Jul 13, 2020
I was obsessed
earlier this year with Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Talking to
Strangers." In processing through the information I started to
think about loneliness and mental health--especially for those of
us working in nonprofit and mission-driven leadership. This
provided the context for an interview with Dennis Gillan. Dennis
and I were speakers at TEDx Hickory in November 2019, and his talk
on suicide prevention presented the topic with gentle humor and
warmth. I've been wanting to share his story with the Virtual
Executive Director audience ever since, and this was our
chance.
Suicide is not a simple matter for research and curiosity, so
I'm glad we were able to talk about it with openness and without
the hushed tones one reserves for delivering bad news in front of
strangers. That said, if you or someone you know is thinking or
behaving in a way that has you worried, please call 800-273-8255.
This is the number for the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline.
Links and resources for this week:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Dennis Gillan's website: http://dennisgillan.com/
Suicide prevention resources: https://themighty.com/suicide-prevention-resources/
"Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell (affiliate link):
https://amzn.to/2QOG8l2
Executive Director Mastermind Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExecutiveDirectorMastermind/
Dennis Gillan's TEDx Hickory talk, "Dying Alone": https://youtu.be/9NES3hSNv6o
Application to work with me: https://forms.gle/7FcFxCFBQE6cpDVg8
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckybrettcaldwell/