different way, how to use your mind to ... Read More
The post Ep#111 Emotions as Fuel appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
In three short years, Rosalie’s young family suffered three devastating losses which started with the still birth of her baby daughter. Through it all, Rosalie learned hard-won, valuable life lessons. Listen in as she shares her story with love, grace, ... Read More
The post Ep #110 When Life Doesn’t Let You Breathe with Rosalie Mastaler appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
What does abundance mean to you? In today’s episode I’d like to offer some new thoughts on abundance and how you might discover more abundance in your life. Instead of living in black and white thinking of either or, I ... Read More
The post Ep #109 Living with Abundance appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Relationships can feel so hard when you’re grieving. You’re grateful for the people in your life. You’re grateful to not be totally alone but there’s a disconnect. You don’t know why you feel so angry or frustrated or disappointed with ... Read More
The post Ep #108 Relationship Multiplier appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
In today’s episode we talk to Jason Hewlett – Hall of Fame Speaker, Author and Leadership Expert – about the pain of career loss, and how he’s navigated the major changes in his career over the years including losing all ... Read More
The post Ep #107 The Promise with Jason Hewlett appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Jean was stuck. She was dealing with grief and she didn’t know how to move forward through it. She had tried other things that helped a little, but she was still feeling directionless and overwhelmed. In today’s episode, I’m grateful ... Read More
The post Ep #106 Breakthrough with Jean appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Today I have a special guest on the podcast. I met Emily when we were attending the Grief Recovery Specialist certification training. Because we both had lost a child, I felt an instant connection to Emily and her journey. She ... Read More
The post EP #105 Life After Child Loss with Emily Graham appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Today I wanted to share with you the way I learn from myself. I know that may sound strange, but it is really a remarkable practice to learn from yourself, to be able to drop the judgment and just see ... Read More
The post Ep #104 Learning from Yourself appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
The world is shifting. It’s easy – really, really easy – to feel off balance. But it’s possible to be balanced or more balanced even when things around us are chaotic. It’s not easy to do, but it’s possible and ... Read More
The post Ep #103 Being Emotionally Stable in a Chaotic World appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
When most people are asked what they want, they reply, “I just want to be happy.” Why is this such a common response? Because of course we want to feel good! It doesn’t feel good to feel bad. It just ... Read More
The post Ep #102 Feeling Better appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
We each experience moments of clarity. These sudden and sometimes subtle shifts to new ways of thinking and feeling can help us as we move through and heal from grief. How can you encourage and be open to these shifts? ... Read More
The post Ep#101 Moments of Clarity appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
This week my dad died. I am feeling all of the tremendous mixed emotions of grief. But I believe in my ability to heal from grief, just like I believe in your ability to heal from grief. With the proper ... Read More
The post Ep #100 Why I Believe in You appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Grief can wreak havoc on your health if you’re not careful. The way you think about taking care of yourself is central to making the changes you want to make to enjoy good physical health. In this episode we’ll look ... Read More
The post Ep #99 Protecting Your Health appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
In the timeline of our life, a devastating loss can cast a shadow over our past, present and future. As we learn to be more present in the here and now we can start rebuilding by paying attention to the ... Read More
The post Ep #98 Mindfulness appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Today we talk with Becky Kemp who has learned the incredible power of words to assist us with overcoming depression and anxiety. Driven by the desire to spread and inspire goodness, Becky Kemp is dedicated to sharing the power found ... Read More
The post Ep #97 Words Matter with Becky Kemp appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
When we’re grieving it’s easy to feel like we’re falling short; falling short of others and our own expectations. Because we were able to handle things before in a certain way, we think we should still be able too. Accepting ... Read More
The post Ep #96 Falling Short appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
This week on the podcast we welcome Gaylene Moyers, who lost her 24 year old daughter and her unborn child in a car accident. She shares her story to empower other women to work through grief and find joy again ... Read More
The post Ep #95 Love Hard with Gaylene Moyers appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
I often compare healing from loss and grief to healing from a physical injury. On today’s episode we’ll discuss emotional injury and how we can help ourselves from grief to healing by acknowledging the emotional injury that we’ve sustained and ... Read More
The post Ep #94 Emotional Injury appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Frustration is a common emotional experience for people, especially when they are dealing with grief. Today we’ll learn how to identify frustration and its causes in our life and learn what to do about it. If you find yourself frustrated ... Read More
The post Ep #93 The Frustration Gap appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Our Build a Life After Loss virtual workshop is just around the corner! You’ll feel supported and loved. Plus you’ll learn life-changing information. And we’ll send you the replay. You don’t want to miss this workshop! Join us for the ... Read More
The post Ep #92 Why We Don’t Do Grief Work appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Join me for a special edition podcast where I read the first chapter in my upcoming book, Miracles in the Darkness Building a Life After Loss. It will be available to all this week on July, 14th and you can ... Read More
The post Ep #91 Miracles in the Darkness Building a Life After Loss appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Our Build a Life After Loss virtual workshop is just around the corner! You’ll feel supported and loved. Plus you’ll learn life-changing information. And we’ll send you the replay. You don’t want to miss this workshop! Join us for the ... Read More
The post Ep #90 Infertility and Job Loss with Kelly Kaye Walker appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Emotional flexibility allows you to review the past with flexibility. It allows you to change how you feel about things. It allows you to be ok with feeling negatively about something while at the same time still wanting to shift ... Read More
The post Ep #89 Emotional Flexibility appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
There are three pre-requisites to doing the work of feeling better. We must desire to feel better, we must have hope for a better tomorrow, and we must be willing to do the work. Winston Churchill said, “Continuous effort – ... Read More
The post Ep #88 Continuous Effort appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Todd Sylvester’s story of addiction and recovery is amazing. He lost everything and through miraculous means was able to rebuild his life. Now he spends his days helping others find and stay on the path to recovery. You will love ... Read More
The post Ep #87 Recovered with Todd Sylvester appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
We live in turbulent times. We are affected by weather changes, a pandemic, economic upheaval, and social unrest. It is more important than ever that we learn about our emotions and how to manage them. In this episode, we talk ... Read More
The post Ep #86 Input Determines Your Outlook appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
We long for a life with no problems, but it doesn’t exist. We will always be faced with challenges. The problems may change in shape and size but they will continue to come around because people around us will make ... Read More
The post Ep #85 The Truth About Problems appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
In the 20 plus years that I have been studying loss and grief I have discovered there are five building blocks to move from grief to healing. If one is missed, we carry around the baggage of residual grief. To ... Read More
The post Ep # 84 The Model for Healing appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
In this interview with Lark Dean Galley, she shares how multiple losses lead her to the work she does today to inspire others to stay on the planet. More About Lark Dean Galley: After working in the corporate world for ... Read More
The post Ep #83 Finding Purpose an Interview with Lark Dean Galley appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
When you don’t know where you are or where you’re headed, and everything feels confusing your motivation plummets. That’s the circumstances you find yourself in during the pandemic. All the uncertainty leaves you without direction and drive. There are ways ... Read More
The post Ep #82 5 Ways to Increase Your Motivation in a Pandemic appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Doing it right is a fallacy. You’re not going to do it right! Thinking that you can is holding you back in significant ways. You’re not going to do grief right. You’re not going to parent right. You’re not going ... Read More
The post Ep #81 Doing It Right appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
With all the turmoil in the world, you may not feel like taking action right now and that’s ok. In this episode I share why action is important, ways you can take small action steps to get big results and ... Read More
The post Ep #80 Taking Action in a Time of Uncertainty appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Does your grief feel heavy, and confusing? Do you feel broken, and shattered? These are normal responses to grief. During grief our right brain is activated, and our left brain is deactivated. I think it’s brilliant the way our brain ... Read More
The post Ep #79 The Chaos of Grief appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
The current conditions in the world are requiring us to adjust. This is a global grief experience and the more we can learn about how to respond the better we’ll do on the other side of it. In this episode ... Read More
The post Ep #78 How Do You Adjust appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
We live in unusual times. No one could predict a pandemic, so we find ourselves struggling with heavy reactions and not knowing how to respond. In this episode, I share three things that can help you start to move through ... Read More
The post Ep #77 Moving Through Grief appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Join me for this uplifting conversation with Chalese Stevens. She wants to bring more love, light and joy into the world. Chalese Stevens faced a horrific tragedy in June of 2004 when she lost her four-year-old son in a water ... Read More
The post Ep #76 A Mothers Walk with Grief with Chalese Stevens appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
You are in the wilderness of grief. When you find yourself in uncharted territory. I’ve been there. I know what it feels like to fall into despair. The reason I’m here is because I don’t want you all alone in the ... Read More
The post Ep #75 The Wilderness appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
You don’t want to miss Melissa’s story. Melissa has built a life that she loves with courage and compassion. She is an example of what’s possible. After her own bad boundaries and lack of self-worth nearly cost her everything, Melissa ... Read More
The post Ep #74 When It’s Your Fault with Melissa Snow appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
According to Dr. Charles Spielberger anger is “an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage.” Many grievers experience anger. In fact, anger is so common in grievers that Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross included anger as ... Read More
The post Ep #73 Understanding Anger appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Personal boundaries are important, but they may not be what you think. On this episode of the podcast we’ll talk about what boundaries are, what they aren’t and how to set a boundary. In addition, we’ll look at the difference ... Read More
The post Ep #72 Personal Boundaries appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
In an article for psych central, Raphailia Michael, MA wrote, “Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although it’s a simple concept in theory, it’s something we very ... Read More
The post Ep #71 Self Care appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Grief affects your spirituality. Spirituality involves your feelings. In grief, your emotions are overwhelmed so you can’t feel the spirit like you did in the past. But it doesn’t have to be that way forever. All the great teachers have ... Read More
The post Ep #70 Spirituality appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
What motivates you? You have seen your motivation wane during your season of grief and you’re not sure what to do about it. In this episode we’ll talk about what helps you to increase your motivation, internal versus external motivation ... Read More
The post Ep #69 Motivation appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Everything starts with desire. The choices you make are motivated by your desires. Of course, our choices affect our outcomes. If you want better outcomes, start by educating your desires. I quote a lengthy section of Dr. Joe Dispenza’s article ... Read More
The post Ep #68 It Starts with Desire appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Hope for your future is essential to healing. On today’s episode we’re going to explore ways to increase your hope. Hope in healing and a desire to heal are a couple of the most important feelings to cultivate when you’ve ... Read More
The post Ep #67 Increasing Hope appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Amy Oestreicher is the epitome of overcoming challenges and rebuilding a life after loss. In just a few short months, at only 17 years old, she lost trust, lost her grandparents, lost her health and the future she expected to ... Read More
The post Ep #66 Overcoming with Amy Oestreicher appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
I believe everyone has some perfectionism tendencies. On this episode we’ll discuss how perfectionism is hurting you, how to notice your perfectionism and what to do about it. Also, I share the most important thing you can do to combat ... Read More
The post Ep #65 Perfectionism appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Every day and multiple times a day we are making choices. Even when we don’t think we’re making choices, we’re making choices. Viktor Frankl said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to ... Read More
The post Ep #64 The Power of Choice appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
You’re going to love getting to know Catherine Praiswater. She takes us into her story and shares her gentle wisdom with us. I love Catherine’s calm and gentleness. She really emphasized our unique relationships and how that influences the way ... Read More
The post Ep #63 Honoring Our Grief with Catherine Praiswater appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Perception is your reality. Which means that how you see things and how you interpret your world is how you will experience your life. Even the way you perceive your own grief will create your experience with grief. In today’s ... Read More
The post Ep #62 Preception is Reality appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Can you replace grief with gratitude? While moving from grief to love and gratitude is the ultimate goal, you can’t just replace grief with gratitude. A gratitude practice is beneficial, but you can’t avoid the grief by focusing on gratitude. ... Read More
The post Ep #61 Can Gratitude Replace Grief? appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Whether you’ve experienced tremendous grief or not, you will be touched by grief when a close friend or family member goes through difficult times. If you have experienced loss and grief, you may be called on to help others understand ... Read More
The post Ep #60 Supporting Others in Their Grief appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
The traditional 5 stages of grief suggest that we move through stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. You may experience grief as outlined in the 5 stages, but more than likely you may not and that’s ok. Grief ... Read More
The post EP #59 Stages of Grief appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
My special guest today is Jami Lowder. In today’s episode you will hear how Jami has navigated two divorces and used good self-talk to deal with her losses. Also, she shares how she helped her four boys to navigate life’s ... Read More
The post Ep #58 Helping Yourself and Your Kids Through Divorce with Jami Lowder appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
As a society we are super focused on achievement and intellectual prowess. We have forgotten our humanity. What makes us human is our emotions. Our feelings are clues to what we’re thinking which is where it all comes from. And ... Read More
The post Ep #57 Emotional Illiteracy appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Things go wrong or not as you envisioned. It’s part of life!
What do you do when things don’t go as expected?
Do you fight against reality in a futile attempt to change what is?
Do you assign a harsh, negative meaning to it, such as “I can’t do anything right?”
You can’t change the past, but sometimes it’s still hard to accept it.
In the episode I offer some ideas for how to surrender to what is from an experience I recently had.
Love,
Julie
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://blal.wpengine.com/work-with-julie
Click here to get your copy of 3 Daily Practices to Begin Building a Life After Loss now.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
The post Ep #56 Surrendering to What is appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Next month we’ll be celebrating one year of Build a Life After Loss!
In today’s podcast I wanted to share my thoughts about why I do what I do.
I’ll tell the story of what led to the founding of Build a Life After Loss, which is a business that supports people who are grieving and want to rebuild their life.
It’s not just only a podcast, it’s a movement.
There is a serious lack of hope in the world that we can heal and rebuild.
I’d love your help in getting hope into the world.
Love,
Julie
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://blal.wpengine.com/work-with-julie
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
The post Ep # 55 Why I Do What I Do and Why You Don’t Have To appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Limiting Beliefs can get us without our even realizing what’s going on.
We do something we regret, and it morphs into “I always do the wrong thing.”
If we thought about it, we know it’s not totally true, but we’ve gotten into the bad habit of thinking of ourselves that way.
These limiting beliefs can be powerful deterrents to achieving what we want in life.
Because of that it’s important that we are aware of limiting beliefs.
We watch for signs of limiting beliefs and work on changing our words and therefore our thoughts and feelings, so that we can take the steps we want to, to do the things we want to do.
Love,
Julie
The book mentioned in the episode: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://blal.wpengine.com/work-with-julie
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
The post Ep #54 Limiting Beliefs appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Forgiveness can be hard because we confuse forgiveness with condoning hurtful behavior.
Condoning behavior means we agree with the behavior. Forgiving behavior means we are ready to let go of the hurt in order to release ourselves from the anger and pain.
Sometimes, forgiving yourself can be even harder than forgiving others.
An important element of forgiving yourself is distinguishing between mistakes and wrongdoing.
In the case of wrongdoing, forgiving yourself includes apologizing to those you’ve hurt and correcting the wrong when possible. Then we must release our anguish about the past.
Love,
Julie
Here are some of the books and articles mentioned in this episode.
Books:
The Grief Recovery Handbook, by John W. James and Russell Friedman
Transcending the Levels of Consciousness. David Hawkins, Ph.D.
Articles:
Michael Hyatt, “The Difference Between a Sin and a Mistake”
Psychology Today, “How to Forgive Yourself and Move on From the Past” and “How To Forgive Others”
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://blal.wpengine.com/work-with-julie
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
The post Ep #53 Forgiving Others and Yourself appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
On this episode of Build a Life After Loss, I welcome a very special guest, Shelby Forsythia. Shelby is the very talented host of Coming Back: Conversations on Life After Loss.
Coming Back is one of the first grief podcasts that I listened to a couple of years ago when I first became interested in podcasts and the value of the conversations in this space.
Grief’s first impressions on Shelby’s life occurred when she was a college student. When it did, grief piled on hard, and culminated in her most impactful loss, the death of her mother.
In this insightful conversation, we talk about Shelby’s loss story, how grief impacted her, the sting of secondary losses, the search for self, and the things that helped Shelby to start reengaging and rebuilding her life. among other things.
Here’s more about Shelby including links where you can find her.
Shelby Forsythia is the author of Permission to Grieve and podcast host of Coming Back: Conversations on Life After Loss. After the unexpected death of her mother in 2013, she became a “student of grief” and set out on a lifetime mission to explore the oft-misunderstood human experience of loss. Through her book, weekly podcasts, and one-on-one grief guidance, she helps grieving people find direction, get support, and cultivate radical self-compassion after devastating loss.
Shelby is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, Reiki Level II Practitioner, and Intuitive Grief Guide. Her work has been featured on Huffington Post, Bustle, and Optimal Living Daily. She currently lives in Chicago.
Be a part of the conversation, by visiting the Build a Life After Loss Facebook page.
Love you,
Julie
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://blal.wpengine.com/work-with-julie
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
The post Ep #52 Coming Back After Loss with Shelby Forsythia appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
The GPS system didn’t exist when I first learned to drive. You could drive for hours in the wrong direction before you received feedback that you were on the wrong course.
Now the GPS system helps us course correct quickly.
Creating your own GPS system – Goal Position Shift – can help you to course correct quickly as you work towards your goals.
Decide what you want and continue to move toward it with purposeful action and a plan to shift as you go.
As you test and evaluate you’ll reach your goals.
Love, Julie
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://blal.wpengine.com/work-with-julie
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
The post Ep #51 Goal Shifting appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Taking 1% responsibility means recognizing that we can’t change what has happened, but we do have influence over our reaction to what’s happened.
Taking 1% responsibility means noticing where we aren’t taking responsibility.
Taking 1% responsibility means deciding what we want.
Love, Julie
Books mentioned in this episode:
The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://blal.wpengine.com/work-with-julie
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
The post Ep #50 Taking 1% Responsibility appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
As humans we want to be improving. We want to be setting and reaching goals.
But striving will create imbalance in our life if we aren’t actively paying attention to how we’re spending our time and our energy.
Creating balance is a system not a destination.
You are not going to arrive at balance.
You will need a system for navigating your life to create balance.
In this episode, I’ll give you 5 questions to create your own balance system, including the most important question.
Love, Julie
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://calendly.com/buildalifeafterloss/discoverycall
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
The post Ep #49 Creating Balance appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Lessons come in all shapes and sizes.
Sometimes lessons are learned through super hard experiences!
But sometimes lessons come while we’re playing.
That was my experience a couple of weeks ago as I enjoyed some downtown with my grandkids on the beach.
I was reminded of some important lessons about life that I want to share with you today.
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://blal.wpengine.com/work-with-julie
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
Love, Julie
The post Ep #48 Lessons Learned While Playing appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
My own journey through grief and rebuilding went something like this: Capable to devastated, to coping, to capable, to empowered, to thriving.
I didn’t travel through these phases of my healing in a linear pattern.
This snapshot of my path represents a simplified overview of many years of work.
For me, knowing that there is a better life ahead created a desire and an interest in continuous improvement.
Perhaps knowing that a better life is ahead could encourage you as well.
Love, Julie
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://calendly.com/buildalifeafterloss/discoverycall
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
The post Ep # 47 From Pain to Power appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Heidi Swapp and her family were devastated by the death of her son Cory by suicide in 2015. Because of Heidi’s business she found herself facing heartbreaking grief in the public eye. She has handled this unexpected tragedy with unimaginable grace.
Heidi and her husband made the brave decision to be totally honest about what happened and how it affected their life. As a result, she’s been an example of resilience in challenging circumstances.
In March 2018, Heidi and licensed therapist David Kozlowski launched a podcast for parents. The Light the Fight podcast helps parents “learn how to build, maintain and improve their family relationships with actionable tools to help navigate difficult situations.”
I admire Heidi’s genuine heart and her ability to touch the masses with her honest reflection and her unwavering commitment to bring light to the world.
You can find Heidi at heidiswapp.com, lightthefight.com and on Instagram and facebook by the same names.
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://calendly.com/buildalifeafterloss/discoverycall
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
Love, Julie
The post Ep #46 Finding Answers with Heidi Swapp appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
Activating or strengthening our mind, from my experience, takes two components.
One is a way to release our painful emotions without taking it out on others.
The other component of strengthening our mind is a way to input the good, the healthy, the invigorating into our mind.
In this episode, we’ll talk about things that harm us as we try to release the pain, ways that help us release and ways that we can empower ourselves.
The books I mentioned was The Message by Lance Richardson and his wife’s book From Our Side by Jozet Richardson.
The playlist can be found on our fb page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Love, Julie
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://calendly.com/buildalifeafterloss/discoverycall
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
The post Ep #45 Strengthening Your Mind appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.
With the recent death of my father-in-law, I’ve been reflecting on death and dying.
I’ve also been thinking about grief and the conflicting feelings accompanying grief.
I’ve been very aware of and working on applying everything I know about grief.
The importance of being patient. That action heals the pain not just time. There is no timeline. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to express emotions, even negative emotions.
It’s important to not just keep busy to avoid the pain, to not turn to things to distract from the grief but to be willing to feel it all, and to honor my grief and sadness.
Build a Life After Loss Quick links:
Schedule Your Free Discovery call: https://calendly.com/buildalifeafterloss/discoverycall
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/buildalifeafterloss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildalifeafterloss/
Private facebook group for moms who have lost children: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771337079868377/
Love, Julie
The post Ep #44 Thoughts on Death and Dying appeared first on Build A Life After Loss.