When faced with unspeakable loss, how do we find the courage to rebuild and transform our lives? Celia Peachey joins us to share her extraordinary journey of resilience and reinvention. From the harrowing depths of her mother’s murder to a battle with the criminal justice system and the suffocating challenges of the pandemic, Celia’s story is a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for growth and change. As she finds solace in the lush landscapes of Costa Rica, learn how this ultimate alchemist has turned her deepest pain into a world-class coaching platform, inspiring others to rise above adversity and live with purpose.
The paths we walk are often lined with the shadows of personal struggles, and this episode gives voice to the emotional odyssey that accompanies watching a loved one suffer. Celia and I both open up about the erosion of confidence and personality we witnessed in our mothers, and how critical self-care and boundaries are for survival. My own retreat into the silence and self-reflection of vipassana meditation brought me face-to-face with profound peace amidst turmoil. This chapter of our lives underscores the sanctity of mental health and the unexpected peace and clarity that can emerge from embracing meditation amidst life’s storms.
Ultimately, this episode is an homage to the resilience that lies within each of us, waiting to be discovered in our darkest hours. We traverse a landscape marked by personal tragedy – from the murder of a family matriarch to battles with suicidal thoughts, illness, and the redemptive power of nonviolent communication and activism. It’s a conversation that delves into the intricacies of healing, the quest for inner strength, and the unwavering commitment to turn grief into advocacy. Join us for this powerful reflection on overcoming the most profound of adversities, and the transformative growth that shapes our purpose and identity in their wake.
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Presenter
Malcolm Stern has worked as a group and individual psychotherapist for more than 30 years. He was a co-founder of Alternatives at St James’s Church in London and runs groups internationally.
He is the author of Falling in Love / Staying in Love (Piatkus 2004) and Slay Your Dragons with Compassion ( Watkins 2020). He co-presented Channel 4’s relationship series, ‘Made for Each Other’ in 2003 and 2004 and sailed on the ‘Rainbow Warrior’ with Greenpeace in the 1980s. The book he is currently writing is an exploration of the shadow and its necessity in our evolutionary development.
To become equal to the dream sewn within us, our heart must break open and usually must break more than once. That’s why they say that the only heart worth having is a broken heart. For only in breaking can it open fully and reveal what is hidden within.” – Michael Meade
This is a series of podcasts based on the premise explored in Malcolm Stern’s acclaimed book of the same name, that adversity provides us with the capacity to develop previously unexplored depths and is , in effect , a crucible for self reflection and awareness. Malcolm lost his daughter Melissa to suicide in 2014. It slowly dawned on him over the following few years that he was being educated and an opportunity was being presented where new insights helped him forge a path through his grief and despair. As part of that cathartic journey, he wrote “ Slay Your Dragons with Compassion ( Watkins 2020 ) where he was able to describe some of the practices that had helped him shed light on a way through the darkness.
