Life is Short, Live Your Best Life
Death is scary if you haven’t lived. An unloved, unfulfilled life is the reason you’re afraid of dying.
I was listening again to a podcast with Naval Ravikant that brought to mind someone we know and prompted me to write the words above. Perhaps it’s a part of getting older, and experiencing the deaths of people close to you that makes you contemplate your own mortality.
Turning 60 has also drummed home the message. It’s now or never. Find your joy. Live on your own terms. Do what makes you happy. Love your life and, if you don’t, change it.
This is how Nick Agar lived his life.
Nick Agar
If you don’t move in Woodturning circles, you’ve most likely never heard of Nick Agar. Until I met and got to know Chris in 2015, I hadn’t heard of him either. But I learned about Nick through Chris, for whom Nick was a massive inspiration.
In 2018, I emailed Nick to arrange a one to one Woodturning day for Chris at Nick’s workshop in Devon. It was the first time meeting him for both of us, and an absolute dream come true for Chris. Nick’s tuition changed Chris’ woodturning overnight.
Not long after, Nick relocated to the US where he set up a big woodturning school. He also travelled extensively, demonstrating all over the world, and was a regular on the very popular woodturning cruises.
We kept in touch, speaking to him via Facetime. Nick arranged for various tools and materials to be sent to Chris and put him in touch with one of his main sponsors.
I contacted Nick, mid 2019, to commission a bowl for Chris’ 50th birthday. This is that bowl. Despite appearances, it’s made of wood and is one of Nick’s signature Viking Sunset bowls.
Mid November last year, Nick announced a cancer diagnosis. He was inundated with messages, including ours. It became apparent that Nick’s illness was serious. One of our last messages was a voicenote from Chris. We wanted Nick to know we were rooting for him.
On Friday we heard that Nick had died.
Sometimes someone makes a deep and lasting impression. That was Nick.
Legacy
There’s a lot of talk about legacy. I’ve been thinking about that over the past day since we got the news about Nick. I’m sure he didn’t set out to create a legacy. He was simply doing something he loved and in which he excelled. But you can see in the many posts online how deeply he impacted thousands of people. Those who had lessons with him, fellow Woodturners, people who only knew him via social media or YouTube.
I hope, in the last few months of his life, that all the messages he received let him know how much he was loved and admired.
This is one of my favourite videos showing Nick turning a Viking Sunset bowl at a woodturning event.
Incredible! I want that Sunset Viking Bowl!! 🤣