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Chasing Daylight

How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life

By Eugene O'Kelly

(40)

| Paperback | 9780071499934

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Book Description

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Chasing Daylight is the honest, touching, and ultimately inspirational memoir of former KPMG CEO Eugene O'Kelley, completed in the three-and-a-half months between his diagnosis with brain cancer and his death in September 2005. Its hauntiContinue

10 Reviews

1 person find this helpful

it's a little hard to rate a book about someone writing about his own impending death - but this is definitely worth reading as i do think most of us don't ever prepare ourselves, even though this might be decades away. we all die anyway, so why not try to have a happier ending and at least work at ... (continue)

it's a little hard to rate a book about someone writing about his own impending death - but this is definitely worth reading as i do think most of us don't ever prepare ourselves, even though this might be decades away. we all die anyway, so why not try to have a happier ending and at least work at it?

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Michaelkchan said on Mar 21, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

Unexpected yet inspiring.

touched my soul. got attracted by the introductary note at the back cover. i love reading successful biz/people stories - but this was about a successful CEO got diagnoised with Brain Cancer and left with 3 months' time unexpectedly. the part describing how he was saying goodbye for everyone he l ... (continue)

touched my soul. got attracted by the introductary note at the back cover. i love reading successful biz/people stories - but this was about a successful CEO got diagnoised with Brain Cancer and left with 3 months' time unexpectedly. the part describing how he was saying goodbye for everyone he loved (friends, family, co-worker, etc.) - i could feel the pain of letting go of something we treasured so much in our lives (love, friendship). we always say we will do this tomorrow, but at birth everyone is walking towards the passage of death, and nobody knows when the day is here. another theme he brought out was work-life balance which i truely believe will be the important driver for a company to keep its talent in the coming 5 years.

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Pangp said on Jul 7, 2007 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

Things don't go according to plan! Do you still want things in control?
This is a provocative and inspiring story of a dying man, who has a positive mindset to prepare his death. Instead of trying to control everything in his type-A healthy life, he readjusts his altitude to the map of reality (in ... (continue)

Things don't go according to plan! Do you still want things in control?
This is a provocative and inspiring story of a dying man, who has a positive mindset to prepare his death. Instead of trying to control everything in his type-A healthy life, he readjusts his altitude to the map of reality (in the language of the Road Less Travelled) and focus his inner energy (the thing he can master).
This story is vastly different from the "death" story of Mitch Albom. This one is more down to earth and yet still touching. I especially like the last chapter written by his wife after his death -
"While he may have left me on the golf course as we were chasing daylight, he sure teed it up for me nicely for the remainder of the round."
A pretty energetic story when I read it in the wake of level 9 earthquake in Japan.

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Waleswong said on Mar 17, 2011 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

I expected to be moved to tears but was not, Mr. O'Kelly was very matter-of-fact, clinical and logical in his approach to death. It's one way of dealing with death, and likely the only way for a professional accountant and CEO. At the end of the day, death and preparation for death are intensely p ... (continue)

I expected to be moved to tears but was not, Mr. O'Kelly was very matter-of-fact, clinical and logical in his approach to death. It's one way of dealing with death, and likely the only way for a professional accountant and CEO. At the end of the day, death and preparation for death are intensely personal and private matters, so readers will obviously react accordingly.

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Fay Ng said on Jul 23, 2010 | Add your feedback

This is another book that is amazing. I like the author when facing his inevitable death chose first acceptance, then closure (meaning seeing all his friends and family expressing his gratitude), then trying to strive for consciousness to the end. Meanwhile, he tried to be present at every moment ... (continue)

This is another book that is amazing. I like the author when facing his inevitable death chose first acceptance, then closure (meaning seeing all his friends and family expressing his gratitude), then trying to strive for consciousness to the end. Meanwhile, he tried to be present at every moment and to enjoy it. It makes me thinking of my own inevitable death, which may come any time (unlike the author who was told that he had only 100 days). And yet, can I ever stay conscious to the end while be present at all present moment! This is a deeply spiritual book that everyone should read because the end can be very near and yet we are not ready for the end.

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Oz said on Jun 22, 2008 | Add your feedback

可能因為作者係商界啦，佢知道自己只有一百日命時，會改自己人生既mission statement，會重新set target，會evaluate result，會覺得自己之前跑得太快，需要好好地減速...真係好business同令我有共鳴。
特別令人難過既係，作者始終都係一個完美主義者，佢想有多一d perfect moment，佢要同自己最親最愛既人作最完美既道別，佢可能cover左好多人，但係，點樣同自己親生既十三歲女人講死亡同道別呢？作者本來想同女兒去一次布拉格，與依個好有文學同藝術細胞既女兒在最好既環境之下，同佢有最好既perfect moment。
但係，奇蹟 ... (continue)

可能因為作者係商界啦，佢知道自己只有一百日命時，會改自己人生既mission statement，會重新set target，會evaluate result，會覺得自己之前跑得太快，需要好好地減速...真係好business同令我有共鳴。
特別令人難過既係，作者始終都係一個完美主義者，佢想有多一d perfect moment，佢要同自己最親最愛既人作最完美既道別，佢可能cover左好多人，但係，點樣同自己親生既十三歲女人講死亡同道別呢？作者本來想同女兒去一次布拉格，與依個好有文學同藝術細胞既女兒在最好既環境之下，同佢有最好既perfect moment。
但係，奇蹟無發生，佢真係只有一百日命，無延長到；而且在最後階段佢健康急速惡化，去唔到布拉格，無同自己既女兒作正式既closure。
而佢一生至愛既妻子，亦都無正式既closure。
我地成日都有個illusion，以為自己仲有好多好時間，依個illusion強烈到，連同醫生話比你知你只剩下三個月時，我地都仲係明白唔到依個真確性，仲係會不自覺地，慢慢地做一ｄ唔係咁重要既野。
睇到作者由最初連同普通朋友、同事都花咁多時間同篇幅來告別，但係同身體日漸差落來時，連字都唔可能寫多兩個，我不期然地諗，佢既priority係咪set錯左呢？點解佢會選擇由最外圍既普通朋友開始告別，一直掃入去自己既好朋友、親戚、父母兄弟，最後先係自己既老婆同女兒．．．結果搞到唔夠時間比自己最愛既人。
咁，就算我地唔止有一百日命(well, who knows)，但係，我地係咪應該每分每刻都提住自己，要make sure 自己既priority係正確嫁呢？
以下係一篇email收到既文章，和大家分享：
2 Cups of Coffee
When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
Please share this with someone you care about. I JUST DID.

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Samsara said on Jan 21, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback