Love & Life Lessons From Steve Jobs Life is too short and too precious to waste time being unhappy, resentful or dissatisfied. You are the only one responsible for your own perceptions of the reality that you live in and you are the only one who can change it! Every moment offers a choice of what we think, say and do. We never know when our last day of living may be, so it is important to live life to its fullest and make the most of what we have at this time. But how can we do this when we feel "stuck"? Many people feel trapped in their bodies, situations and chosen lifestyles — like they do not have a choice in how they live day to day. Some feel they are a "victim of society" and can’t seem to get out of the rut of dissatisfaction. The truth is, we all have the ability to improve the quality of our life and make different choices to feel better physically, mentally, emotionally and soulfully. Our thoughts, beliefs and perceptions of everything we observe constantly shape our unfolding life experience and greatly influence the way we feel about the world around us, as well as how others feel about us. News of the shocking death of Steve Jobs deeply affected many people who admired his extraordinary contributions to technology. Perhaps he's received more recognition and appreciation since his passing, as his quotes and tributes are spreading throughout the media and social networks. In his 2005 Stanford University commencement address, Steve recalls asking himself in the mirror every single day, If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? I invite you to adopt this practice in asking yourself this reflective question daily. If the answer is no too often, then do something different and make a change in the way you live your life. Jobs went on to say this poignant statement, which has had a profound effect on me, as I re-‐read it several times. "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." Whoa…that really makes you contemplate your very existence and everything you do, doesn't it?
The real questions are: 1. Do you love who you are now? 2. Do you love what you do? 3. Are you truly happy? 4. Do you feel accomplished in what you have personally contributed to humanity? 5. Are you satisfied with the way things are? 6. What can YOU do to make a difference on this planet? 7. Are you living up to your highest potential? I love the intention of being the change you want to see in the world — being an example to others to follow your heart and live your dreams. It all starts with how we think and what we believe. The following quote by Steve Jobs is also quite inspiring to me. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition — they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." So how do we live up to our highest potential? How do we even know what our potential is unless we push ourselves to find out what we are truly capable of? When we explore outside our comfort zone and dare to be bold, we are able to evolve into infinite possibilities and experience life beyond our wildest imagination. It's never too late to create a bucket list of specific things you want to do before you die, and work toward realizing each and every one of your personal goals.