Kevin Hines: Whatever your difficulties, never count yourself out. Never. Never. Never.

 
 

Takeaways from this episode:

  • Whatever your difficulties, never count yourself out. Never. Never. Never.

  • Simply reaching out to somebody you notice in emotional pain might save his or her life.

  • How a 23-second hug can change your day.

For The Curious,

I made a choice to start the podcast this week without any music. That’s because the overall tone is serious. 

Kevin Hines and Cal.jpeg

My guest this week is Kevin Hines, a man who jumped off The Golden Gate Bridge in an attempt to commit suicide back in 2000. The moment he jumped he realized he’d made a huge mistake. And he survived only because a sea lion got underneath him as he struggled to stay above water and lifted him to the surface.

Kevin is one of only a handful of people to survive such a fall – and still be able to walk and run.

When I thought about it, I realized I could just as easily have opened the podcast with happy music. Because every time I see Kevin it’s cause for a celebration.

Kevin’s strength and resilience led to many beautiful connections. It put him on the path to meet the love of his life – Margaret, now his wife. And it guided him to his work educating the public about mental illness and suicide prevention.

Partly because of his efforts, a barrier will be built on The Golden Gate Bridge over the next few years so that nobody will be able to take their lives by jumping.

Golden Gate.jpg

It’s an amazing story, showcasing the superpower of resilience, along with many takeaways. My guess is that when you’re done listening to this podcast you’ll want to give somebody a 23-second hug.

If you’d like to know more about Kevin Hines, you can go to kevinhinesstory.com. And if you’d like to aid his cause, you can go to the foundation both he and his wife have started. That’s the Kevin and Margaret Hines foundation. At: kmhinesfoundation.org.

Thanks for coming along on the journey. 

Cheers,

Cal 

 

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