Actor Naomi Ackie asked her dying mom to tell her a story — she didn’t know it would become the most important lesson of her life

"Mickey 17" actress Naomi Ackie was only 22 when she lost her mom to cancer, but her parting story about a man chasing superficial success changed how she saw life forever. On April 8, in an episode of the Great Company podcast with Jamie Laing, Ackie recalled her mom's final moments and how it made a lasting impression on her. You can watch the full interview on YouTube (@greatcompanypodcast).

Ackie explained that her mom, Debra, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that had metastasized to her brain. In fact, her condition had deteriorated to the point that she could no longer speak or hear. "So, on one of the last days that she was alive, there weren't a lot of ways that we could communicate with each other," the "Sorry, Baby" actress recalled. Perhaps knowing she did not have much time left with her mom, Ackie insisted that her ailing mom tell her a story.

To her surprise, Debra agreed and told her daughter about a man who left home in search of fame and wealth, only to realize everything he needed was right back at home. "She was the best woman in the world; she was so wise," Ackie confessed, fighting back her tears. Moving on, the "The Thursday Murder Club" actress explained how the world is constantly trying to sell us the superficial values that make us doubt our self-worth. "The real magic is inside — when you sit inside of yourself, and you get to know yourself and love yourself where you are at… there's nothing more peaceful," the actress added. 

A study by Boris Marton, Jason Wei Jian Ng, and Tomáš Želinský found a direct link between the "aspiration gap" and their overall life satisfaction. Everyone has an income goal, which is basically an amount they believe they should earn to be happy. Now, the difference between that aspiration and the real income is what we call the aspiration gap. When researchers analyzed both aspects, they found that the bigger the gap, the less the life satisfaction. It means when people aspire for more wealth than they already have, they tend to feel less satisfied with life. Thankfully, people are slowly coming to understand it. In fact, a poll of 2,203 Americans found that over half of respondents (59%) measured success with happiness, compared to 27% who cited wealth.

Meanwhile, reacting to Ackie's heartbreakingly beautiful confession, @slightowlers commented, "A beautiful interview — these words echo deep. Grief is proof of such profound love that you will always carry. Losing a parent is surreal and extremely difficult to navigate, but it brings life into a certain clarity and perspective that you can’t explain unless you’ve experienced it. Life is a true gift, and our loved ones who pass leave this as a parting gift for us to embrace life fully. They are always with us wherever they may be." Similarly, @franca.70 shared, "I just watched it again, and it’s even more lovely and candid the second time around… we notice everything more, and it really does become more vivid when we lose those closest to us. This is very beautiful."

You can follow Great Company (@greatcompanypodcast) on Instagram for more such clips from the original podcast. 

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