When Lisa Woolery found her husband Eric slumped over in his home office—gone at 53 from sudden heart failure—she never imagined what would come next. Not just the frozen assets, the angry 12-year-old, or walking 20,000 steps a day to process the pain. But this: grief made her a better…
What if losing everything was the beginning of becoming your best self? When Lisa Woolery's husband Eric died suddenly at 53—after 36 years together—she never imagined grief would make her a better mother. But that's exactly what happened. Through frozen assets, angry tweens, spiritual warfare, and 20,000 daily steps of…
I used to think “passed away” was just a euphemism. A way to avoid the hard truth. I thought, “Why do they say passed away, transitioned, or went home?” Just be plain. “He died." Don’t sugarcoat it.” My first grief counselor told me, “When you can say ‘died instead of…
What if those unexplainable feelings you get — those quiet nudges that something is about to change — aren't just anxiety or imagination, but your soul preparing you for what's ahead? In this deeply moving episode, I talk with Tami Pitetti Sanders, an intuitive guide whose journey began with subtle…
Have you ever experienced intuitive signs before death — those unexplainable nudges that something is about to change? In this profound conversation, I sit down with Tami Pitetti Sanders, an intuitive guide whose story reveals how the universe prepares us for loss in ways we often don't recognize until later.…
I hate him. I can and should hate this malevolence. All decent, loving, compassionate people should. Every person claiming to care about what Jesus cared about should hate it. Good people should unapologetically hate atrocities against humanity. Christians should be fighting it instead of cultivating it. * John Pavlovitz I…
TL;DR Grief ambushes you at random—at the grocery store, in the car, at work. Emotional regulation isn’t about controlling your feelings or forcing positivity. It’s about intentionally moving through them. I use a 6-mile walk with three playlist phases: * Processing grief with sad/angry music (Evanescence, Linkin Park) * Transitioning…
“I’m sorry,” she said, reaching for the tissue box. “I didn’t mean to cry.” I hear this in almost every session. Clients apologizing for their tears. As if grief should be neat and dry. As if showing emotion is something to be embarrassed about. But here’s what I always tell…
What happens when grief doesn't just visit once—but keeps coming back? In this deeply honest conversation, Vanessa May shares how she navigated losing her son Harry, then her husband Anthony, and father during the pandemic, all while battling COVID and later a cancer diagnosis. Vanessa doesn't sugarcoat. She doesn't spiritually…
What happens when grief doesn't just visit—but moves in and takes everything? Vanessa May knows. She lost her son Harry at 24. Then, during the pandemic, she lost her husband, Anthony, and her father within weeks of each other—while battling COVID herself and unable to say goodbye in person. Together,…
This morning, Tampa, Florida was colder than Juneau, Alaska. Let that sink in. The Sunshine State shivered at 27°F while the Alaskan capital sat at a balmy 33°F. Polar vortexes buckling. Weather patterns flipping upside down. And honestly? The weather is the least of it. Our leaders are being exposed…
Dr. Valentin shares stories of miraculous changes through ancestral healing. Communication restored, depression lifted, and lifelong patterns broken—sometimes overnight. Discover the power of healing your lineage. #AncestralHealing #RelationshipHealing #DepressionRelief #Transformation
Some struggles don’t make sense. You do the work. You try to heal. And yet the same emotional patterns, grief, anxiety, or disconnection keep resurfacing. In this special Grief 2 Growth episode, Brian D. Smith welcomes back Dr. Lotte Valentin, medical doctor, psychotherapist, ancestral healer, and two-time near-death experiencer, for…
Some struggles don’t respond to effort, logic, or “trying harder.” They repeat. They linger. They feel bigger than your life story. What if they didn’t begin with you? 🌿 In this special Grief 2 Growth episode, Brian D. Smith welcomes back Dr. Lotte Valentin, ancestral healer, medical doctor, and psychotherapist,…
TL;DR I’m 51/100 of the way to Substack Bestseller status. I’m offering limited-time discount tiers ($2, $4, or $6/month for your first year) until I hit 100 paid subscribers—then they close forever. Only 49 spots left. This is my full-time work, and paid subscriptions help sustain the mission: creating space…
I don’t know how to do this. You were the first to see me in the morning and the last at night. My days began and ended because you were there to hold them. When I had a good day, you made me tell it again, so we could live…
Alexis Leigh heard a voice in the woods that changed everything. A stark message: dying that day would make her life a tragedy. This revelation peeled back layers of pain and loneliness. #WakeUpCall #LifeChanging #PersonalGrowth #InnerPeace
What if your pain isn’t something to escape… but something guiding you toward healing? 🌱 In this powerful episode of Grief to Growth, Brian Smith sits down with writer and seeker Alexis Lee, author of Pain Is a Portal to Beauty, for a raw and deeply honest conversation about healing…
In this deeply moving episode of Grief to Growth, Brian Smith is joined by writer and seeker Alexis Lee, author of Pain Is a Portal to Beauty, for a courageous conversation about grief, trauma, and radical self-healing. Alexis shares the moment that changed her life — hearing a voice while…
I was so excited about coming to Earth.I had it all planned out.The people I would love.The life I thought I was going to live. I couldn’t wait.I heard Earth was this great adventure. And just before I left, as I was turning toward the door,someone gently pulled me aside.…
Richard Ashworth explores the age-old question: fate or free will? Discover how past choices haunt us, but also empower us to change and become who we wish to be. Harness time, place, and self-discipline. #FateVsFreeWill #RichardAshworth #PersonalGrowth #SelfDiscipline
Before we ever started recording, Richard Ashworth asked for my birth information. When he told me that something profound happened when I was seven years old—something that shaped how I see the world—I felt it in my body. It was a moment of loss. A moment of awakening. And he…
Before the microphones were turned on, Richard Ashworth asked Brian for his birth information. What followed was an unexpected and deeply personal moment—Richard identified a pivotal event at age seven that reshaped Brian’s view of life. He was right. In this episode of Grief 2 Growth, Brian and Richard explore…
I’m a solar-driven person. All year long, we’re told that after December 22nd, “the light returns.” It sounds dramatic. Reassuring. Almost instant. But that’s not really how it works. The winter solstice isn’t the sudden return of light — it’s simply the end of the descent into darkness. The turnaround…