"Broken Beautiful Me - Stories of Hope, Gratitude & Resilience" is a podcast dedicated to empowering individuals and healthcare professionals facing grief and adversity. Hosted by Kelly Buckley, this podcast offers compassionate guidance and practical strategies to help you heal and transform your life through gratitude-focused recovery.
Kelly was the Chief Operating Officer for an integrated network of 11 hospitals. She had professional success, a stellar career in healthcare, and a leadership role. But in 2009, her world was shattered by the unexpected and devastating loss of her son, Stephen. This profound event transformed her life completely, leading her on a path of resilience and purpose, where she now dedicates her life to helping others navigate their grief and find fulfillment through gratitude.
Despite her success, Kelly realizes now that she was only scratching the surface of gratitude before her life-changing loss. Through her personal journey, she has developed a deep and transformative relationship with gratitude, one that goes beyond the surface level and becomes a guiding force in her life and work.
Kelly's unique perspective as both a healthcare leader and a grief survivor sets her apart from other voices in the space. She blends her professional expertise with raw personal experience, creating a space for profound healing and transformation that speaks directly to those in healthcare and individuals experiencing personal loss. This duality—of professional leadership and personal vulnerability—makes her podcast uniquely impactful.
Today, Kelly is a serial entrepreneur, acclaimed keynote speaker, and the author of several impactful books, including "Just One Little Thing," "The Path," and "Gratitude in Grief." Her inspiring work has been featured in major media outlets globally, and she has received numerous accolades for her contributions to the field of grief recovery.
Inspired by the Japanese practice of kintsugi, which involves repairing broken pottery with gold to make it more resilient and valuable, Kelly embraces the idea that our broken pieces can be transformed into something beautiful and strong. Each episode features heartfelt conversations and powerful stories that highlight the resilience and strength found in the face of adversity.
Join us on this transformative journey as Kelly shares her insights, experiences, and expertise to bring hope and renewed purpose to those facing life's greatest challenges. Through stories of hope, resilience, and gratitude, you'll discover the healing power of embracing your brokenness and learn how to live a life filled with purpose and joy.
Tune in to "Broken Beautiful Me - Stories of Hope, Gratitude & Resilience" and start your journey toward healing and transformation today.
Visit Kelly's Website: https://www.KellyBuckley.com
[00:00:00] Welcome to the very first preview episode of Broken Beautiful Me, Stories of Hope, Gratitude
[00:00:06] and Resilience. I'm Kelly Buckley and I am deeply honored to begin this journey with you.
[00:00:13] So what can you expect from this podcast? Each week we're going to share heartfelt stories
[00:00:19] of individuals who have walked through life's most challenging paths and emerged with wisdom
[00:00:26] and strength. These stories are meant to inspire, to touch your soul, and to remind you that even
[00:00:33] in our most broken moments there is a profound beauty to be found in this world. We'll delve
[00:00:40] into people's real and raw experiences. Some will break your heart and others will mend it.
[00:00:48] Exploring themes of Hope, Gratitude and Resilience. Through their journeys you'll find
[00:00:54] reflections of your own strength and the power to rise above any circumstance. Episodes will be
[00:01:00] released every Monday and typically last about 45 to 60 minutes. In each episode I'll sit down
[00:01:08] with a special guest who will share their story with honesty and humility. Sometimes it'll be
[00:01:15] an intimate one-on-one conversation, other times we're going to weave together multiple stories
[00:01:20] around a single powerful theme. But in addition to the personal stories I also want to include some
[00:01:27] of the science behind gratitude, resilience and healing. Our brain responds to our intentions
[00:01:33] and beliefs so how can we harness the power of our mind to transform our pain into a purpose-driven
[00:01:41] life? So who am I and why did I start this podcast? As I said I'm Kelly Buckley. I was born
[00:01:49] and raised in Newfoundland Canada and I will always be a proud Newfoundlander. In fact I've
[00:01:55] always believed that my birthplace provided me with the very roots of my resilience instilled by
[00:02:01] my hardworking parents who always found a way through any situation and did so with grace.
[00:02:08] I began my professional career as a registered nurse eventually moving into healthcare leadership
[00:02:14] focusing on change management and employee mental health but life's path is not always what you have
[00:02:22] envisioned for yourself right? In 2009 I was forever changed by the sudden passing of my son
[00:02:30] Stephen taken far too soon on July 4th 2009. He was 23 years old a rising senior at NC State,
[00:02:39] a hockey goalie and just a beautiful beautiful boy. To say I was broken is just not enough. I felt
[00:02:49] like I had been ground into dust and had no idea how I would survive. I often say that I was tapping
[00:02:57] my foot around madly trying to find the rug that had been pulled from beneath me only to find
[00:03:02] the damn floor was gone too. I know we all have stories like this moments where we are so broken
[00:03:10] there is no amount of duct tape and chewing gum to put us back together yet somehow we did.
[00:03:18] My family and I embraced gratitude in the little things that remained even though we were hurting
[00:03:23] we committed to kindness and we called it Stephen's ripple that approach tethered us
[00:03:29] to the present moment and to each other. Slowly we put our life back together never quite in the same
[00:03:38] way it was before but somehow more beautiful because of the brokenness just as the Japanese
[00:03:46] art of Kintsugi repairs pottery with gold flecked plasters making the object more beautiful and
[00:03:53] more valuable we rediscovered the beauty in life. The gold filled broken heart of the logo of this
[00:04:02] podcast is my representation of healing that's how I envisioned my own broken heart. I want that
[00:04:10] healing for each and every one of you. I went on to write gratitude and grief just one little thing
[00:04:16] and my guided journal the path a journal from pain to purpose. That is my life's work now
[00:04:23] through writing and speaking and consulting and being present and being a strong advocate for
[00:04:29] mental health for everyone. Here's what I know storytelling is transformative from late night
[00:04:38] chats with my beautiful deep thinking father and I still carry his wisdom with me day every day
[00:04:45] to honest conversations with the bereaved or sharing comfort with those struggling with mental
[00:04:50] health issues. We're all in this together right my own journey through grief
[00:04:57] and healing has taught me that sharing our stories is not just an act of bravery but a pathway to
[00:05:05] connection and healing. Our stories bind us together and remind us that we are all in this
[00:05:13] together even when you think you are alone. This podcast is my offering to the world a
[00:05:21] celebration of the human spirit's incredible resilience and a space where we can all find
[00:05:28] hope and gratitude together. By sharing these stories I believe we can heal together learn
[00:05:34] from each other and build a more compassionate and kind world. Thank you for joining me on
[00:05:41] this heartfelt journey please subscribe share and leave a review if these stories resonate with you
[00:05:48] together let's embrace the beauty in our brokenness until next time stay hopeful stay grateful
[00:05:56] and keep finding resilience in every moment.