John Trautwein is the author of the new book The Will to Live: How One Family Turned Tragedy into Healing, Hope, and Purpose. The book focuses on the death of his son Will. Trautwein is a former professional baseball player, and is an international business executive, motivational speaker, and co-founder of the Will to Live Foundation.
Q: First of all, I’m so sorry for the loss of your son…
Why did you decide to write this book?
A: From the day my son took his life, and throughout that first week, I started keeping a small notebook with me so that I could write down all the wonderful acts of kindness that I (and my family) was experiencing - they were truly incredible.
It was such an awful, sad, and emotional time for me that I was afraid I would forget all these acts of kindness, so I started a journal. Over the first year, this continued, and as we started the Will To Live Foundation, my family and I kept experiencing these acts of kindness, and love and hope.
It was about a year later, I realized I had the makings of a motivational story that could inspire people to understand the power they have to deliver hope to each other. I felt my story, our story, could not only inspire people, but at the same time, in a positive way, could raise awareness of teen suicide and mental illness.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: The Will To Live. This title simply represents what I have been trying to do since the day my son lost his will to live. I want to create a culture where it is “okay to not be okay,” and by doing so, people talk - and relationships improve - and our Will To Live Increases.
This became the name of our foundation as well. It was perfect, it represented what we wanted to do, and it very subtly incorporated my son’s name into something that I was doing as part of his legacy.
Q: The journalist and author Dan Shaughnessy said of the book, “In The Will to Live, John Trautwein takes the emotions of loss and turns them into a message of awareness and hope.” What do you think of that description?
A: Dan’s description is exactly why I wrote the book. I wanted to raise awareness and deliver hope through our story.
Q: What impact did it have on you to write the book, and what do you hope people take away from it?
A: Writing the book was pure therapy to me. It made me “express,” it made me “talk about it.” Every day, it gave me “Will time” - it motivated me, it inspired me because I knew it was a very good thing I was doing and it would have a positive effect on people’s lives. It would make teens and their parents more aware of the fact that depression is common - and treatable and beatable.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the power we have to deliver hope to each other. Something I wanted the teens to understand, so they talk to each other - and parents to understand - that it is okay for us to not be okay - in fact it’s normal, so let’s talk.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: We are getting ready to launch the book - and at the same time, I am very committed to the Will To Live Foundation and my speeches. This, coupled with a full-time job, keeps me busy!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: We have had great success with our “Life Teammates” message that resonates throughout both the book and our Will To Live Foundation. With my experience as an ex-major league baseball player and Division One college athlete, my message to athletes, their families, their coaches and administrators has been extremely well received and a key focus of mine today.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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