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This gentle 7-minute meditation is designed to support you as you begin a new week—especially when grief feels heavy. Whether you’re carrying personal loss, witnessing the pain in your community, or feeling the collective weight of the world, this meditation offers a moment to pause, breathe, and ground yourself.

Rather than rushing past grief, this practice honors it—creating space for both sorrow and strength to coexist. You’ll be guided to reconnect with your body, find steadiness beneath your feet, and take the next step forward with compassion and grace.

This meditation is not about fixing or forcing positivity. It’s about showing up as you are and moving into the week gently, intentionally, and supported—one breath at a time.

Perfect for Monday mornings, moments of overwhelm, or anytime you need a reminder that even in grief, you are allowed to begin again.

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What happens when the loss you’re carrying isn’t the death of a person—but the quiet disappearance of who you used to be?

In this deeply reflective episode, I’m Grieving Me, we explore a form of grief that often goes unnamed: the grief of identity change. This conversation is for anyone mourning the version of themselves that existed before trauma, transition, responsibility, burnout, or becoming “strong.”

Through honest reflection, compassion, and gentle reframing, this episode creates space to acknowledge the versions of ourselves we’ve outgrown, lost, or had to leave behind. You’ll be reminded that growth can still hurt, that missing who you were doesn’t mean you regret who you are, and that becoming requires just as much tenderness as healing.

If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t recognize myself anymore,” this episode is for you.

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So many of us are experts at caring for everyone else—meeting physical, emotional, and financial needs—while quietly neglecting our own. Over time, this pattern leaves us depleted, disconnected, and unfamiliar with ourselves.

In this episode of Grief, I Didn’t Sign Up for This, we talk honestly about what it means to make yourself a priority—not out of selfishness, but out of necessity. Grief, loss, and life changes introduce a new version of us, and healing requires that we slow down long enough to get to know who we’re becoming.

This conversation explores the importance of being intentional with your health, finances, mental well-being, and grief care. It’s an invitation to stop pouring from an empty cup and begin protecting yourself with the same love, boundaries, and attention you give to those you care for most.

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, stretched thin, or disconnected from yourself, this episode offers permission to pause, reflect, and choose you—one intentional decision at a time.

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The start of a new year can bring pressure to move on, start fresh, or leave the past behind—but grief doesn’t follow the calendar.

In this meditation episode of Grief, I Didn’t Sign Up for This, we create space to gently acknowledge what the previous year held and to step into the new year with honesty, compassion, and intention. This guided meditation invites you to release unrealistic expectations, honor what you’ve carried, and move forward at a pace that feels true to you.

Whether you’re grieving a loved one, a relationship, a season of life, or a version of yourself, this episode offers a moment to pause, breathe, and remember that healing does not require perfection—only presence.

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Christmas can be beautiful—and heavy.
For many, this season carries joy and grief side by side.

This Christmas meditation is a quiet, sacred pause for anyone navigating loss, loneliness, or complicated emotions during the holidays. Whether you’re missing someone you love, feeling disconnected from the cheer around you, or simply needing a moment to breathe, this meditation offers space without pressure.

Through gentle breathing, reflection on the true story of Christmas, and permission to feel what you feel, this meditation reminds you that you don’t have to perform joy to belong in this season. Grief is not a failure—and peace can exist alongside pain.

Light a candle, find a comfortable place, and allow yourself to be present.
You are held, even here.

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Christmas is supposed to be joyful—but what happens when the lights feel too bright, the rooms feel too quiet, and the ache of absence is louder than the music? In this episode, What Do the Lonely Do at Christmas?, we sit with the reality many people don’t talk about: the loneliness that often shows up during the holidays. Whether you’re grieving a loved one, navigating separation, feeling disconnected from family, or simply trying to survive a season that doesn’t feel merry, this conversation creates space for you. Through reflection, encouragement, and gentle truth, we explore how to honor your feelings, release the pressure to perform happiness, and find moments of comfort and meaning—even when loneliness lingers. You’re not broken, you’re not ungrateful, and you’re definitely not alone

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As the year comes to a close, the pressure to “finish strong” can feel overwhelming—especially if this year included loss, grief, or unexpected challenges. In this episode of Grief, I Didn’t Sign Up for This, Shaleka Smith reframes what it truly means to end the year strong.

This conversation invites you to slow down, reflect honestly, and release what no longer serves you. Together, we explore how strength doesn’t always look like productivity or achievement, but often shows up as resilience, self-compassion, and alignment with God’s grace. Through reflection, scripture, and gentle encouragement, this episode creates space to honor your journey, acknowledge your growth, and step into the new year without carrying unnecessary weight.

Whether you’re grieving, healing, or simply exhausted from the year, this episode is a reminder that you don’t have to rush into what’s next—God meets you right where you are.

Take a deep breath, press play, and let this be your permission to close the year with peace.

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In this special bonus episode of Grief, I Didn’t Sign Up for This, Shaleka offers a gentle, grounding, 7-minute guided meditation created for anyone carrying the quiet weight of grief. Whether you’re navigating a fresh loss, an old wound that still aches, or the heaviness that shows up during the holidays and hard seasons, this meditation invites you into stillness, breath, and emotional safety.

Through calming imagery, compassionate reflection, and faith-centered grounding, this short practice helps listeners:

• slow down their thoughts
• release pent-up tension
• sit honestly with their emotions
• feel God’s nearness in the midst of pain
• reconnect with their breath and their body
• experience a few moments of peace right where they are

This episode is your soft place to land — a moment to pause, exhale, and care for your heart. Perfect for mornings when you wake up heavy, nights when grief won’t let you rest, or anytime you need a sacred breather in the middle of a difficult day.

Press play, breathe deeply, and let this meditation meet you with gentleness.

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