Show notes
Brave Widow Resources Brave Widow Academy (join the waitlist or book a call): https://bravewidow.com/academyJoin Brave Widow Foundations (gentle, faith‑based support for the first seasons of grief):👉 bravewidow.com/foundationsJoin the free Brave Widow Community: https://bravewidow.com/free 📍 In‑Person Events Mentioned: • Held in Hope Conference – Jenks, OK – Oct 8–9, 2026: https://www.standinthegap.org/heldinhope/ • San Antonio, TX meetup (September 2026) • Faith and Growth Summit – Miami, FL – Dec 3, 2026: https://faithbasedcoachingacademy.com/faith-and-growth-summit/ If you stand in front of the fridge asking, “What do I want?” and come up blank – not just about food, but about life – this episode is for you. After losing your person, wanting anything can feel numb, wrong, or like a betrayal. In this Brave Widow episode, Emily gently helps you practice wanting again without forcing yourself into big dreams or a brand-new life purpose. In this episode, you’ll hear:Why grief flattens desire and makes “neutral” feel safer than hopeHow to start with “coffee-level” wants instead of life purposeA simple way to design 90 minutes of your weekend to feel more like youHow to try new things without promising an outcomeA new way to see old dreams, shared dreams, and the dreams that belong to you now 🎁 Free “Desire Again” WorksheetWant help unpacking your own resistance and desires as you listen?Grab the free worksheet that goes with this episode:Click here to download: https://bravewidow.com/want Chapters:00:00 – “What do I want?” when the fridge question is really about life 01:18 – How grief suppresses desire and makes “neutral” feel safe 04:05 – Practicing tiny wants: coffee, mornings, and dinner plans 07:02 – Not “What do I want out of life?” but “What do I want more of?” 08:45 – Redesigning your weekends: three words and a 90‑minute block 11:35 – Trying without guarantees: experiments vs promised outcomes 13:40 – Frozen vs healing: numbness, overwhelm, and timing in grief 15:35 – Old dreams, shared dreams, and the dreams that are yours now 17:25 – “I’m allowed to want…” and giving yourself permission 18:40 – How to get the worksheet, join the community, and live events Subscribe for more faith‑based, hopeful grief support for widows: @BraveWidow on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram & Facebook 💬 If this episode helped you, please: Hit Subscribe Leave a quick rating & review – it helps more widows find this supportShare this with a friend who’s facing grief or the holidays without their person If you’re new here, my name is Emily Tanner. I’m the founder of Brave Widow and Brave Widow Academy. I help widows move from barely surviving their loss… to rebuilding a life they can actually love again without feeling like they’re betraying their person. By day (and for 20+ years), I’ve led large teams and complex operations in the corporate world. After my husband Nathan died in 2021, just shy of our 20-year anniversary, I took everything I knew about leadership, systems, and change — and started applying it to grief. Since then, I’ve:Shared my story publicly to make widows feel less alone.Launched the Brave Widow podcast, now with 180+ episodes and listeners around the world.Coached hundreds of widows Built Brave Widow Academy, a 6-month coaching program with a clear framework for moving from deep grief to rebuilding a life you can love again. I don’t teach “just think positive” grief tips. I teach widows how to:Heal their heart.Stop waiting on “time” to fix everything.Take small, brave steps toward a life that feels meaningful again. How I Got Here… 2021: My husband Nathan dies unexpectedly. I’m 4 kids in, overwhelmed, and drowning in paperwork, decisions, and pain. Therapy helps, but I still feel stuck with no roadmap. 2021–2022: I start devouring books, interviewing widows, trying grief groups, and studying coaching — desperate to find something that actually helps me feel different. 2022: I start the Brave Widow podcast, recording episodes while terrified and crying between takes — but determined that no widow should feel as alone as I did. Year 1: I begin coaching widows Year 2: I launch Brave Widow Academy — a structured, 6-month coaching program with a step-by-step path: from deep grief, to stability, to rebuilding. Year 3: Brave Widow has listeners around the world. I’ve personally coached hundreds of widows and spoken with thousands more through consults, lives, emails, and DMs. Today: My work is simple: Help widows stop surviving each day… and start rebuilding a life that makes them genuinely glad to be alive again.