Holiday Grief: A Heartfelt Conversation on Healing and Celebrating Life

Discover a space of solace, a sanctuary, where you're free to express your feelings, where the hustle and bustle of the holiday season meets the raw emotions of loss. I, Shaniqua, your host, will guide you through this emotional landscape, sharing my personal insights about the lingering pain of losing a loved one, the struggle of maintaining mental calm, and how finding serenity in silence can lead us to peace and acceptance. 

In this conversation, we'll explore the idea of how everything, even the difficult times, happens according to a divine plan. I'll share some of my personal struggles, and how I found ways to navigate through the noise and chaos of my mind. And as we kick off with a prayer of gratitude and blessings, remember that this season is all about giving, not just in material terms, but of ourselves and our time to others. Join me in this heartfelt discussion and let's celebrate life, and find joy in every moment.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to free concepts unmasked, where we motivate, educate and elevate. I am your host, shaniqua, and excuse me, guys, I am under the weather just slightly and but I just wanted to go ahead and Put this podcast out here today, this episode In reference to the holidays. I know a lot of people have lost loved ones around this time and it's a difficult time. I know I'm speaking for myself as well that it seems to never get easy when you've lost a loved one. It could be six months ago, it could have been 20 years ago. It still feels Like it was yesterday and a loss is a loss, you know, and you have every right to feel Sadden or grieve a little bit, but at the same time, you should know that your loved ones that have left this world want you to celebrate life, to enjoy yourself and Be happy. You know they've moved on, they've already lived their lives and they will want you to be happy and and have joy. So Keep that in mind Also. You're out here running around trying to pick up some last-minute gifts, just know, and the recipe, you know, for something or whatever. But you're out here running the streets Trying to get all these last-minute items, but just know that the season is about giving. The season is about loving family and Not just giving material or just gifts, but just giving of yourself to someone else. Time, quality time, is what's really important. So let's keep that in mind, guys. I'm gonna go ahead and start with prayer and then I'm gonna go ahead and encourage you with Just. You know some things that I was thinking about around this holiday season.

Speaker 1: 2:04

So, father, god, in the name of Jesus, god, we come to you, lord, and we say thank you. We thank you, god, for all the things that you've done, all that you're doing in our lives. We're so hopeful, god, and we know, god, that everything that you do is for us and it's not being done to us. God, we love you, we adore you. We thank you for your grace, your mercy, we thank you for show-to-food clothing, god. We thank you, father, god, for even the people that don't have God, that you will bless them so they will have God. We just thank you, lord, just for good health, love, unity and peace in the world. God, we ask for it right now. In the name of Jesus, god, we lift it and give it all up to you. Thank you so much, god, for my listeners have them to be able to feel, whatever it is that the word that you have that you want to deliver through me, help them to feel better than what they felt before listening. Much love and respect, god. We love you, we praise you. To god. Be the glory in Jesus name. Amen, okay, okay, okay, amen, amen, oh, god, take away the nerves, okay.

Speaker 1: 3:15

So I want to talk about how life is lifeing there. You know, I I feel like sometimes that I just cannot get it together. I feel like my mind has a hundred tvs playing at one time. You know they're overthinking. So now I have started to meditate and pray more and trying to be calm and more at peace. There's so much noise that's going on in the world sometimes we have to block it all out and just come to a place of peace, serenity, you know, and spending time with ourselves and our own thoughts, but not overthinking about what we could have, should have, but didn't, do you know? Sometimes, you know, people have regrets, but for me, I don't have any regrets because I really believe that everything was done according to god's plan for my life, even the bad stuff, guys, but I want you to know that, whatever it is that you think you can't get through.

Speaker 1: 4:32

You've already been through so many challenges before you know. Remember you, you went through high school. That was a challenge. You went through kina garden. You know what's up with those shapes anyway in colors, right? You know, middle school was awkward. High school, you know, I was a teen mom. You know like stuff happens. You know, but, um, the challenges of life, you know, uh, starting your first job, um, your first apartment, things like that. You know, um, you've overcome so many different obstacles and your life, in your life, and look how far you've come. You might not be where you want to be, but you're there, gonna show any way you used to be.

Speaker 1: 5:17

I love to say that because it's so true when we look back at our past and just think about all the things that you've overcome, all the adversities, all of the challenges, all of the disagreements, all of the pain, all of the hurt that you've overcome. Now, a lot of times, we still feel broken and that's why I always talk about the healing process and why it's important to heal. But I want you to know that there is hope. You can never give up on hope just because of what it looks like right now. That does not determine your future. Whatever you did in your past does not determine your future. You are with greatness. Greatness already resides in you. You have to know that greatness resides in you. You have to know that you are love. You were created on purpose. Excuse me, guys, I'm sorry, I told you I'm going, you know, hey, we're gonna get through this.

Speaker 1: 6:27

I want to encourage you to know that you are exactly who you think you are, not the negative, not the negative thoughts, but the positive thoughts. You know, before other people came around describing you and trying to put you in a box and trying to tell you what you are, what you look like or you know, um, kind of stamping a label on you, you are beautiful and wonderfully made, just naturally beautiful and gifted and talented and so wonderful. You know, just think about For a moment. Close your eyes and just think about now. If you driving, don't close your eyes now, but if you have some where where you can sit and just close your eyes and think about the most beautiful Person that's within you, a Lot of times all of these things that's happened in the world, you know we feel like it was against us, but it was really for us.

Speaker 1: 7:32

It made us stronger and made us wiser. It made us more loving and made us more human. So never regret the things that you've been through. I Know sometimes we've had some dark moments in our lives, but even then there are some light that came out of it somehow. Some way.

Speaker 1: 7:54

You have to find the silver lining, joke about your life sometimes. You know I joke about mine. You know you have to have a sense of humor to get in. You know, get through this world. We got a lot of people that's a little soft and they don't understand. You know the 70s babies how we grew up and we grew up strong, we grew up tough. We we fell, we got back up, we dusted it off, we had arguments, we had fights. You know, make friends again. It's. It's the cycle of life, you know.

Speaker 1: 8:31

But Think about just doing Better. You know better, but we don't always do better. Let's try to learn how to do better and not worry about what someone else is doing all the time to distract us. Let's be more concerned about what we're gonna do with our life, the rest of our lives. You've been through so much as it is. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 8:58

Give yourself a chance. Give yourself a chance at love again. Open your heart. You have to be vulnerable to love. You have to be vulnerable to love and guess what?

Speaker 1: 9:11

We all play the fool, that's okay, but you can't give up on love. You can't give up. You don't give up looking for a job. You need a job. You know what I mean. You don't give up on other things. So don't give up on love and, most of all, don't give up on loving you first.

Speaker 1: 9:28

If you love you first, then you're able to then recognize what real, true love is. Love is in with, is within all of us, and we have to find Whatever it is that that Made us or changed us. Let me say that Whatever changed us at one point for the worst Whether it was a family member that passed away, whether it was a rape or molest or abuse and some some sort, no matter what it was that you've been through and experienced, and I'm not taking that away from you, because I've been through it too. What I'm saying is that it was something that you went through. Don't allow power, someone else, to have power over you, power to take over you and change you Into someone that you don't even recognize. Know that God loves you. I love you. There are people that love you.

Speaker 1: 10:38

Some people don't have enough time for themselves and you expect them to have time for you. When people don't answer the phone, number one and you get discouraged to sit there and pray, meditate, take some time with you. I Know was hard sometimes because you've, you know, adopted this habit of Always being busy, keeping yourself busy, so that way you don't think about the real things that you really need to think about in order to heal and do the inner work. But this time, this season, is time for restoration and healing. We're going into 2024 soon guys. This is the end of the year. What better time than now?

Speaker 1: 11:23

Now, I know a lot of you have tried God or tried going to churches and you've been kind of turned away or turned off. Just know that that's not God. Any bad experiences that you've had in church is not God. Those are human people. They make mistakes and at the end of the day, just like you, go out here looking for job after job after job, you don't settle. Don't settle for just any church. You don't always have to fellowship at church. You can fellowship at home, but find some good word, something that's going to feed you really good this season Positive vibes, positive energy, positive words, positive affirmations. Whatever it is that you can do right now, go to YouTube, go to you know wherever you need to go to be able to get some positive messages. Okay, because I really want everyone to be okay and understand that you are enough. Stop looking at what other people are doing, stop looking at what they have and how far they've come, and so forth, because at the end of the day, you never know what God has in store for you. If I had given up years ago, you know, I would not have been able to see my children grow up and my grandbaby and so many of the great experiences that I have now. And it's not even just that, but just loving me more, watching myself over the years grow and mature and be the best version of myself that I can be. And I'm still headed to the even best, best version of myself. And I want you to do the same.

Speaker 1: 13:07

Guys, do not allow this superficial holiday, you know, with the whole. You know just the stuff. You know it's nice, but it's not about the stuff. It's about love. It's about peace around the world. That's what it's supposed to be about Loving one another. That's it, simple Love don't cost anything. So please enjoy your holiday. No stress. You too blessed to be stressed, as they say. Enjoy your time, enjoy your family, enjoy your loved ones, enjoy your friends. You know, whoever you have, if you just have, you enjoy you and just being with you, and that's okay.

Speaker 1: 13:58

You might feel lonely sometimes, but you're never alone. God is always with you. I truly believe that. Don't let ignorance, or people in church too, push you away from God. That's not God. God is a God of love. So, whatever bad experiences you had with churches, I do get it, I do understand, but that's a place of healing where people need to go to just heal. Those people are trying to heal as well, even though they may think they don't need no healing. We all need healing in certain areas of our lives. So just know that there might be some negative people, might be some bad people, but you have to be the light in the middle of the darkness. Let your light shine. Do not allow anyone to dim your light or make you smaller. You have your own relationship with God, period.

Speaker 1: 15:01

Okay, so I just want to put that out there for the holiday. I will be back on here Monday, which will be Christmas Day, and hopefully maybe might have a surprise for you. Also, we are still doing the giveaway the shadow work journal by Kila Shaheen. It's all about the inner work, guys. We spend so much money and time on our outside, our outer appearance, that we really need to work within ourselves. It's really important, guys, because if not, we will continue to have unhealthy relationships, sabotaging relationships and we can't fulfill our purpose If we're still stuck in the past over, still stuck in our mess and our brokenness. So definitely want to be able to give that out to you guys.

Speaker 1: 15:49

I am going to pull a name. If you email to free concepts podcast at gmailcom, let's see what the key phrase would be. Today would be happy holidays, love yourself. Happy holidays, love yourself and loving yourself, you'll be able to love others. So definitely send your shipping address so if I pick your name, I can be able to ship this book out to you so you can start the healing process and doing the inner work with all of the activities and exercises that it has in here. It's really personalized. So that's my gift to you. I want to say God bless you. Much love and respect to all of you. Thank you so much for tuning in. It has been an honor. I'm truly grateful to all of you for subscribing, for just listening, for commenting, for just supporting. Thank you again. Have a wonderful week and again stop stressing it's okay. Relax, relate, release, take some deep breaths and know that you're going to be just fine. God bless you.