EVEN NOW on World Suicide Prevention Day
Life is worth living. Join me this afternoon or Thursday evening.
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. We pause to acknowledge the fact that each year, more than 700,000 people die by suicide. Consider that number for a moment. Consider that every single one is a real person with a real story, loved by others and lost too soon. This year's WSPD theme is "changing the narrative on suicide," which, according to the World Health Organization, "is about transforming how we perceive this complex issue and shifting from a culture of silence and stigma to one of openness, understanding, and support."
You are invited to join me at 3pm ET for the return of EVEN NOW, a special online speaking event happening twice this week. My incredible friend Brian Allen will be with us today, participating from his home in Scotland. I was looking at the list of ticket sales late last night. Beyond Scotland and Florida, folks are tuning in from England, Australia, Canada, and across the United States. An international conversation feels appropriate on World Suicide Prevention Day. After Brian and I talk for a bit, I'll share some thoughts on my own, and then we'll close it out with a time of Q&A.
If you can't make it today, EVEN NOW is back on Thursday (September 12) at 8pm ET. If you can't make either one, they're being recorded. One ticket covers both dates and both recordings, along with $5 off event merch. If you want to gift someone a ticket, we would love that.
Here’s something I wrote a couple days ago:
Today is the first day of National Suicide Prevention Week in the United States. The CDC reports that 49,476 lives were lost to suicide in 2022 alone. On the first Sunday of a new NFL season, as cheering fans fill up venues across the country, 49,476 is a stadium full of people gone too soon. They'll never get to see another comeback. They did not get to see their own. And the loved ones left behind could no doubt fill every football stadium in America.
Tuesday (September 10) is World Suicide Prevention Day. Tuesday also happens to be the date for the first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. I can't help but make a connection between these two events. If caring about people includes caring about things that affect people, then we have no choice but to pay attention to politics. Not only pay attention but participate. And no, both sides are not the same. Basic needs relate to suicide. Basic rights relate to suicide. Affordable healthcare relates to suicide. More than half of suicides involve a firearm, which means that gun laws relate to suicide. Bullying and hate relate to suicide. We can't begin to care about suicide prevention without placing value on empathy and compassion.
With the presidential debate in mind, we are invited to choose. What kind of country do we want to live in? Do we care only about what works for us, what works for our bank account? Do we want what's best only for those who look like us and think like us, or do we believe that everyone deserves a seat at the table? Do we actually believe in democracy and equality? Do we actually oppose racism? Are we more concerned with debating a child's gender than whether or not that child survives the school day? What does pro-life actually mean?
Bringing it back to National Suicide Prevention Week, do we believe that how people are treated--not only the laws and policies that make life easier or harder for them, but the words chosen to describe another human being--do we believe these things matter when it comes to mental health? Do we believe that caring about people means caring about things that affect people? And how can we claim to care about suicide prevention without simultaneously caring about all of the above?
Life is worth living even now. If you're interested in having me share this message with your coworkers, students, or community, we can make that happen. The team at Collective Speakers would love to help. Speaking events can be in-person or virtual, keynote or workshop, public or private. We're always happy to get creative and it never hurts to reach out: sean@collectivespeakers.com
Upcoming small-group conversations: Join me for I’m in a Season of Change next Thursday, September 19, or How to Quit Your Dream Job two days after that.