Important Stuff From An Unexpected Source

Death As Inspiration

My best friend just died, and I wrote about this in my personal blog.

http://jerrygillies.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-best-friend-died.html

I’ve also written about Susannah Lippman on these pages.

http://moneyloveblog.com/moneylove-minds-moneylove-mentors/

But now that I’ve had several days of grieving and reflection on all the good times and exciting adventures we shared in nearly forty years of deep, loving friendship–since that first day in 1971 when she walked into the very first workshop I ever presented in New York City, I am somewhat astounded by all that her passing has illuminated in my consciousness–most of all the profound awarenesss of what is really important in this life.

I dedicated my book, Friends, to Susannah, saying simply, “Our friendship has enriched my life.” But it did so much more. Of all the people I’ve known and friends I’ve had, she was the most steadfast in her integrity, forthrightness, determination, and passion for life and the work she did. For over twenty years, she ran Alphasonics, the company producing and marketing the world’s most advanced subliminal audios. There were many times she had to tap her own savings to bail the company out, and was determined to keep it going because she believed her subliminals helped people change their lives for the better. Her determination will probably allow her surviving partners to keep the company going and growing, and I plan to do my best to support this.

In the bestselling book, Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, Morrie Schwarz is quoted:

The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

Susannah Lippman did all of this and more. She lived just over seventy-five years, and suddenly collapsed walking with two friends on the way to the theatre, something else she loved. No pain, no suffering, and still excited about life and the work she was doing. Just the day before we had a long phone conversation about a project we launched that day to market one of my audios in a prosperity package with several of her most powerful subliminals. A full and productive and loving life that still feels to me as if it ended much too soon. But Morrie Schwarz also talked about never really going away even when we die, because:

we live on in the hearts of everyone we have touched and nurtured while we were on earth.

I was planning to do an essay on the importance of deciding what was truly important as we are about to move into a new year. My dear friend’s life certainly underlined that, as do Morrie Schwarz’s words, which I think are worth repeating:

The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

L’Chaim,

Jerry