The Greg McKeown Podcast

331. You Only Die Once: The Ultimate Guide to a Life with No Regrets with Jodi Wellman (Part 2)

Sep 5, 2024

Join Jodi Wellman, author and positive psychologist, as she shares her insights on living a meaningful life with a humorous twist. They discuss the transformative power of death awareness, emphasizing how confronting mortality can motivate vibrant living. Jodi challenges the conventional retirement mindset, advocating for engagement in the present. She introduces the thought-provoking ‘Double Obituary Exercise’ to help clarify what truly matters, urging listeners to align their daily actions with their desired legacy and live fully before it’s too late.

34:09

Episode guests

Jodi Wellman

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Highlights

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Quick takeaways

Embracing death awareness empowers individuals to overcome procrastination and prioritize meaningful experiences in their daily lives.

Reflective exercises like the Double Obituary can clarify personal values, helping individuals align their actions more closely with their desired legacies.

Deep dives

The Importance of Recognizing Mortality

Acknowledging the reality of death can serve as a powerful motivator for meaningful decision-making in life. Many individuals engage in self-deception, believing they will never face death, which can lead to procrastination regarding their dreams and goals. The discussion highlights the dangers of deferring significant life changes due to the false assumption of time availability, suggesting that this avoidance often stems from fear of failure. By confronting the inevitability of death, individuals can better align their actions with their values and aspirations.

See Yourself with New Eyes

01:25

Transform Criticism into Clarity

01:11

Intro

5min

Challenging the Retirement Paradigm: A Reflection on Life's Engagement

2min

Embracing the Present: Live Fully Before It's Too Late

6min

Living with Purpose: Embracing Choices and Mortality

16min

Reflecting on Legacy: The Importance of Obituaries and Eulogies

6min

About the Guest:

Jodi Wellman is the author of You Only Die Once, a book that approaches the topic of living a meaningful life with a darkly humorous twist. With a career spanning 25 years, Jodi is a seasoned positive psychologist, executive coach, and founder who has delivered keynotes, workshops, and coaching programs. She collaborates with some of the world's leading researchers on happiness and well-being, and is dedicated to helping people enhance their life's quality and vitality.

Episode Summary:

Greg celebrates the ten-year anniversary of his seminal work, "Essentialism," and welcomes Jodi Wellman, author of "You Only Die Once." The conversation revolves around the critical idea of death awareness as a tool for making life more meaningful and joyful. They explore the discomfort and avoidance many people have toward the topic of death and the consequent deferral of their dreams.

Jodi shares practical exercises and thought-provoking insights to help people confront their mortality and use that awareness to live more vibrant lives. The episode touches on how societal norms often prioritize careers over personal lives and relationships

Key Takeaways:

Death Awareness as a Tool: The awareness of our own mortality can be a powerful motivator to live more fully and meaningfully.
Overcoming Fear: People often defer their dreams not out of busy schedules, but due to fear and self-doubt.
The Double Obituary Exercise: Writing an obituary can help pinpoint what truly matters, allowing us to align our lives with our ultimate goals and values.
Importance of Relationships: The biggest contributors to enduring happiness are often our social and familial relationships.
Living Fully Now: Rather than postponing joys and aspirations to an uncertain future, find ways to integrate meaningful experiences into the present.

Notable Quotes:

"Death awareness, death acceptance, it's a spectrum." – Jodi Wellman
"What about the life you're living now? Doesn't that deserve to get lived the crap out of?" – Jodi Wellman
"Sometimes it's the simple, sweet things that deliver the essence of life." – Jodi Wellman
"Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance." – Greg McKeown
"It's about paying attention to what brings you joy now and making sure your current life is fulfilling." – Greg McKeown

Resources:

Buy Jodi's book: You Only Die Once.

Visit Jodi's website.

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Learn more about my books and courses.

Join The Essentialism Academy.

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