193. Grief Explored: Emotional Complexity, Healing, with Insights from David Kessler’s Finding Meaning and Other Experts We Love.

Girl, Take the Lead!

Oct 02, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 193

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Episode description

So we like to cover books and have guests on the show to talk about emotions so we can be better leaders and based on the number of listens, you like to explore those topics with us. And there’s one emotion we realized was suspiciously absent from our list. And that emotion was grief.

As some of you know we recently lost the dog we’ve had the pleasure of loving and caring for, over the last 7 years, Caitlin. She was a very spicy 13 yo Frenchie and we are so grateful to her breeder who thought it would be great for her to live her later years with us.

There were several things that the event of losing Cait, as we liked to call her, brought to the forefront as I went through the process of grieving.

Here’s what we’ll cover in the episode so you can choose to listen or not and it’s okay if it’s not – grief is a complex and difficult topic, particularly if you’re going through something right now.

Topics Covered:

What is grief? And we’ll reference Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart for that.

Is the grief of losing a pet different from losing a person we love?

Can grief bring other losses to the forefront?

Is the experience of grief different if it’s sudden rather than having the time to prepare?

How do emotions around grief like guilt manifest themselves?

What does the author, David Kessler, have to say about the Sixth Stage of Grief of finding meaning?

What does the author, Victor Frankel, say about grief?

Here are 3 takeaways from our episode:

1. Grief is deeply personal and complex: Grief isn't limited to the death of a loved one and can manifest through a wide range of emotions, often involving sadness, guilt, or anger.

2. Grieving a pet can bring up layered losses: The loss of a pet can trigger cumulative grief, where past losses reemerge and intensify the current experience. While society may not always acknowledge the depth of pet grief, it can be just as profound as grieving a loved one. Pets provide emotional support and companionship, making their absence felt in everyday life.

3. Finding meaning is a crucial part of healing: David Kessler's "Sixth Stage of Grief" teaches that healing goes beyond accepting loss; it's about discovering meaning in the aftermath. This process helps us honor the memory of what we've lost and find purpose in life again. Meaning is personal and can come from ongoing connections with loved ones, rituals, or reflecting on the lessons their lives offered.

Mentioned in the Episode:

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief by David Kessler

On Death and Dying Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Motherless Daughters and The AfterGrief by Hope Edelmann

Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankel

Bittersweet by Susan Cain

https://www.amazon.com/

Ep 23 Part 1 of 2 – Bittersweet (Susan Cain): How do Sorrow and Longing Help Us Lead?

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/znsJe8hFlNb

Ep 24 Part 2 of 2 – Bittersweet (Susan Cain): How do the Arts Play a Role in Seeing Our Whole Selves?

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/xtihY7hFlNb