Second Firsts

Live, Laugh and Love Again

By: Christina Rasmussen

Narrated by: Christina Rasmussen

Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

After studying to become a therapist and crisis intervention counselor - even doing her master's thesis on the stages of bereavement - Christina Rasmussen thought she understood grief. But it wasn't until losing her husband to cancer in her early 30s that she truly grasped the depths of sorrow and pain that accompany loss. Using the knowledge she gained while wading through her own grief and reading hundreds of neuroscience books, Rasmussen began to look at experiences in a new way. She realized that grief plunges you into a gap between worlds - the world before loss and the world after loss. She also realized how easy it is to become lost in this gap.

In Second Firsts, Rasmussen walks you through her Life Reentry process to help you break grief's spiral of pain, so you can stop simply surviving and begin to live again. She shows you that loss can actually be a powerful catalyst to creating a life that is in alignment with your true passions and values. The resilience, strength, and determination that have gotten you through this difficult time are the same characteristics that will help you craft your wonderful new life. Her method, which she has used successfully with thousands of clients, is based on the science of neuroplasticity and focuses on consciously releasing pain in ways that both honor suffering and rewire the brain to change your perception of the world and yourself. Using practical exercises and stories drawn from her own life and those of her clients, Rasmussen guides you through five stages of healing that help you open up to new possibilities. From acknowledging your fear to recognizing where you stand now to taking active steps toward a new life, Rasmussen helps you move past the pain and shows that it's never too late to step out of the gap and experience life again - as if for the first time.

©2013 Christina Rasmuseen (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Good reading.

It was good but many things did not apply to me as the author was much younger than I. However there were some things that applied and I do feel I am a different person and much stronger and more confident than I ever was.

Thank You....

I needed this book. Christina you helped me along this journey. I'm not the only one out here who's afraid to start again.

Excellent

I listened to this audio book recently, as I was suffering from one of my frequent bouts of insomnia. I've lived my life for the last 15 years...completely empty and suffering. Long Blue Line: Based on a True Story is my own personal memoir and it doesn't have an ending with closure for the reader, and the same has been true for my life (as the author).

Society has responded to my pain by telling me that I have depression, anxiety, and pretty much any other mental illness you can think of.

Frustrated and exhausted, I was laying in bed an hoping that I could find something - anything - to help me find some sort of answers or relief.

For the first time in my life, this book gave me solid answers that made sense. Also, for the first time in my life, I was able to accept and understand that I have not been able to move beyond my grief, even after all of the years have gone by. I have been sitting in the "waiting room" as the author calls it, and I have not allowed myself to transition from my previous life into my new life. The author points out that many of us are living in the "waiting room", mistaking this "gap" for our new life. It's living in a gap that's in-between transitioning, and this gap is a constant state of misery and lifeless existence.


I truly believe that anyone could benefit from reading this book. The author comes from a place of educational knowledge, practical knowledge as well as deeply insightful knowledge as she has experienced loss first-hand herself.

Spoke to my Soul - instrumental in my healing

Christina's narration was engaging. Her guidance & tips are very helpful & even resonate with some steps I'd already subconsciously taken to bring me to the place of healing where I am today. In deed, it has been a journey. I think that this book will be instrumental & helpful to anyone who desires to heal completely & to move on from a place of grief & loss to a fuller, richer life.

Widow still in the waiting room

I'm a widow. My Iraq War veteran husband committed suicide almost 4 years ago. It took a couple of years before I even began dealing with my grief. At this point, it really is time to get back to living and I am always searching for things to help. This book is the one that has touched my heart the most. My soul was stirred. I need to listen again multiple times, but I think this one will really get me living again and knowing that it is really okay to do so! Thank you for that Christina! If you are grieving but know you need to continue to live life, get this book and listen!

A note on the performance, Christina does have an accent that may be bothersome to some. Due to my work, I listen to people with lots of different accents daily so it doesn't bother me. She does make an effort at clear annunciation and you can tell she is speaking from the heart. I don't know that someone else could have conveyed her story as well as she did!

Thriver Self!!!

I loved the book, which I listened to after taking the Author’s Life Reentry course online. This works as a great companion to the course.

Loved the book and the Audio is even better!

What did you love best about Second Firsts?

The way Christina advises how to approach life after loss is perfect. It has really helped me reengage in my life after my wife passed and also helped me change my job after 16 years!

What other book might you compare Second Firsts to and why?

Nothing compares to Second Firsts!

What about Christina Rasmussen’s performance did you like?

She is very articulate in her readings. You truly get a grasp of the concepts quickly.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from Second Firsts?

I now know where I end up going when I am stuck. The waiting room.

Any additional comments?

A must listen!

Excellent

This was an excellent book with so much I needed to hear right now. I cannot wait to listen to it again!

Healed.

I lost my husband in September 2019. A friend of mine suggested this book. I am so glad they did. It has helped me tremendously. It is something I already know but needed someone to put it all together in a framework that I could do while still grieving. The concepts here are wonderful and clearly imagined, described, and thoughtfully shared. Highly recommend to those with recent loss or those suffering from the effects of loss from a long time ago. I feel more complete and able to return to the life I was meant to live.