Last Monday, a 21-year-old man in northern California called the police to tell them that he was going to kill himself. He wanted them to come get his body so that his parents would not be the ones to find it. After he hung up the phone, he shot himself.

The family saw no signs that something was wrong. He and his mom worked together so they saw each other every day. He had spent the weekend going to the movies and hanging out with friends. He left no note.

It leaves his parents to wonder why.

And it makes me wonder: If he had known some way to turn inside and find a different way to handle his challenges, would his parents still have their only child?

I don’t claim that the Connection Practice is a cure-all. But if this young man had the following tools, would it have made a difference?

• Perhaps he was feeling depressed, anxious, sad, or overwhelmed, and it would have helped him to see the needs underlying those feelings. Perhaps he needed authenticity, to make a difference, hope or acceptance.
• If he knew how to become coherent, to go inside and listen to his best wisdom, would he have found solutions or understanding that would have met his needs in a less tragic way?

We’ll never know of course. My belief, which drives me in everything I do, is that these tools would have helped. It’s why I’m so dedicated to teaching connection to everyone I can reach.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year olds. Let’s keep focused on our commitment to teach young people how to connect, inside and out, and drive this statistic down.
 
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