Lost a Piece of Your Heart? Few Tips on Your Grief Journey

•By attention to your daily thoughts. Accept both the positive and the negative. Take steps towards positive so the negative thoughts are few and far between.

•Believe in your strength and know you have a new normal life that you have to live.

•Reach out to others that have been through the same loss. It's amazing how we begin to heal when we reach out to someone else that's hurting. Don't just offer to be there if they need you. If you have experienced it then you already know they need you. Do something... anything!

•Schedule a date to do something you enjoy or go on vacation and stick to your plan. Go with positive friends or family that want to help you through. It's okay to have fun again. Your loved one or child does not want you living in solitude.

•Make a conscious effort to regain your sense of humor. It's in there somewhere. Try having lunch or dinner with your funniest relative or friend. Laughter is good for the soul!

•Allow others to help you when they offer and learn to ask for what you need! Remember they can only imagine your pain if they haven't gone through it so any help they offer helps them as much as you.

•Follow your heart and listen to yourself. Speak victory daily over your grief. Your child or loved one doesn't want you to stop living. Say out loud each day, I am stronger, I am healing, I am protected. Incorporate the positive " I am" every single day. If you feel bad most days, wake up and say I am healthy!

•Don't listen to the daily "time will heal" or "they are in a better place" with anger, people just want to help. If they haven't gone through such sorrow they can not completely understand but allow them to help you.

•Participate in whatever exercise or activity that brings you peace if at all possible. Get moving and get going.

•Set out to accomplish something small at first then move onto bigger goals.

•Don't try to change anything in your life for a year at least. Give yourself time to reflect and then push forward.

•Consider writing every daily moment of joy in a journal and /or reading a daily devotion or blog that is positive.

•You have to gain a sense of perspective with your loss and your new normal life.

Everyone knows that no one grieves in the same way or at the same pace after the loss of your child or someone very close to your heart. The steps of grief are like hurdles on a track so matter where you are in your grief journey.