Nov 19, 2021
“Your loss is not a test, a lesson, something to handle, a gift, or a blessing. Loss is simply what happens to you in life. Meaning is what you make happen.” ~ David Kessler
Guest Introduction:
Welcome to Exploring the Seasons of Life, a podcast for women with a big heart on a spiritual journey.
I'm your host Cindy MacMillan I help midlife women navigate the seasons of their life and stop waiting for permission to live the life they want.
Thank you so much for being here, friend.
Do you ever feel like you are waiting on a permission slip to live the life you want? If you answered yes, then you are in the right place. Each week I interview coaches and spiritual explorers, from all walks of life about beginnings, endings and the messy bits in between. Self-love, well-being and mindset are at the heart of our conversations. Because once you change the inside, the outside will begin to change as well.
Before I introduce my guest today, I wanted to let you know I am planning a workshop in December called Your Next Season Re-Imagined. Go out to my website CynthiaMacMillan.com and sign up for my newsletter Exploring SoL. Be the first to know when it’s announced.
I am delighted to introduce my guest.
Nesreen Ahmed is the Founder and CEO, of Harbor Light Coaching and is a Professional Certified Coach, specializing in grief and loss. She's recently completed two major trainings to become certified as a Positive Intelligence Coach and a Grief Educator. Nesreen’s coaching is focused on helping clients address their mindset, overcome the hurdles of grief, and find stability and peace amidst any major life change. She lives in New York City with her husband, her beautiful 1 and a half year old daughter and 10-year-old dog. She loves taking road trips, hiking, going to the beach, boxing and yoga.
Here’s a glimpse of our conversation:
Hi, Nesreen. Thanks so much for joining me today.
3:43 And we forget that there are ups and downs, there are cycles, there are seasons, and to allow for those within our everyday life.
4:37 But without those seasons, it feels a little jarring, doesn't it?
14:44 We're not taught on how to hold space for people. We're not taught on how to witness and be there for someone without trying to make them feel better or to fix how they're feeling or, you know, talk about ourselves instead, and maybe something we've gone through, which then takes the attention off them you know, So I think it's so important to have these safe containers, the safe spaces to be able to come and have very frank conversations.
18:14 I'll use the loss of a spouse. I think that's a really easy way to kind of demonstrate. So, when you lose your spouse, not only do you lose your person, right, you might also lose your co parent, you might also lose financial stability, if that person was bringing in most of the income or all the income, you might also lose some of your couple friends that were you know, friends with both of you, right? You might also lose your intimate partner. So, there's so many different losses that you go through when you lose one person.
24:15 The first is just to be willing to listen, to be there, you know, to be that safe space without trying to fix her without trying to tell her, you know why she shouldn't feel bad or how you're lost when you lost somebody, it was this and that, right, but just really being there for her and willing to listen.
27:05 You know, I think of the very basic foundation of self-care as getting enough movement or activity, eating well, and sleep, I think those are like the very basic foundational, please try to at least do these, if you're in grief. And sometimes, that's all you can do.
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If you LOVED this conversation with Nesreen Ahmed you’ll also love the conversations we had with:
Redefining Death with Jessica Wertz
Finding Your Inner Peace with Lydia Knoor
Let’s get Vulnerable with Kayleen Johnson
Self-care and Showing up in our Lives with Gina Bell
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