Is There Hope After Death?

A quote written by W. Clement Stone recently caught my attention:                                          

"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative."

When you think of the number of people living in the US today, 308 million, and the number of individuals who are grieving, 2.4 million Americans died in 2009, the number of people who are grieving the loss of a family member, friend, or co-worker is overwhelming.
For many of those who are grieving that “little difference,” that can make a “big difference,” is someone who will listen to them share their grief.

For the grieving, attitude can mean the difference between bitterness and a life surrounded with self-pity or a life filled with the pain of loss, but a hope and confidence about the future. Some individuals can find that positive attitude in spite of their grief, but others need the help of a friend, family member, counselor, or life coach to help them change the focus in their life. When a person experiences the death of a significant person in their life, they naturally focus on the loss and the void created in their life. Over time, if the person cannot shift their attention from the past, to the hope of the future, they can never expect to find healing from their loss. Many times what makes the difference is someone who will listen as they express their grief and then encourage them to choose to live rather than continuing to focus on death.

As a grief coach we have the opportunity to make a difference in the life of an individual who is grieving. Through effective questioning and scaffolding conversation individuals can shift their outlook from hopelessness to a hope filled future.

What do you think can help make the "big difference" in a person who is grieving?