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I Wish You Water

During the pandemic, I needed to do something.

I missed faces.

I missed people.

I missed connection.

So we created these Courageous ActionChats.

The ActionChat was a safe-and-real forum that took place on Zoom every Friday for almost a year.

We followed current events and brought on special guests who would share their wisdom on what they were seeing from their part of the world. We had guests Zooming in weekly to share their ear-on-the-ground version of “the news” from Australia, England, Canada and every corner of the States. As the world turned, it was a fascinating and much needed way to bring curious people together to stay apprised, inspired and connected.

One of those regulars was brilliant marine biologist, environmentalist and author Dr. Wallace “J” Nichols. To me, he was just “J”.

Dr. J Wallace Nichols I wish you water

What I liked most about “J” was that he was:

1) approachable,

2) clear, and

3) passionate about his purpose

If you knew J, then you were aware of his Blue Mind Movement. Perhaps you had sponged up his book Blue Mind and discovered why GQ Magazine inked him Keeper of the Sea. Maybe you had listened to our 50 minute podcast conversation about how being near water is proven to set our minds and bodies at ease.

Or maybe you were at our end-of-year Courageous ActionChat where J shared the following profound words of wisdom with our group:

Courageous Action Chat

Dr. Wallace J Nichols passed away last week. It hurts my heart to lose someone who was so caring of others and of our planet. He was driven by his family and his purpose.

J always used to say:

“I Wish You Water”.

So I made time this week to think by the ocean. During that time, I thought about my brilliant friend and what he’d say to all of us if he could address us once again. If J were here right now, he’d nudge us to consider the following:

  1. Find Your Purpose. Life is short. Lock in what legacy you’d like to leave.
  2. Live Your Purpose. Life is wide. Once you’ve chosen a lane, live that noble adventure.
  3. Fund A Purpose. Life is cloudy. Not sure where to start? Have the means? Help manifest J’s mission which can continue with our help.

Learn More About J and His Memorial Fund

*In honor of J, we’ll be bringing back the ActionChat in August of 2024. More details to come in the weeks ahead.

Ryan Berman
Ryan Berman
Ryan is an author, keynote speaker, and the founder of Courageous. His book, Return on Courage, shows how during these courage deficient times, courage is a competitive advantage for those leaders who choose to unlock it.
Twitter @ryanberman | LinkedIn @ryanberman

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