Have you ever experienced an indescribable loss? Whether the passing of a close loved one, the end of a relationship, or even the death of a pet, times of loss have an ability to drive us toward painful, but valuable introspection.

Amid the certain sadness, which often leads you to question everything in your life, you learn things about yourself. At some point, you will have to make a choice though — continue grieving or use the time you have left in your life to do something meaningful. This process will force you to answer who you are and what you hope to accomplish during your own life.

Earth-shattering events have the potential to be a powerful catalyst for change and a major wake-up call. That’s exactly what Anthemos Georgiades shared on Unmessable [see full podcast episode].

Georgiades, a Harvard grad and former BCG consultant, successfully raised $90 million from top venture capital funds like Kleiner Perkins, Breyer Capital, Andreessen Howoritz and Greylock Partners to build Zumper —  a marketplace that makes renting a place as easy as booking a hotel — which produces tens of millions of dollars a year in revenue.

Georgiades, however, experienced a devastating loss at the tender age of 18 years old when his beloved mother, who was ill for some time, passed. Amid this unspeakable sadness, and after taking a couple of years to process the event, something curious happened.

Increasingly, Georgiades grew a deep desire to make his mother proud and began thinking about his life through that lens. Making his mother proud became the game he played in life or, said another way, the context upon which he lived his life. Suddenly, the grief, while never gone, began to channel into ambition, which he credits for his life accomplishments up to date.

Georgiades attributes his success with Zumper — which was recently nominated by Inc as one of the best places to work in 2019 — as one of the biggest gifts his mom brought him with her passing. Albeit a painful lesson, he shared crucial steps that were fundamental in his recovery as he redirected his pain into a total life transformation:

Set a specific time period to grieve.

First, know that everyone grieves differently. Some may cry until they can’t anymore. Others might just feel a big void for a period of time. In Georgiades’ case, he actually took a long time to figure out that he was grieving. He spent a lot of time alone, staying up late at night. And I didn’t realize that this was his way of grieving until much later. Whatever your journey is, know that you will grieve and it’s best to set aside time to do so. Setting aside a specific time during your day or a particular length of time to grieve can help you operate with a clearer mind.

Connect with people who are also grieving.

It’s normal to want to be alone during times of intense grief. While you shouldn’t deny yourself this basic need for privacy, don’t underestimate the power of outside support, especially from those who have been through what you’re going through, and are right there with you as you attempt to pick up the pieces after a loss. Being an only child, and going from a family of three to a family of two was jarring for Georgiades, but somehow he found strength in his community, which lifted him up.

Create a powerful context for your life purpose.

Once the storm settles internally, there’s an opening to reset your heading. Georgiades did this, and in thinking about how he wanted to spend the rest of his life, something became crystal clear: He wanted to make his mom proud and build something meaningful that improves the lives of millions. Suddenly, his life became about something bigger than him. He had a purpose, a new heading which has led to areas he could have never predicted.

So, the question is — how are you going to spend the rest of your life? What is a life worth living for you?

Align all actions to fulfill your life purpose.

You know what you need to do, but how are you going to do it? The power of intention can lead you to your life’s purpose, but it’s up to you to set things in motion Georgiades explained. While it’s uncertain if we ever really completely stop grieving a loss, you will find that underlying motivation to be your guiding light throughout all that you do. When confronted with choices, your life purpose should always be at the forefront, driving your actions and nudging you closer toward your goals.