Lessons from Anthony Bourdain's Suicide

I used to disdain suicidal people. Now I have empathy.

When one of Reddit's co-founders killed himself and I got pushback on Twitter for calling him a coward.

I now have a different perspective on the matter. Having had mild depression in the past, I can understand the existential pain of life.

Reading Kitchen Confidential was exactly that. Anthony Bourdain is what I would call a punk rock chef. Someone unafraid of being authentic. Brilliant in his way.

Being a chef is like being a COO at a startup. You must make sure things are running well, on time, with a managed inventory. Consistency is the mother of it all.

The book is good, but not great. After 40% of it, I got tired of his self-loathing. Bourdain's strong identification with having been an anxious junkie made it less fun.

He's better with video, but still a great author. Unlike him, I am not an NYT best-seller, so got no business criticizing him.

I do have the right to my opinion.

It's a shame that I will never be able to eat his food.

What a sad ending for the guy that seemed to have it all.

Be present with the ones you love. Be alone and quiet your mind.

Before you die, that email you sent, that deal you close won't matter.

All you will care about is: was I loved? Did I love?

Focus on that. Love yourself first and then, love others.