Ten Minutes

Ken Baldwin tried to end his life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.
A 67-meter drop. He hit the water at 120km/h.
And survived.

The moment his hands left the railing, everything changed.

“I instantly realized that everything in my life that I’d thought was unfixable was totally fixable, except for having just jumped.”

All 29 survivors interviewed say the same thing: immediate regret.

Here’s what haunts me: for nearly half of the people who attempt suicide, the time between deciding and acting is less than 10 minutes.

Ten minutes.

Not weeks of planning.
Not a carefully considered exit.
An impulse that feels permanent, but isn’t.

Half of the people who die by suicide aren’t apparently depressed.
No diagnosed condition.
No obvious warning signs.
They don’t fit the profile we expect.

What people who describe being suicidal often share: the belief that they don’t belong, and that they’re a burden.

Material success doesn’t protect against this.
You can have everything and still feel like you’re on the outside looking in.

The good news? Asking someone, “Are you thinking about suicide?” doesn’t plant the idea.
Research shows it actually helps.

So if someone comes to mind as you read this, ask.

You might be the reason they survive those ten minutes.