Even Now (Life is Worth Living)

Announcing an online event during National Suicide Prevention Week.

September 10-16 is National Suicide Prevention Week in the United States. Join me Thursday, September 14 at 8pm eastern, for a speaking event open to anyone and everyone. It’s happening online. The production won’t be fancy—I’ll be sitting at my desk, the one I’m sitting at right now, sharing some thoughts on mental health, suicide prevention, and life in general. The talk will be a chance to communicate some fresh ideas from recent days, while also reflecting on what I’ve learned going all the way back to the start of TWLOHA.

The title EVEN NOW comes from a recent perspective shift. After years of encouraging people to stay for the surprises, while I definitely still support the idea of staying alive to fall in love or raise a child or see another dream come true, I want to emphasize that life is worth living even when our dreams feel out of reach. In the midst of grief, in the midst of disappointment, in a season of uncertainty. Even if my dreams never come true, even as life looks different than I imagined, I want to keep showing up. 

Connection plays a big part in what I just said. I’ve become a huge fan of it over the last year, mostly because of the small-group conversations I’ve been leading. Those gatherings have given me a front-row seat for so many beautiful moments where vulnerability is met with kindness and compassion. I’ve come to believe that connection is worth staying alive for. When facing painful circumstances or an impossible situation, connection can serve as a lifeline. This doesn’t mean our circumstances will change right away. Perhaps instead connection means that we are not alone in our circumstances. We’re seen and heard, known and loved. 

I’m excited to explore the idea that life is worth living, even now. 

Tickets are $15 and available at JamieTworkowski.com

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Now for some hypothetical FAQ action.

You: What exactly is this event? Is it a small-group conversation? Do I have to say anything?

Me: EVEN NOW is not a small-group conversation. You don’t have to say a word. This one will look more like a traditional speaking event, except we will all be online and I’ll be sitting at my desk. After saying hello and welcoming everyone, I’ll speak for 45-50 minutes. There will be time for Q&A after that, meaning I’ll stick around to answer questions. After a lot of years of doing these types of events, I can tell you that Q&A is often the highlight. 

You mentioned “online.” What will the format / platform be?

Zoom. That’s what I’ve used for small-group conversations, and while this will be a bit different, I like Zoom because I’m comfortable using it. I’ve also been a guest speaker for a bunch of virtual events that happened via Zoom. 

Do I need to buy a ticket in order to attend?

Yes. 

Why?

Because this is my job. Gracie’s treats cost money. That said, my hope is that pricing the event at $15 makes it affordable for most folks. If you want to watch it with a friend or even a bunch of friends, I would love that. 

When is it again?

Thursday, September 14. We’ll start at 8pm ET. 

Will there be a recording?

Yes. We will make it available the next day (Friday, September 15) and you will be able to watch until Tuesday, September 19. 

Here’s the ticket link again.

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Also, in case you missed it, my previous post Looking Back on One Year of Small-Group Conversations mentioned another event happening the week before EVEN NOW. It’s a reunion open to everyone who has participated in a small-group conversation over the last year. If you were part of one group months and months ago, or a whole bunch of groups, you’re invited. The reunion date is Friday, September 8 and we’ll start at 7pm eastern. Tickets & Info.

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If you like the sound of this EVEN NOW event and want to bring something similar to your school, workplace, or community, I would love to help make that happen. As always, you can reach out to the kind folks at Collective Speakers.

If you’re interested in working together one-on-one in September, I’m available for coaching and consulting.

There’s a sale happening over at NEEDS AN OCEAN, the little passion project I started a few years back when I was living in Nashville. Tonight thru Friday, use code PLEASECOOL for 25% off.