You only have so much time, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
In 2005, Apple’s co-founder gave these words to a newly minted batch of Stanford University graduates. Jobs had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer not long before the start and was given three to six months to live.
Confronting his own mortality had taught him the value of living the best life possible, a message he passed on to the new graduates…and the rest of the world watching.
three questions you should ask
Jobs’ speech offered us something to think about in terms of what genuinely matters in our own lives. And to this day, every time I watch that commencement speech, it causes me to look in the mirror and ask myself some really powerful, Jobs-inspired questions, which I hope you will do as well.
1. Am I living the life I desire and working on the projects I want to work on?
The internet has made it possible for everyone to create a website. He began to live each day as if it were his last, because it very well could have been! Considering about how little time you and I have left on this planet isn’t meant to be depressing. On the contrary, it gives us the ability to make the most of our limited time.
Jobs described approaching his death as “the most significant instrument I’ve ever encountered to help me make life’s key decisions.” Practically everything, he observed, “falls away in the face of death, leaving just what is actually important,” including our fears, failures, and pride.
2. “Would I want to do what I’m about to do if today were the last day of my life?”
After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Jobs stated he asked himself this question every day, actually standing in front of his mirror.
“If the response has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something,” Jobs stated. If I asked myself that question every day at this point in my life and work, the answer would be an emphatic “yes!” I say this because I’m doing what I’ve been called to do, and I’m living my purpose.
I strongly advise you to do the same. Be prepared to confront yourself and ask yourself the same question before you begin your day. While you check in with your feelings, pay attention to what’s coming up for you. It can be difficult to confess you’re not living the life you want if you’re being honest to yourself, but it’s the only way to pivot toward the pursuit of something new—something that may be your true calling.
3. Am I doing something I enjoy?
As Jobs points out, living someone else’s life is a waste of your own. The term “emergency” refers to an emergency situation.
You must discover your passion… Your work will take up a considerable portion of your time, and the only way to be fully satisfied is to produce exceptional work. Because the only way to perform great work is to enjoy it.
Doing what we enjoy gives us meaning, which inspires our motivation to get out of bed each morning and, in the words of Warren Buffett, “tap dance to work.” According to Harvard Business Review research, in order to be completely engaged and satisfied, people must believe that their work matters and that their contributions contribute to a greater good.
When people discover meaning in their jobs, >>> Read More
