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How are you really doing?

Joerg Kuehn · Apr 28, 2021 · 1 Comment

20 year old Jonny Benjamin was not well. He had been diagnosed with a mental illness which caused him to slide into a severe depression, and, on a cold January morning in 2008, he decided to end his life. Dressed only in a T-Shirt, he walked up to Waterloo bridge in London, stepped over the railing, and was ready to go.

But all of a sudden, a stranger came up and started talking to him: “Hi mate, can you tell me why you’re sitting on the bridge?” Gloomily and hopelessly, Jonny replied he was going to take his own life. But the stranger would not let go and kept talking to him. “Please don’t do this mate. Please don’t do this. Let’s just go for a coffee. Let’s just talk it over.” The stranger kept talking to Jonny in tones full of compassion, kindness, and genuine concern.

The surprising modern insights of an old tradition!

Joerg Kuehn · Dec 22, 2020 · Leave a Comment

The word “Heimat” has a special meaning for me and many people in Germany, as it represents the area where we grew up, with all our personal experiences, memories, values, traditions and people. My Heimat is at the foot of the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) in the Eastern part of Germany.

The Erzgebirge is famous for its longstanding mining tradition. In 1168, the first silver ore was found near today’s Freiberg. The mining industry in this area produced silver and iron ore as well as lead, cobalt, nickel, zinc and uranium until the end of the 20th century.

The job of the miners was very hard. Working hours were incredibly long and the work was intensely tough, as they faced life threatening conditions hundreds of metres below the surface.

As winter approached, it got even tougher, as the miners would not see daylight for weeks and months, leaving their homes in darkness in the early morning and returning home after sunset. It is, therefore, understandable that these miners had a natural and strong longing for (day) light as a symbol of life, safety and hope.

Stumbling on Happiness

Joerg Kuehn · Nov 25, 2020 · 1 Comment

I grew up being told I had a cat allergy. In October 2014, when my future wife Anne moved in, she brought along her cat, Sebastian. Initially, I was not sure this would work, but it soon became clear that not only was I not allergic, but life with a cat was a new and enriching experience. He added peace, playfulness and calmness to my life. Unfortunately, due to diabetes and other complications, Sebastian passed away in October 2015.

After a few month of “cat-less living”, we decided to get a new one. Entering Mrs. Wong’s cat shelter, we were greeted by more than a hundred cats. Our “target cat-specification” was very clear: black and male with a long-tail similar to Sebastian. Beginning to look around for that “perfect-fit”, one cat seemed highly interested in us and even jumped on us (s.picture). This cat was the total opposite of our target specification, as she was female and three-colour with only half a tail.

The next day, I asked my wife: “Do you think there was any meaning behind this cat jumping on us, almost choosing us? Should we go and get her?” Anne said yes, and soon the cat, which was called “JW2,” came home with us (JW – abbreviation of “Jurong West”, the district of Singapore where she was found). She was “off-spec” … but had chosen us.

Why am I sharing this story?

The Non-Medical Secret To Avoiding A Heart Attack

Joerg Kuehn · Jun 30, 2020 · 2 Comments

In the early 1960’s, the US government decided to fund a study about Roseto, a remarkable small town of Italian immigrants in Pennsylvania. What made the town stand out was the fact that rate of hearts attacks was less than half the US average.

In their attempt to identify the reasons for the low risk of heart disease, the researchers first studied the field of nutrition. But it turned out that the Rosetans loved meatballs and sausages fried in lard with hard and soft cheeses. That could not have been the reason. Next they looked at smoking, but it turned out the people from Roseto loved their cigars. Also not the reason. After that, they analyzed their drinking habits, but it turned out they drank wine “with seeming abandon.” Finally, they looked into the working conditions, but most of the Rosetans were working in the surrounding slate quarries where they breathed dust-filled air..

So, what reduced the risks of heart attacks in Roseto so dramatically?

Is this the most important life-hack in times like these?

Joerg Kuehn · May 27, 2020 · Leave a Comment

“You have seven days to vacate your property!” That’s what the judge told Moth and Raynor Winn in the spring of 2013 after a three year court battle. They had made an investment with a close friend of Moth’s. It went bad. Creditors were now claiming their small farm house in Wales.

Moth and Raynor could not believe the judge’s order. Together, they had built up the house and farm from a ruin over the last 20 years. It was the place where their two children grew up and still came back to on university breaks. It was a place where families came to stay for the summer as a countryside holiday. And most importantly, it was their home.

Seven days later, they would be homeless. There are times you think things can’t be any gloomier, but they can. Within the seven days, they had a doctor’s appointment and Moth was diagnosed with a rare brain illness. The Doctors gave him only two to three years to live. That’s how the book “Salt Path” begins, a true story of hope and fate that deeply touched me.

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