ASK KATE Question #3: "What do I do if I want to die tomorrow?"

June 19, 2017 by Kate Manser in ASK KATE, Stuff I Think, A Life Well Lived

When I was around thirteen, I took about forty Tylenol. I both wanted to die and also needed an outlet for my overwhelming despair. Today, I look back and my heart breaks for that sad teenager. I know now that everything which flows also ebbs: joy, love, despair...life. Nothing gold stays, Ponyboy. Like the gold, the blackness also fades. The hopelessness I felt then is minute compared to the insane gratitude and zeal for life that I possess today. Ironically, it was remembering that I am going to die which helped me truly live.

Hey, Death! F You!

March 30, 2017 by Kate Manser in You Might Die Tomorrow, Stuff I Think, A Life Well Lived

91-year old Norma was faced with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation to *hopefully* cure her uterine mass. Instead, she chose to live her last days on an incredible adventure, traveling around the country with her adult kids and dog in an RV. What a badass, right?

To my haters

February 15, 2017 by Kate Manser in You Might Die Tomorrow, A Life Well Lived, Stuff I Think

Today, I am here to talk about the extreme polarization I am encountering from people regarding the title of my project, You Might Die Tomorrow.

Embarrass yourself

February 15, 2017 by Kate Manser in A Life Well Lived, You Might Die Tomorrow, Stuff I Think

Love hard, be occasionally reckless, say yes to adventure. You can start by stepping your toe outside your comfort zone, or you can harness that rare desire to do so and jump out with an unreliable parachute.

Where's your desperation?

January 10, 2017 by Kate Manser in A Life Well Lived, You Might Die Tomorrow, Most Loved Blog Posts

“In my life right now, I’m eighty. There is so much left to do. So I would like to go back and give myself a bit longer, but as it is, I don’t know how long I have to live, but certainly it is that every year takes me closer to the end, whenever that end is. And so there is this feeling of desperation - there’s so many places I want to go, so many people I want to talk to, and so many hearts I want to reach.”

— Jane Goodall, Human documentary

Because I said so.

December 31, 2016 by Kate Manser in Gratitude, Stuff I Think, A Life Well Lived, Most Loved Blog Posts

Comparison is the k i l l e r of
joy
happiness
confidence
light
So why do I do it?

Mandarins and wildflowers: My Japanese mother

December 11, 2016 by Kate Manser in Gratitude, Travelogue, Soul Vacation, A Life Well Lived

She and her husband both accompanied me to the train station and we were mostly quiet as we snaked around the mountain. The mist was thick and the drizzle matched the way we felt, I think: a little sad to say goodbye.

Imagine you have zero responsibilities...

September 19, 2016 by Kate Manser in Stuff I Think, A Life Well Lived, Gratitude, You Might Die Tomorrow, Most Loved Blog Posts

Recently a friend and I were sitting at a cafe when someone walked by, apparently talking to himself. I looked over to her with wide eyes and high brows like, “Yikes.” She said, without a hint of sarcasm, “Let’s assume he’s got a bluetooth in his other ear.” That struck me; I realized it’s a really powerful thing to give people the benefit of the doubt.

About the Book - Installment 1

May 11, 2016 by Kate Manser in You Might Die Tomorrow, A Life Well Lived

Listen, I’m not good at sugarcoating stuff. I hate gray areas; I prefer the comfort that comes from knowing where you stand. So, You Might Die Tomorrow isn’t going to be a soft, gentle inspirational read. This is a book for people that want to wake the fuck up.

Traveling is Dumb

April 26, 2016 by Kate Manser in A Life Well Lived, You Might Die Tomorrow, Most Loved Blog Posts

I don't know why I'm smoking. Maybe it makes me feel like a writer.

Do something awesome.

January 13, 2016 by Kate Manser in A Life Well Lived, You Might Die Tomorrow

Hey, let me tell you a secret: You are in control of your life. You call your own shots. Quick - answer this - what’s important to you?

Hey, it’s cool to be sad sometimes.

October 21, 2015 by Kate Manser in A Life Well Lived, Most Loved Blog Posts, Stuff I Think

I still have bad days that end with me wallowing in my underwear on the couch guzzling a $20 Montepulciano and shoveling mashed taters into my mouth.

Do not let the world make you hard.

September 26, 2015 by Kate Manser in A Life Well Lived

"Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place." -Iain Thomas

On a boat in Tahiti my life changed course.

September 18, 2015 by Kate Manser in Soul Vacation, Most Loved Blog Posts, You Might Die Tomorrow, Travelogue, A Life Well Lived

In May, I traveled to French Polynesia to shack up on my dear friends Melissa and Scott's boat, Kaimana. When I arrived, I had no idea what was to come: my life was going to change course.