There is no doubt about it, we are living in a time of loss. You and I have experienced some kind of loss so far in 2020. It may have been the loss of a job, loss of income, loss of a relationship, loss of someone close to you, loss of the ability to travel, loss of personal connection, loss of certain freedoms, loss of control of different areas of your life and loss of other things I haven’t even mentioned. The thing I want you to think about, as you read this blog, is, what do you do with that loss?

In this week’s podcast with Marie Alessi, called Loving life after loss, I was so inspired by this incredible lady, that I reflected more on her message. In June 2018, with no warning, her husband and the father of their two sons, died unexpectedly while he was travelling for business. They had an amazing marriage, a strong family bond, and you would expect this tragic event to devastate Marie. Well, the way she handled this tragedy was incredible, as she was immediately able to draw on her inner resources, tap into powerful love, draw from her husband’s strength and find empowerment that helped her move from grief to growth in a very short period of time.

Marie very quickly wrote a book to share her experiences called, “Loving Life after Loss”. When it hit the top 100 list in Australia on day one, she realised she had something the world needed. Only months later she founded a global movement with the same title. Using this empowerment, together with her strengths & inner guidance, she found and created her way back to JOY in a way that now ripples massive impact around the world. I recommend you listen to this podcast, if you haven’t already.

Right now, what loss, or losses, are you dealing with? It’s interesting, and Marie discusses this in the podcast, how society expects us to deal with loss. The recommendations, from various sources, suggest we need to go through the five, six, eight or however many steps there may be in the particular grieving process being touted at the time. Who has the right to tell us how long we have to grieve, be sad, withdraw from the world and just be miserable until we are able to find joy again? Well, let me tell you, if a lady who lost the love of her life can become empowered, find love and joy and move on to help people within weeks, then I’m sure we can all be – almost – immediately empowered by loss.

So, what does it mean, to be empowered by loss? It means, rather than allowing loss to disable us, stop us in our tracks or hold us back, it means finding the inspiration in that moment of loss, to move us into positive action. Is it easy? It’s not hard, it just all depends on your mindset and your desire to live your best life. Like you, I have experienced loss over the last 12 months. In that time, I have lost my marriage, my driver’s license, a large source of my income, and right now I am experiencing a significant loss of physical connection with people.

Did I have some low spots? You bet I did. There have been moments of hopelessness, sadness and tantrums, but I am proud to say the majority of my movement has been forward, with empowered action. Losing my marriage has empowered me to learn the lessons, forgive myself for my poor choices and start in the process of becoming a better person. Losing my driver’s license has empowered me to slow down, be more mindful, walk more, ride my bike more and improve my physical wellbeing. Losing a source of my income has empowered me to find alternatives and, right now, that part of my business is doing better than it has ever done. Losing physical connection has empowered me to become more connected to myself, to God and to really be grateful for the important people in my life.

I am not telling this for you to be impressed with me. Instead, I want to impress upon you, that you have the power to take control of any loss or any undesirable circumstance in your life. So, as you sit, reflect and consider any losses you may be currently experiencing, it is my strongest desire that you will see an opportunity to find joy, and be empowered to use that loss as a catalyst for great things. Enjoy your week and make it one in which you are empowered by loss!