Traditionally grieving occurs with the loss of a loved one, relationship, pet, or job. The Healthy Grieving process can be applied in a much more diverse application. The following is a list of life events or objects of attachment that the Healthy Grieving process can be used for successfully. In fact, the more it is applied in life the more applications are revealed, since attachments are fundamentally how we experience ourselves. The inherent value in letting go attachments is to reclaim the self-identity that was given away in the attachment. By reclaiming aspects of one’s self, individuals can learn to know and understand who they are and can live a fuller experience of themselves in life.
Letting go of …
- a divorce
- an old girl/boyfriend or first love
- a home, neighborhood or community – whether in a loss, in a fire, or moving away
- miscarriage or abortion
- foreclosure
- boxes of old memorabilia, family pictures, or love letters
- financial loss
- abandonment
- the ending of an old friendship
- an affair
- a child leaving home at any stage of life
- old clothes
- a career path not taken
- the single life when getting married
- the experience of becoming an empty nester
- one’s independence when a child is born
- the sale of a car
- a sports team losing
- a disabling illness or disease
- social status or lifestyle change
- the ability to have children
- missed opportunities in life
- not being chosen in a tryout or audition
- family connections or relationships
The Healthy Grieving process can also be used proactively as a powerful way of letting go an attachment that negatively affects a person’s life experience such as:
Attachments to…
- alcohol
- children
- parents
- unhealthy relationships
- drama
- money
- love
- sex
- home
- food
- a way of life
- financial security
- shopping
- life style
- needing a man (woman) to be happy
Outgrowing the Fear of Death and Dying
One of the most significant indirect benefits of the Healthy Grieving process might be the most intriguing: the outgrowing of the fear of death and dying. The fear of death and dying is the result of the anticipated loss of the attachment to life – everything that gave meaning to a person’s life.