I Feel Hurt and Afraid in a World That Holds On to Fear — The Personal and Spiritual Growth That Helped Me Let Go of Fear, Heal My Heart, and Become Part of Humanity's Healing

Have you ever felt like the person you used to be no longer fits, but you’re not quite sure who you’re becoming?

In this deeply personal episode of the WE Podcast, Joe Mittiga explores what he calls “psychic death,” the emotional and spiritual process of letting go of an old identity so a new version of yourself can emerge.

Joe opens up about grief, fear, addiction, divorce, the loss of his beloved dog Zeus, his mother’s death, raising his sons, and the major transformations that have shaped his spiritual journey. Through these experiences, he shares why healing isn’t about avoiding pain or simply changing your thoughts. It’s about finding the strength and courage to feel what needs to be felt, release what no longer serves you, and listen for the guidance within.

Joe also explores the difference between loneliness and oneness, gratitude and grace, and external success versus true internal abundance. He shares how giving back through Project Smile transformed his understanding of purpose and helped him recognize that becoming part of humanity’s healing doesn’t require changing millions of lives. Sometimes it begins by helping one person.

If you’re feeling hurt, afraid, lost, disconnected, or aware that something in your life is changing, this episode is an invitation to stop fighting the transformation and begin asking a different question:

What is the next version of my life asking me to become?

Together, we’re growing. Together, we’re changing. Together, we’re healing.