Grief is not all darkness and oftentimes, the greatest tragedies can ignite the most positive, powerful transformations in our lives. Our guest, Kristine Carlson, knows what tragedy is. Happily married in her 40s with two young kids, she very suddenly lost the love of her life, Richard. What followed was heartache, sorrow, grief, anger, and then, later on and very surprisingly, true acceptance and joy. Through the process of grieving her husband and giving herself the space to feel emotions that she hadn’t felt in years, Kristine was awakened at a deep heart level. Today, Kristine is a bestselling author, world-renowned speaker, and leading mindfulness expert who helps other people process traumatic experiences of their own. Grief comes in many forms and there is no specific timeline for grief, but wherever you are on your journey, this episode will undoubtedly inspire you and give you the courage to truly feel what you’re experiencing in life, and the peace of knowing that what you may feel as “brokenness” at this time can truly help you heal, even what feels like the darkest parts of yourself. Here’s a comment that is at the heart of our episode today: “The circumstances of life don’t break you; they reveal who you are.” - Kristine Carlson   Key Highlights From This Episode:   Introducing today’s guest, bestselling author and world-renowned speaker, Kristine Carlson. [01:52] The transformation that Kristine went through after the sudden loss of her husband, Dr. Richard Carlson. [04:26] Kristine explains the difference between holding life and living life. [06:15] An example of one of the many people who Kristine has helped through the grieving process. [09:16] Profound lessons from Viktor Frankl’s transformational book Man’s Search for Meaning. [12:08] The spiritual philosophy that Kristine lives by. [14:48] Meaning and purpose that Kristine was able to find in the wake of Richard’s death. [15:40] Kristine shares how she processed Richard’s death. [17:10] Why Kristine and Kathy believe in signs rather than coincidences. [24:26] The choice that we all have when we go through a traumatic experience. [28:41] The importance of never judging someone else’s grief. [31:42] Examples of “messy” times in people’s lives. [32:32] A powerful quote from Kristine’s late husband. [33:21] How true acceptance can make you fall in love with your life. [34:21]   For More Information: Kristine Carlson Website Kristine Carlson on YouTube Kristine Carlson on LinkedIn Kristine Carlson on Facebook   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   To hear Kristine’s story in greater depth, read her book, Heartbroken Open and watch the movie that the book was based on, entitled Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: The Kristine Carlson Storyf. Read the Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff series that Kristine co-authored with her late husband, Richard. Viktor Frankl’s internationally bestselling and groundbreaking book, Man’s Search for Meaning   ———————- ANNOUNCING THE MOST POWERFUL YOU LIVE COURSE (that starts February 1st!) I’m very excited to be offering a new 8–week LIVE training course with me all about The Most Powerful You content from my book, and how you can address and close the 7 most damaging Power And Confidence Gaps that keep us from thriving in our work. The course starts Wednesday, February 1st! I’ve been delivering workshops and trainings on The Most Powerful You for over two years now in all sorts of ways for over 50 organizations (including an international division of the United Nations and other top global companies), and folks are sharing that the training and material has been truly transformative and life-changing for them. To make sure everyone can have access to this very same training, I’m thrilled to offer you a live course that includes: 8 WEEKLY LIVE Zoom Group Coaching Calls with me 8 Video Training Modules (total of 16 videos – 4 h