Grieving the Future You Imagined with Dr. Maya Shankar

Grieving the Future You Imagined with Dr. Maya Shankar

Who are you when the thing that defined you is taken away?

What happens when the life you planned no longer exists?

How do you grieve a future that never happened?

Can uncertainty become a place of growth instead of fear?

In this deeply moving episode of A Really Good Cry, Radhi sits down with cognitive scientist and author Dr. Maya Shankar for an honest conversation about identity, loss, and navigating life’s most unexpected transitions. Dr. Maya is the author of The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans, a book rooted in both science and lived experience.

Maya shares the story of her childhood as a violin prodigy — accepted into Juilliard at nine and studying under Itzhak Perlman — until a career-ending injury at fifteen forced her to grieve not just the violin, but the version of herself she thought she would be. She opens up about how losing the violin meant losing her confidence, her identity, and the future she had built her entire life around.

She also speaks candidly about her fertility journey, including miscarriage, surrogacy, and the realization that some desires are shaped by cultural expectations of womanhood. Maya reflects on how choosing to pause her path to motherhood brought unexpected peace and clarity.

Radhi shares her own experiences of identity loss — from moving to New York and no longer being able to practice as a clinical dietitian, to navigating grief after the peaceful passing of her grandmother. Together, they explore how identity can unravel when the “what” of our lives changes, and why anchoring ourselves in why we do things allows us to evolve without losing ourselves.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why identity rooted in roles and achievements is fragile
  • How grief shows up when we lose a future we imagined
  • The difference between what you do and why you do it
  • Why humans crave certainty — and how to live without it
  • How to find safety in community instead of clear answers
  • What the “end of history illusion” reveals about personal growth
  • How mental time travel can help ease anxiety and fear
  • Why witnessing human goodness can restore hope and meaning

This episode is a gentle reminder that change doesn’t mean something went wrong — sometimes it means life is asking you to become more than you planned.



Follow Maya Shankar:

https://mayashankar.com/

https://changewithmaya.substack.com/p/introducing-change-with-maya-shankar

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmayashankar

https://www.instagram.com/drmayashankar



Follow Radhi:

https://www.instagram.com/radhidevlukia/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxWe9A4kMf9V_AHOXkGhCzQ

https://www.facebook.com/radhidevlukia1/

https://www.tiktok.com/@radhidevlukia

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(118)

Human Design 101: A Practical Manual for Your Authentic Self | Jenna Zoe

Human Design 101: A Practical Manual for Your Authentic Self | Jenna Zoe

How much of who you are is actually you—and how much is what you’ve been taught to be? What if the reason you feel stuck isn’t because you’re lost, but because you’re out of alignment? Who would you b...

16 Jun 54min

The Shift From Self Improvement to Self Mastery

The Shift From Self Improvement to Self Mastery

Have you done all the work and still feel empty? Are you stuck in endless self-improvement with nothing to show for it? What if you’ve been asking the wrong question all along?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ In th...

9 Jun 17min

How to Heal, Let Go, and Find Faith | Dr. Thema Bryant

How to Heal, Let Go, and Find Faith | Dr. Thema Bryant

When the world tells you who you should be, how do you come home to your authentic self? Can you be both stressed and blessed at the same time, or must you choose one? How do we find room for joy and ...

2 Jun 1h 9min

How to Eat, Move, and Live for YOUR Body Type - A Guide to Ayurveda

How to Eat, Move, and Live for YOUR Body Type - A Guide to Ayurveda

Have you ever felt off—but couldn’t quite explain why? Are you craving balance, clarity, or deeper connection with your body? Or maybe… you're tired of chasing wellness fads and just want to feel at h...

26 Mai 30min

David Ghiyam on Manifestation, Money, and Spiritual Laws

David Ghiyam on Manifestation, Money, and Spiritual Laws

Why do we want what we want? Is desire a sign of lack or alignment? What if the only thing blocking your abundance is your capacity to hold it? Can loss actually prepare you for more? In this episode...

19 Mai 1h 22min

The Pep Talk You Need To Remember You're That B

The Pep Talk You Need To Remember You're That B

Do your standards shrink the room? Have you ever been called too much, too intense, too selective, too particular? What if that's not a flaw, but proof of the work you've done on yourself? In this e...

12 Mai 15min

Dr. Lucky Sekhon on What Every Woman Should Know About Fertility in Her 20s and 30s

Dr. Lucky Sekhon on What Every Woman Should Know About Fertility in Her 20s and 30s

In a world where we’re told to “wait until you’re ready,” what does that really mean for your body? Are we empowering women with information about fertility — or overwhelming them with fear? And how d...

5 Mai 1h 4min

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When You Feel Lost

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When You Feel Lost

Are you waiting to feel certain before you make a move? Do you know something needs to change but not what? What if feeling lost isn't a flaw, but a signal? In this episode of A Really Good Cry, Rad...

28 Apr 18min

Populært innen Helse

fastlegen
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-gukild-johaug
psykodrama
hvordan-har-du-det-mann
leger-om-livet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
rss-skravla-gar
foreldreradet
morten-ramm-lar-kakla-ga-til-du-sovner
rss-garne-damer
hjernesterk
rss-lopedrommen
bak-fasaden-en-reise-i-livet-med-sykepleier-ine
g-punktet
kjed-deg-i-sovn-verdens-kjedeligste-podcast
rss-kull
treningsprat
helsetipspodden
doktor-fives-podcast