"Being close to death changed my life..."

I love hearing life stories and listening to music. So it will come as no surprise that Desert Island Discs is on my list of favourite podcasts. And this week’s episode with explorer Steve Backshall was interesting on many levels, not least for learning about his dramatic brush with death and the impact that had on his life.

In 2019 Steve was kayaking down rapids in Bhutan as part of a new Expedition series. Forced into a tight gorge, he dropped down into water and was sucked in. He remained there, held in the freezing glacial-melt water for four and a half minutes. Enough time to realise he was drowning. Enough time to realise he’d never see his wife and son again. Luckily, he was saved by friend and safety kayaker Sal Montgomery who got a safety line and dragged him out. 

Steve told presenter Lauren Laverne, “ It turned out to be the best day of my life because there is something very liberating about getting a sense of being close to death – it gives you such a greater appreciation of all you have to live for. It was one of the turning points in my life when everything changed. I had a much greater appreciation of what I had and what I had to lose.”

It’s not surprising such a terrifying near-death experience had so profound an impact. Surviving a distressing ordeal like that would make you feel very glad to be alive. But you don’t need to be in extreme physical danger to appreciate that life is precious. Knowing we are all mortal, that our own journey of life – our own expedition – will draw to a close one day,possibly with no warning, is enough to give us a real sense of gratitude for what we each have to live for.

So stay in touch with your mortality. It’s the key to finding happiness, feeling grateful and making the most of these precious lives of ours.

Listen to Steve’s interview on Desert Island Discs HERE and read more about the positive benefits of mortality awareness HERE.

Steve Backshall – Explorer and guest on this week’s Desert Island Discs.