Episode 712: Coaching Lisa on Grief, Identity, and Beginning Again

I have a coaching episode for you today, and I’m joined by Lisa. When she filled out her coaching application, she shared an honest snapshot of where she was at the time: “I think I need coaching on the fear and anger I have for starting over at this point in time. The world is scary, men suck, work is slim, my friends feel different now that I am single.”

In this poignant conversation, Lisa and I talk about what it really looks like to start over after a 26-year long marriage and how disorienting that in between season can feel. Especially when your identity, your relationships, and your sense of safety all feel up in the air, all at the same time. We explore grief in a way most people do not talk about it, not just the hard parts but the beautiful parts that are just as painful to let go of, and how creativity, boundaries, and honest conversations can become your way back to yourself when everything feels uncertain.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What it really means to grieve the joy of what you once had (11:50)

• How internal pressure about “what’s next” can keep you stuck (19:37)

• Why creativity and art are not indulgent but essential tools for processing emotions (27:32)

• How feeling your feelings is not a weakness but a form of emotional hygiene (32:40)

• Writing prompts to help Lisa move closer to her grief and begin healing:  “What is stopping you from looking underneath the grief?” (39:20)

• Having hard conversations with friends and how setting boundaries with compassion can strengthen your relationships instead of breaking them (44:44)

Resources from this episode:

Write Your Way Through It 

Book recommendations: I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

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