“Daddy, what does it feel like to die?” I drew her in close and held her tightly. “My sweet child, I’m still trying to figure out what it feels like to live.” -Dr. Jordan Grumet, Hospice Physician
My friend Jordan, an extraordinarily successful internist who had annual income approaching seven figures in the prime of his career, challenges us to take a deeper look at our relationships with others, with ourselves, and with money.
In his book Taking Stock, newly released on August 2, 2022, he incorporates lessons from dying patients together with difficult lessons from his past to give us a next level way to approach life, financial independence, and even time.
I picked up the book again yesterday, a paperback version now in my hands, to refamiliarize myself with the content and message. The timing is serendipitous for me, personally, and I’ll touch on why a bit later.
“I wish I had worked more,” said no dying patient, ever. Well, there may have been a few who said something similar, but that would be a rare exception to the norm. What do dying patients say they regret?
Drawing on both his own experiences and that of his end-of-life patients, Jordan pokes holes in much of the conventional wisdom of the FIRE community. I hate to admit it, but he’s right more often than not, which means I’ve often been wrong.