Live
October 5, 2011
Steve Jobs died today. Looked again at his commencement address at Stanford, back in 2005. A great presentation of three stories and a few well stated words of advice. I liked a lot of it, especially this:
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
-Steve Jobs 1955-2011
A sad, yet oddly inspiring day.
Remembered another quote on the subject:
When asked what surprised him most about humanity, he answered, “Man, because he is so anxious about the future that he doesn’t enjoy the present, the result being that he doesn’t live in the present or the future. He lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
-Dalai Lama
Life of Wry 