Good morning,

If you have been listening to my podcasts for any length of time, then you know I am a stickler for precise definitions.

What I mean by this is that I will often have my guest define exactly what they mean when they are using a certain word. It's not that I need everyone to agree on the definition, but it helps to ensure clear communication.

Even if you don't agree with my definition of a word, at least you will know what I am saying when I use that word.

At the beginning of my recent interview with Lynne Staley about grief, I asked her to define exactly what she means by the term grief.

Lynne's answer surprised me. And in that surprise I realized that I was conflating grief and mourning.

When we don't understand the true nature of the emotions we are experiencing, it becomes difficult for us to heal and transform those emotions.

ALSO, Lynne pointed out that there are over 40 life experiences that can cause us to feel grief. We know that we feel grief when someone we love dies and when this happens, we give ourselves permission to feel grief.

But when we experience grief because of something less momentous, such as not getting a job we really wanted, it is easy to feel like we should not grieve. There is a part of us that believes we should just get over it.

The truth is, it is unhealthy to ignore the feeling of grief, even when we feel it for something we think is small.

We have all experienced grief and most of us haven't processed it effectively.

In this interview we talked about:

• The difference between grief and mourning (and why both are important)
• How to be present to a loved one who is feeling grief in a way that is helpful (most of us aren't helpful when we're with someone who is experiencing grief)
• How to identify if you are experiencing grief
• How to do a grief inventory (when we feel grief today, we often bring up past grief)
• The most effective ways to tap for grief

Grief is the type of issue that you need to understand today, even if you aren't in the middle of grief at the moment.

By understanding what it is and how to deal with it, you will be well prepared when you do experience it OR how best to respond when a loved one is feeling grief.

This is one of the most important interviews I have done in a long time.

Please take the time to listen: http://tappingqanda.com/363

Gene

PS: Remember you can access all of the past podcasts free of charge through your phone, your tablet, or on your desktop computer. Listen here: iPhone/iPad | Android | Google | Spotify | website