Meet Craig Grossi
Craig Grossi is a marine corps veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart. While serving in Afghanistan, he came across Fred, a stray dog. The two bonded during Craig’s time there. And when Craig’s deployment was up, he decided to bring Fred back to the United States—something that wasn’t allowed. He shares how he got Fred back to the United States and the cross country road trip they took together in his first book, Craig and Fred. His new book, Second Chances, shares their newest adventure. Craig and Fred spend time with prison inmates who are training service dogs. Craig started a writing group with some of the incarcerated inmates and he quickly learned that many of these men were a lot like him—they’d just made some poor choices that led to their incarceration.
Why Craig Grossi Is Mentally Strong
After his deployment, Craig wanted to be “fine.” He spent time traveling the country and trying to enjoy life again. He even wrote his first book. But, an angry outburst made him realize that he wasn’t fine. And he needed professional help. He reached out to a therapist and began treatment—something that wasn’t easy to do.
What You’ll Hear on the Show
How Craig knew he needed professional help How he found the courage to seek therapy How to develop compassion for other people Why some people deserve second chances in life and what that really means What Fred has taught Craig about life and relationships How to become accountable for your actions How writing can help you heal old emotional wounds Why it makes sense to connect the dots backwards when good things happen (rather than just reverse engineer the negative things in life) Why it’s okay to give yourself second chances
What You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength
Craig talked a lot about how he had certain resources in life that probably kept him from making decisions that might lead to incarceration. He had a good childhood and financial stability, for example. Many of the men who were incarcerated didn’t have those things. Sometimes, people think that having mental strength means you should be able to endure anything. But, part of mental strength building often means setting yourself up for success by creating a healthy environment. Surrounding yourself with supportive people, living in a situation with fewer temptations, and having resources to meet your basic needs are essential to being your best. Craig made it clear that everyone makes mistakes. And sometimes, people who didn’t have the information, resources, and skills in the past, can do better when we give them what they need.
Quotes From Craig
“It’s so easy to say, ‘Oh, everything happens for a reason.’ But if you don’t do the work to figure out the reason, then you’re never going to see the purpose in that mistake.”“I’m just as grateful for the mistakes and the lows in my life as I am the highs now that I’ve been able to look back and really take stock of it.”“The conditions don’t need to be perfect for you to just sit down and write.”“We overcomplicate everything in our heads. But writing is one of those things that can just be so pure. You don’t need lessons.”
More About the Podcast
The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too.
