“To err is human…” [NOTE: This post was previously sent on May 10th in error. The full podcast is now available on The Optimized Mind.]
It’s time for the 2nd installment of the podcast series with Dr. Kate Lund. In this episode, we discuss GRIEF and the many ways it can show up in our life, including the role it plays in allowing us to move forward. You can listen to the full podcast at any of the regular sites, including: Spotify, Apple, and Amazon. As always, a big thank you to Dr. Kate for being such a welcoming host… And thank you for listening!
If you’d like to read more about Grief, I’ve provided a brief excerpt below. Or, you can find the full book and the rest of the UNDERSTANDING series here.
Who Experiences Grief?
If you have loved someone or something, even a little, you will experience grief at some point in your life. Grief is inextricably tied to love. If you have loved anyone, or been invested in anything, you will grieve it when it goes. Of course, this statement assumes it will go at some point, which is true more often than not, because the one constant in life is change.
Since we can count on change, we can count on experiencing grief. Even though the depth and quality of the grief may change based on the situation, you will most likely experience it—even if it’s just for a moment instead of a lifetime. Therefore, the short answer to the question is: Everyone. Everyone experiences grief at some point in their life. It is a universal emotion that is experienced very individually.
The simple reason for this is that we, as humans, are hard-wired to need connection and expression. We have a necessity to be part of something (to belong), just as we have a need to express ourselves. To avoid this basic instinct is folly and often results in regret at the end of life—and regret is a form of grief.
Understanding grief is about understanding that all humans are unique while also being similar. Grief is one of the most universally-experienced emotions, and yet, it can be expressed in almost as many ways as there are people on the planet. Where there is overlap, we find aspects of community, religion, society, and tradition. But the actual internalized experience will always be unique to the individual.
More often than not, to be in grief is to have loved. To experience grief is to know loss. To move through grief is to grow. Through grief, we build resilience, compassion, and understanding. Through grief, we honor the love we are capable of feeling for someone or something. Through grief, we gain a deeper sense of what we value and hold dear.
If you’re interested in reading more about Grief or understanding complex emotions, check out my UNDERSTANDING series here. If you want to support local bookstores, my books are also on Bookshop and Barnes & Noble.
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