Friends' Sudden Tragedies

Scott Galloway shares stories about the sudden health tragedies that happen to friends in their fifties, highlighting the importance of health and living in the moment.

"I've been reading some Buddhism recently and I love this one thing I read that really struck me: the person with good health has thousands of problems, the person with bad health has one problem.

When I went into my fifties, something happens and it's really awful - two or three of your friends die, just weird genetic stuff pops up. I had a friend who was healthy, ripped, handsome, happy - this weird nerve disorder, Baroskeline, took him out.

Another friend - we're in Tulum, fifty-one, having a great time, great life, three kids, killing it professionally. A little bump on his head. 'What is that?' 'I don't know, I gotta go check it out.' It's leukemia, but they think they can get rid of it with pharmaceuticals. 'I don't need chemo or anything.' 'Oh, it's not going away, I need chemo.' 'Oh, it's come back stronger, I have to get a stem cell transplant.' And then it's like, 'Oh, it's back, I'm done.' And he's gone. Diagnosis to death - six months.

And you realize, if you're waiting to have washboard abs, if you're waiting to find the perfect spouse, if you're waiting to have more money - don't wait. Try and take advantage of the moment. Tell people you love them. Be nice to yourself. Be kind to yourself. Enjoy yourself because it's going."