Choosing Courage After Tragedy: Valerie Silveira on Finding Strength When Life Breaks You Open
What do you do when life shatters the story you thought you were living? In this powerful episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with Valerie Silveira, a woman who has faced unimaginable heartbreak and somehow turned it into a mission to help others rise. When Valerie’s daughter Jamie was shot at 18, she survived, but only to be pulled into addiction by the very medication prescribed to help her heal. Twelve years later, Jamie was murdered. Nearly a decade after that devastating...
What do you do when life shatters the story you thought you were living?
In this powerful episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with Valerie Silveira, a woman who has faced unimaginable heartbreak and somehow turned it into a mission to help others rise. When Valerie’s daughter Jamie was shot at 18, she survived, but only to be pulled into addiction by the very medication prescribed to help her heal. Twelve years later, Jamie was murdered.
Nearly a decade after that devastating loss, Valerie is still standing, still fighting for justice, and still choosing courage. She’s now an award-winning author, speaker, and podcast host who helps others take down the beasts in their own lives and live with unbreakable courage.
In this conversation, Marianne and Valerie explore what it really means to choose courage when it doesn’t come naturally. They talk about how to keep standing when your world collapses, what it looks like to fight for yourself after loss, and how forgiveness and resilience can transform even the darkest chapters into light.
If you’ve ever faced a season of loss, grief, or transition, this episode will remind you that you’re not powerless—and you’re never alone.
Key Topics:
- The difference between waiting for courage and choosing it
- What it looks like to fight for yourself after trauma
- Why getting back to “normal” isn’t the goal
- How forgiveness and resilience can coexist
- Building courage as a daily practice, not a one-time event
Guest Links:
Learn more about Valerie and her work at https://valeriesilveira.com/
Follow her on social: @ValerieSilveira
Check out her book Burn the Map wherever books are sold
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