Processing Grief and Getting to Normal

“I’m in my head a lot — and it kind of sucks. There are certain things I have to do to be out of my head and just to get to normal. I’m not talking about being really super effective. Just to get to normal…” –Rainn Wilson, actor

It’s been a wild few weeks, hasn’t it?

I deliberately keep this blog and my writing apolitical to focus the human and more-than-human side of stuff. And typically I’m an optimistic guy. But when I read about these 13 crises that humanity faces, many of which are influenced by the U.S. election results, I’m not feeling much like myself these days.

Coupled with my sister’s boyfriend getting into a cycling accident with severe head trauma and still unknown brain damage – I’ve experienced a complex mix of emotions, thoughts, and mental states that I can’t seem to articulate.

But I’ve since learned to describe it: grief.

“Pure, unmistakable grief” as my friend Steve said.

Within the first 72 hours after the election, I took a stab at navigating my grief via a few Facebook posts like these ones, and more recently this about my grief about my sister’s boyfriend.

Three weeks later, the grief is still very real, very raw, and I’m still working through it. Or maybe it’s still working its way through me.

Last week I listened to a podcast where actor Rainn Wilson talks about how he gets out of his head and “gets to normal”. It reminded me how much we as a species live in our heads. And highlighted to me how much I was trying to process my grief intellectually, while something else was required.

Here’s a short story I posted on Medium about running, crying, getting into my body and reaching for normal. Enjoy:

Processing Grief and Getting to Normal

Writing, News, Good Reads + More:

My Creative Mornings talk is live! A 30-min talk exploring the magic of being human, plus four ideas for how we can be more human in our work.
4 new intentions I want to live going forward. My answer to the question: what matters more to me today than it did before the election?
“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” A Hopi elders’ prophecy that feels appropriate in these times.
“Strong men don’t obsess over how Alpha they appear to other men.” Philosopher Jules Evans on how the alt-right emerged from men’s self-help.
“It is not sufficient to merely recognize a bias against women in order to counteract it. We must actively confirm it’s unacceptable.” Jocelyn K. Glei on how to relieve your post-election angst & take action right now.
Tony Robbins: The Day I Became (Truly) Wealthy. This powerful 6-min video left me teary-eyed.
“Cover your cameras” + 4 other steps to online privacy & security via designer Tobias van Schneider.