Daily Lesson from Life 19 November 2008

"Briton kills self in chainsaw decapitation: coroner
David Phyall opposed to leaving repossessed home. -Wed, Nov 19, 2008 AFP

LONDON, Nov 19, 2008 (AFP) - A British man committed suicide by cutting off his own head with a chainsaw, an inquest into his death found Wednesday.

David Phyall, 50, took his own life because he was "irrationally opposed" to leaving his home, which had been repossessed, Deputy Coroner Simon Burge said at Winchester Coroner's Court in southern England.


"In the 15 years I have been sitting as a deputy coroner, this is the most bizarre case I can recall," said Burge, recording a verdict of suicide."

It is a gruesome death for sure. This is but one case and in UK. With the financial crisis hitting the world, a lot of people who lost their mortgaged homes may take the same terrible act as this British man. In the last financial crisis in 1997, a lot of folks committed suicide in Hong Kong through jumping off high-rise building. Some took the whole family with them!

It is not happening yet and hopefully people will have the nerve to realize that committing suicide does not really solve the money issue. Money is material thing and not worth losing our life over it! Somehow something can be sorted out.

Lessons for me are:

1. we but have one chance to survive the crisis. If we make the wrong decision as our mind is not clear, we will not live to fight another day! The key is to live even with a lot of pains due to lack of money, so that we can fight another day. This will required nerve of steel and determination of a bull dog! As long as we can work out the money with the lenders, as long as we have family and friends who will help us with subsistence, we should live and fight another day!;

2. in the1997 crisis, a multimillionaire in Bangkok, Thailand, became a sandwich vendor right outside the mansion that he used to own! This is resilience. He lost everything but he keep his will to live and keep his dignity as he knows money is not everything. What he lost, he can make back - in time and with a lot of smart and hard work! This is what is required to survive a major crisis. Optimism, rationality, and humility!;

3. how much should we help our family and friends in money problems? As much as you can afford to but not before taking care of your own and your family money needs first! If you can spare some help, you should do it as you only need to provide some subsistence help. The family and friends will understand if they are reasonable people!

Let's brace for the full force of the financial crisis in the next 3-6 months. As it arrives, I am sure everyone will be impacted - just a matter of degree!

Keep you chin up and live on to fight another day!!