Nov 16, 2022
In this episode, John Roedel joins me for a conversation about rediscovering the connection between his brain and heart, after the loss of his parents and his son’s diagnosis.
John Roedel is a comic who unexpectedly gained notability as a writer and poet through his heartfelt Facebook conversations that went viral and became an Amazon best-selling book titled, Hey God. Hey John.
He is the author of five books—Hey God. Hey John, Any Given Someday, Untied: The Poetry of What Comes Next, Remedy, and his latest work, Upon Departure, which explores through poetry the concept of our grief as a natural wonder that terraforms the landscape of our world in increments.
Offering a sincere and very relatable look at his faith crisis, mental health, personal struggles, perception of our world, and even his fashion sense, John's writing has been shared millions of times across social media and lauded by fans and readers worldwide. He teaches at universities and retreat centers across the US, blending his trademark comedy with creative exercises, journaling, dialogue, and introspection to help people fearlessly embrace and share their personal stories.
**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode covers sensitive subject matter and is not suitable for all listeners. If this topic could be a trigger for you, listen to this episode with a friend, a sibling, a loved one or a parent so you can talk about any emotions that come up for you. The contents of this episode are not intended to replace therapy and should not be taken as such. If you need immediate help, please call the crisis hotline listed below in our resources.
Listen in as
we talk about:
- [5:20] What inspires John to write and how he started
- [12:25] Transforming your perspective on faith after loss and hardship
- [16:00] Getting his son’s diagnosis
- [26:10] Learning to live in the now and without expectation
- [28:30] Overcoming fear and stigma around his son’s diagnosis
- [41:10] Living life going through the motions
- [47:20] The moment John rediscovered his heart
- [57:30] What self love looks like for John today
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief by Susan E. Casey
- Podcast: https://www.johnroedel.com/podcast
- Books:
https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B07FB1DNQJ?_encoding=UTF8&node=2656022011&offset=0&pageSize=12&searchAlias=stripbooks&sort=author-sidecar-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader
Grief Hotline:
Connect with John here:
- https://www.instagram.com/john_roedel_writer/
- https://www.facebook.com/johnbigjohn
- https://twitter.com/JohnnyRoedel
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-roedel-98a85a3/
- https://www.youtube.com/user/johnbigjohnwyo
- https://www.johnroedel.com/
Connect with Susan