What if the key to peace during grief isn’t moving on—but moving within? In this deeply meaningful episode, we sit down with the powerful and compassionate Eileen Bild—CEO of Ordinary to Extraordinary Life, founder of the Core Thinking Blueprint Method, Breakthrough S.P.A.R.K. coach, and host of OTEL Talk. With a Master’s in transpersonal psychology and a mission to help people become unstoppable, Eileen brings wisdom and warmth to a tender topic: finding peace in the journey of widowhood. We dive into her five core principles for success, explore the science of neural pathways in the grieving process, and learn how to maintain a spiritual connection with those we’ve lost. Whether you’re navigating a personal loss or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers grace, grounding, and gentle guidance. So take a breath—this one’s for the heart. I am sharing my experience of loving the same man for 32 years, a mother to two adult children, a retired military officer, a breast cancer survivor, and my connections with others.  Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts should reach out to a suicide hotline or local emergency number in their country: Psychology Today Suicide Hotlines and Prevention Resources Around the World — Watch the episode here   Listen to the podcast here   From Ordinary To Extraordinary Life: Healing After Loss With Eileen Bild Our guest is Ms. Eileen Bild. She is the CEO of Ordinary to Extraordinary Life, Founder of the Core Thinking Blueprint Method, Breakthrough S.P.A.R.K. coach, mentor, author, keynote speaker, and internationally syndicated columnist. She holds a Master’s in transpersonal psychology and is the host of OTEL Talk. She helps others live their best lives and become unstoppable. In this conversation, we are going to discuss her five principles of core thinking for success, as well as how we find peace in this grief journey. Let’s get into this conversation.     Eileen, welcome to the widowhood. Thank you for inviting me. I’m excited to be here. I’m excited to have you here, too. When you hear, “Welcome to the widowhood,” what comes to mind for you? Loss can be very challenging. When I hear, “Welcome to widowhood,” I feel that you’ve got your arms wide open. It’s an opportunity to connect with others who have had trials and tribulations. It’s a journey into widowhood and being able to process that and come through with strength. Thank you. All of those do relate in this space. The reason why I was glad for you to be part of this conversation is your background from being an author and a speaker, having a background in psychology, and you’re coaching in the idea of breaking through and S.P.A.R.K. Can you explain what S.P.A.R.K. means? The Concept Of S.P.A.R.K. In Grief & Healing Yes. Over the years, people shared with me, “You sparked me to look at things from a different perspective or have a different thought.” For me, the spark is when something gets triggered in ourselves that gets us out of a space where we’re stuck and we’re not able to move forward, whether it’s an action, a belief system, or a way of handling its life situation. Spark, to me, is bringing that light from within outward, and then using that to be able to propel forward in a beautiful way. I believe that there’s a lot of magic, grace, and beauty in the world, regardless of or in spite of the curveballs that life throws us. I can relate to that. The biggest curveball for me is the passing of my late husband. You mentioned the different things that when someone is a widower or someone who’s grieving, a profound grief is experienced. How would you relate some of the things in your Breakthrough S.P.A.R.K. coaching mythology? I’m going to give you some scenarios, and then maybe you can share how you would engage someone very organically at a high level. When you’re coaching, there’s more involved than that. Let’s say I am working with you and I have not slept in my marital bed since my husband passed away a year and a half ago. What would be some things that you would see in that conversation, or how would you help me to get there? That’s an area where, when you’re that close to someone in a marital bed and then that person is no longer there, there’s a void. There’s an empty space. It’s difficult for us in any situation, but it’s specifically for this one. It can be difficult for people to be able to be in that space and be at peace that that person is no longer there and no longer going to be there. However, I’m a big advocate for imagining things the way you want them to be within reality. You can’t bring that person back. However, their energy, your memories with that person, and the love that you shared, all of that can be transformed into recognizing that when you get in that bed, that person is still there with you, but it’s not in a physical form. What I would coach the person on being at peace with the fact that the loved one has passed on, and yet they are still holding that loved one in their heart, and to be able to get in that marital bed is it’s not from the perspective of, “I’m moving on. This person doesn’t exist anymore.” I would work with that person on imagining the person is there with them. You can speak to them. You put your arm out like you want to touch something. You could get a favorite stuffed animal or something that would represent the person who has passed on and touch that surrogate. Over time, you’ll be able to sleep because in your heart, that person is still with you, and you know that. It helps to overcome the anxiety, stress, sadness, and all the emotions that come up when you try to get in bed