Maverick Grieving

Mavericks are individuals who challenge the status quo, push boundaries and societal norms, and pursue their own paths rather than adhering to traditional rules or expectations. They are often characterized by their boldness, creativity, and their willingness to step into the unknown or unfamiliar.

Maverick grieving (or ‘mavericking’), is a term I created to describe the experience of consciously choosing to feel emotional pain and process life’s losses/upsets in nurturing, whole-hearted ways that diverge from societal expectations or convention. ‘Mavericking’ involves:

1. Allowing all emotions: allowing oneself to feel any and all emotions that are present with an open, nurturing, and non-judgemental presence.

2. Expressing emotions openly: allowing oneself to openly express ALL the varied emotions that can be a part of the grieving process, such as anger, fear, sadness, shame, relief, joy… AND, in a society that teaches us to “not feel bad/sad”, “be strong for others”, and “suppress/distract our pain”.

3. Challenging taboos: breaking societal taboos surrounding grieving, such as talking about our emotions openly and sharing our experiences authentically with trusted people….. in a society that tells us to “grieve alone” and may label our emotions as “weak” or “too much”.

4. Rejecting timelines: resisting pressure to adhere to predefined timelines for grieving and instead allowing oneself the time and space needed to grieve and move forward at one’s own pace. Grief never ends - its just shifts and changes, and we learn to embrace it while rebuilding our life anew.

5. Honouring individuality: acknowledging that everyone grieves differently and embracing one's unique process, even if it diverges from cultural or social norms.

In a world that tells us to ‘deal with’ with our pain as quickly as possible (or to avoid feeling it at all!), it takes incredible courage to FEEL IT ALL with a loving, nurturing presence. When our grieving process is centred in love, openness, emotional freedom, and authentic self-expression (mavericking!), rather than suppression, isolation, and conformity, we learn how to love ourselves in empowering new ways that have the potential to transform our entire life!