Lewis HowesYour Personal 24/7 Greatness Coach

There's a 6th Stage of Grief

12 Aug 2026 · 1 min

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In this excerpt from Lewis Howes' interview with renowned grief expert David Kessler, the hosts discuss the essential role of grieving well for overall life satisfaction. They emphasize that grief is fundamentally about change, and managing it effectively leads to greater happiness. A central point is that grief must be witnessed: individuals in mourning need another person to acknowledge their pain, love, and attachment, providing validation and support. The dialogue underscores the therapeutic importance of having one's loss seen and affirmed by others.

If you grieve well, you live well. Grief is about change. Those of us who can manage change well actually are happier in life. If you get stuck in the breakup, the job loss, whatever it is, you're not going to do well.
He's one of the world's foremost grief experts and bestselling author who has helped millions of people learn how to heal after loss. Please welcome David Kessler.
Grief must be witnessed.
What does that mean?
It means if you're in grief, you need another person to go, that job meant a lot. I'm so sorry that happened to you.
Why does that need to happen?
Because we need to have our pain and our love and our attachment witnessed in someone else's eyes.
A lot of people have heard about the 5 stages of grief. You've added a 6th stage of grief. Can you briefly share what these 6 stages of grief is? Sure. So