It was 25 years since we’d spoken.
My first real business mentor.
Tim popped up on LinkedIn, one click and we were connected again.

We made a time to chat and then over the next 1.5 hours we talked.

“How did your life go?” I asked him. He laughed and said that he dealt with his demons. He quit smoking, lost 25 kilos, left his work and founded a new one, finally met the love of his life, had children and found peace doing less work but with a more exclusive group of clients he loved. He had carved out a niche for himself he never imagined he would leave.

I knew him pretty well back in the day and boldly asked him, “how were you successful making these changes this time when you’d tried so many times before?”

“I changed my view of myself. I always thought of myself as the fat, witty smoker. When I gave up smoking that identity shifted and I inched towards better health. Eventually the weight dropped off because I became convinced of the possibility of a better version of myself and I became it.
It was like a domino effect, healthier body, mind, attitude, decisions, choices, friends and hobbies – until I arrived where I am now, the happiest I’ve ever been. Even Covid didn’t dampen my joy,” he said.

I hung up the phone realising he was still teaching me after all these years.

Less than 2 months later I had a facebook message from his former wife and friend of mine. “Lou I thought you should know, Tim died in a motorbike accident last night.”

Who knew that conversation would be our last forever.

As you go about your busy life and all the rush and deadlines that go with it, don’t forget to pick up the phone. It might be a conversation you’ll cherish forever.