The Power of Grief

This weekend I tried to put on the Beatles in honor of my Mom, who passed away six years ago. She absolutely loved the Beatles, and I have their whole catalog as the soundtrack to my life growing up. 

So it's sometimes strange and gut-wrenching to hear St. Pepper or Eight Days A Week out in the world because it reminds me of her.

So many people this past year have had to deal with grief. The loss of loved ones and friends. The loss of jobs and businesses. The loss of how we view ourselves and how we hope people would behave out in the world. Grief can be paralyzing, or it can be a powerful change for new.

When my Mom passed, I was working at Apple. There had been some re-organization that year, and I wasn't loving my work anymore. All the things happened with my Mom, and all of a sudden, I needed a change. A new team, a new career?

And that was ok. My mother would always encourage me to find something I loved to do, because life's miserable if you don't. She was also one of the most curious people I know, exploring the world with stacks of books.

"Do something you love. Be curious. Be a good person and treat others with respect. Make your own decisions and stick to your intuition."

These words sum up what she was always telling my brother and me. Shortly after she passed, I had the opportunity to get certified as a high performance coach. That's when I fell in love with coaching and when I realized I was no longer just a software engineer. I was a coach! Coaching is what I wanted to do when I grew up, and I could make it happen. I could help people get into action, make decisions, stick to their intuition - and love every minute of it!

I probably would not have taken the chance to become a coach if it wasn't for the experience of her passing. It reminded me to focus on what's important and what I wanted out of the time I have on our planet. 

The power of grief is just that: it can help us get into action in our lives. To love more unconditionally. To be as alive and vibrant as we can and transform into who we want to be and what we want out of our lives. 

If you're struggling with loss right now, that's ok. Take the time to reflect on what matters. Take the time to reflect on what your future could be. Take time to figure out how you can move forward.

"What is grief, but love persevering?" - Vision from WandaVision

We can move on from loss. And we can persevere.