Co-destiny is the idea that if you do good in a person’s name it adds to that person’s legacy.
Co-destiny provides a way to grow from the loss of a loved one
A path through recovery from trauma to growth. Posttraumatic growth.
What is Co-Destiny?
Co-destiny is the idea that if you do good in a person’s name it adds to that person’s legacy. It is a simple yet powerful idea that not only helped me cope with my son’s death but enabled me to grow from the tragedy.
It works through the psychological processes of meaning creation and reframing in a way that promotes posttraumatic growth through action. The science behind this principle is discussed in my master’s thesis.
Ryan Kasper
Where did the concept of co-destiny come from?
Co-destiny is a concept that I developed in 2013 while completing a Masters in Positive Psychology at The University of Pennsylvania. It was born from the greatest tragedy of my life, the loss of my son Ryan when he was just 19 years old. Ryan struggled with seizures since childhood but his epilepsy accelerated once he entered high school. He was diagnosed with Lafora disease in 2008. It was in that moment I knew my son would rapidly debilitate and succumb to his disease within a few short years. Ryan died on August 24, 2011.
How is co-destiny being used today?
Sheryl Sandberg has since fully embraced the concept of co-destiny after losing her husband, David Goldberg, tragically while on vacation in Mexico in 2015. She was given my paper Co-destiny by Adam Grant who I first met while I was enrolled in the MAPP program at Penn. They both had contacted me while writing their latest book Option B. Sheryl told me it motivated her to form a co-destiny with her husband to honor his life by helping others survive and grow from trauma. She has also started a non-profit OptionB.org which is funded by her proceeds from the book. I strongly recommend both the book and the website to anyone struggling after a loss.