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Let's talk: Grief in Surrender, Anxiety, and Cultivating a Creative Community

Rhona Rubio Season 1 Episode 8

This week, I sit down with Andrea for a vulnerable conversation about the grief in surrender, identity, and the work God as we move from anxiety to self-leadership.

Andrea shares her journey of walking away from an engagement, building a thriving career as a wedding photographer, and facing the anxiety that came with letting go of the life she once pictured.

We talk about how easy it is to anchor our identity in relationships and work — and what happens when God invites us to release those things to discover who we truly are.

Grief isn’t just about death; it shows up in breakups, career shifts, and the loss of old dreams. 

Through it all, Andrea found purpose in her pain, and a deeper sense of community and calling on the other side.

If you're in a season of transition, heartbreak, or questioning who you are beyond what you do or who you’re with, this episode will remind you that letting go is not the end — it’s the beginning of becoming.

In this episode, we talk about:

  • How grief often begins with letting go of identities, not just people
  • The connection between anxiety and losing what once defined you
  • How God meets us in the "in-between" seasons with purpose and healing
  • Why cultivating honest community is essential in times of change

3 Tips for Navigating Grief and Transition:

  1. Release false identities tied to work and relationships.
    Your worth isn’t built on what you do or who you’re with.
  2. Find purpose inside the pain, not after it.
    God often uses broken seasons to plant the seeds of your next calling.
  3. Surround yourself with community that speaks truth when you forget it.
    Healing rarely happens in total isolation — we need safe spaces and safe people as we navigate grief and transition. 


How to Support Someone Letting Go of a Dream

✨ Just Be There “I’m here with you.” No fixing. Just presence.

💔 Validate the Loss “It’s okay to grieve what you hoped for.” What they lost mattered.

🌊 Make Space for All Emotions “Whatever you feel right now is allowed.” Grief is messy. Let it be.

⏳ Name the In-Between “You’re in the space between what was and what’s next.” This is a tender and sacred place.

🌱 Hold Hope Without Rushing “You don’t have to make sense of this yet.” Let healing come slowly.

🫶 Invite Gentle Sharing “If you ever want to talk, I’m here to listen.”


Have a Question? Shoot me a text.

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