A married life coach couple was found dead in their New York apartment of an apparent suicide. The couple, John Littig and Lynne Rosen, had co-hosted a weekly radio program titled “The Pursuit of Happiness.”
On their New York-based radio program, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” the couple urged listeners to seize the day and seek out spontaneity in their lives. For an hour every Thursday, Littig and Rosen would discuss the importance of embracing change and acting in the moment. One of their oft-repeated mantras was the belief that every day, you should do something that scares you. In one of their radio segments, the couple discussed the virtues of the Albert Einstein quote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” and encouraged listeners to act on their impulses.
According to their life coaching website, “Why Not Now,” the couple sought to help people “foster and encourage [their] inner strengths, identify hidden and untapped resources, and put [them] confidently on the path to designing the life you’ve always wanted to live.” In a reference to the name of their company, both Littig and Rosen firmly believed that learning to “do things now” was one of the most important things you should learn to master.
Their suicide came as a shock to the avid listeners of their radio program and fans of their life coaching company. It was indeed ironic that the couple, who had spent their lives advocating that people should live more spontaneous and fulfilled lives, would choose to end their own lives.
Littig and Rosen were found this week in their Brooklyn apartment, dead from what police say was a joint suicide. Their building manager, Hasan Boztepe, broke into their apartment after he detected a strong smell coming from their unit and knocks were unanswered. He told police that he found the couple sitting on the couch together, holding hands. Both Littig and Rosen had plastic bags on their heads, with tubes attached to a nearby cylinder of helium. In his suicide note, Littig allegedly wrote, “I can’t take it anymore, my wife is in too much pain.” In her note, Rosen apologized to her family. The couple died from asphyxiation.
WBAI, the New York radio station that hosted their show, wrote “RIP Lynne Rosen + John Littig. Partners on the air and in life,” on their Twitter page.
