A longtime coaching client of mine, Ben Bader, passed away on Thursday night.
He was 24.
I won’t get into the details, because that’s not what’s important right now.
What’s important is who Ben was, what he stood for, and what he would want us to learn from his life.
He was clever, scrappy, and talented in ways hard work alone can’t explain.
He was also warm, curious, and overwhelmingly generous.
Impossible not to like. A joy to work with.
Ben had a unique way of flowing through life without fear:
A rare type of fxck-it-let’s-do-it enthusiasm that comes from a deep excitement at the endless possibilities of life.
Which, I think, is why he realized so many of those possibilities in such a short time.
Looking back at the goals Ben set for himself:
Total financial abundance.
His dream home in Miami.
A group of true friends.
A girl he loved.
In the end, he achieved them all.
He did exactly what he set out to do, and became exactly who he wanted to be.
He did the damn thing.
He lived free.
As I’ve processed my shock over the past ~12 hours, I’ve noticed my mind zooming out:
Gaining a rare, wider glimpse into how fragile, how fleeting — how strikingly beautiful — our lives are.
It’s the type of perspective that is so hard to gain, and so easy to lose in the rush of everyday life.
I suppose that’s one of the hidden blessings of tragedy.
But I also know tragedy isn’t necessary to gain that perspective.
It’s always there, because it’s always true:
We are free to live our lives however we choose.
To do exactly what we want to do, and become exactly who we want to be.
To dream wild dreams and turn them into reality.
That’s what Ben did.
And I know that’s what he wanted, for everyone he touched.
At the end of our first coaching call a few years ago, Ben invited me to Miami.
“You gotta come party with us man — it would be a blast.”
I laughed:
“You caught me about ten years too late… Maybe in our next lifetime we’ll be born at the same time. If that happens… pray for Miami.”
So until we meet again, Ben Bader:
Godspeed.
And fly free.
I know you will.
T
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