Importance of Never Forgetting
The path to overcoming severe depression and discovering positive life direction has become a lifelong and nationally applauded journey for Ben Nemtin.
The Victoria, British Columbia native provided 2020 Virtual Fall Conference General Session attendees with an inspiring voyage centered on the importance of defining then pursing life dreams while overcoming self-doubt or a perceived overburdened daily life.
He cited a survey of elderly people asking their major regrets in life. Three in four respondents (76 percent) said their major regret was “Not living my ideal self.”
Nemtin’s message, “Prioritize and don’t forget the most important things to you in life. It is vital for your own well-being, mental health, and for those around you, he said. “If you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of others.”
Author of the New York Times bestseller “What Do You Want to do Before You Die?, he also is co-founder of “The Buried Life” movement and was named in 2019 one of the “TOP 30 Best Organizational Culture Thought Leaders in the World” by Global Gurus. He also has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, FOX and ABC News.
He described how a decade ago after overcoming depression, he and three friends embarked on a road trip to begin collectively fulfilling their combined 100-item bucket list before they died. The list was posted to their website which caught the attention of strangers along the way, many who offered help for specific bucket list items.
“That’s when I started feeling a purpose for the first time,” Nemtin recalled.
To date, the group has achieved 91 of the original 100 bucket list items, including being interviewed by Oprah, singing the National Anthem at an NBA game, having a beer with Prince Harry, and playing basketball with then President Barack Obama.
“We were relentless. We knew there had to be a way,” he said. “And we were never done until we got a yes!”
During a second road trip, the group decided that for every bucket list item achieved, they would help a stranger achieve something on their own bucket list. One highlight was presenting a young Ohio teenage girl, born with half an arm missing, obtain a much-needed bionic arm.
“What began as a simple idea grew into a movement,” Nemtin recalled. “Our efforts had a ripple effect among people. It showed that kindness was contagious.”
Nemtin emphasized writing down goals to identify and sharing goals with others to help keep them top of mind, while never ending the pursuit of accomplishing.
“Sometimes failure happens merely because you stop trying,” he noted. “You can inspire yourself merely by creating action toward your dream.”
Follow Ben’s journey online on Twitter and Instagram @BenNemtin.
