Jared Wood, Founder of Moving ForwArd
Why Moving Forward?
Hello. First of all, I am truly sorry for your loss. I wish you did not feel compelled to be here. I wish you had not suffered loss. But given the circumstances, I am glad to have you here. Through my own loss of my incredible wife, Celeste, I learned to dislike the phrase, "I know what you're going through." Nobody else knows exactly what we are going through. I don't know you yet, but if you have lost a spouse, I have been in that situation. So has my mom. I have been through loss on multiple levels. I have felt lost and broken. If you find yourself in this cold, desolate landscape after loss, I want to help you Move Forward.
For the majority of my career, I was a school, clinical, and sport psychologist. I had planned to work in those areas for my entire career, and then Celeste got pancreatic cancer. Everything changed. She fought valiantly for two years. She lived an incredible life, and her loss left more than a few of us broken and lost. We can still feel that way at times. That's how loss is.
A few years after Celeste passed away, I was able to retire from my day job, and I planned to continue my sport psychology career. While I love working with athletes, more and more, I found my messaging and heart was with a different group: Those who have lost spouses and partners. We need each other. We need a special place and a special program. We need to MOVE FORWARD. So this is now me and this is what I do.
Whether you move forward with our Moving Forward Program or not, I am a huge advocate that moving forward requires movement. Again, I don't know you or your capabilities (I myself have pretty severe nerve damage that limits some activity), but to the best of your ability, get moving and stay moving. Physical activity can change us for the better no matter who we are or where we find ourselves in life. Two of my big areas of interest are hiking and mountain climbing. Perhaps that's why this site might look like a site for a mountain guiding company, but I can't guide you on mountains. I don't have enough experience or knowledge, so I hire guides for me when I climb. However, I have navigated loss more times than I care to, and I believe my experience and the Moving Forward Program can help guide you to a renewed life full of power, influence, and resilience.
Again, I am very sorry for your loss. I hope we can move forward together.
Sincerely,
Jared Wood