How To Live Before You Die by Steve Jobs

View of Chicago, 2007

Living with Ada has definitely made me think about death and the importance of savoring life for the short time that we are here.  I'm wanting with all my heart to subscribe to Steve Job's philosophy on life. To me, this sounds like freedom. 

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die | Video on TED.com

Here are some of my favorite parts:

“For the past 33 years I’ve looked in the mirror and asked myself, if today was the last day of my life, would I want to do, what I’m about to do today. And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

“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 every external pressure and pride, all fear of embarrassment of failure, these things just fall away in the face of death. Leaving only what is truly important. Remembering you are going to die is the best way to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

[My friend Chelsea was considering getting a tattoo that means “remember, you must die.” I think she should go for it.]

“No one wants to die… and yet death is the destination we all share… 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 other people’s 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.”


I feel kind of old to be learning this lesson, but I guess never late than never.