The beautiful and insightful Brene Brown often shares the story of how she, for more than 20 years, sought to disprove that vulnerability was not essential for courage. Her bold and brave journey of both personal and professional discovery has led to a number of books and an entire company around vulnerability, courage, and daring greatly — and like millions, I’m a big fan.

For more decades than I would like to admit, I too have searched for “an answer” (just my answer, I know there’s many more!!!) to achieving peace and true well-being– both personal and global…..and I never imagined, in a million years that my own life and professional search would have led me to this understanding:

We cannot achieve individual peace and true well-being (wholeness) until we acknowledge and address our own grief.

As I continue to put words to the stages and to the cognitive, emotional, biological, and spiritual aspects of the grief process, I felt I needed a visual that could easily express this journey. My hope is that it be helpful to anyone who feels stuck in their grief. For me, knowing there’s somewhere to go, or strive towards is motivating– it literally helps animate my body and moves me!

When we open ourselves to the awareness of this uniquely human and natural process, we will experience the wholeness of life, and therefore the wholeness of ourselves.

NOTE:
Grief is a ‘normal’ response to something painful or difficult to YOU. If you are experiencing acute grief or are in need of grief support, please contact a professional mental health counselor in your area. A trauma-informed or grief counselor can assist you through this important and sacred journey.