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Saturday 10 November 2012

Living Each Day As If It Was Your Last

After the birthday post, I did a lot of thinking. Especially about life and death. Then I remembered the over-hyped quote by Steve Jobs everybody was talking about when he passed away. "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right." 

The impact of that phrase didn't hit me as much then, as how it's waking me up now. What if I knew how many birthdays I was still going to have? Therefore for those in interest of what he said, here it is:

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: 'If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.' It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am 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 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.”

2 comments:

  1. I don't want this to seem confrontational. But when ever I read or hear someone making statements like, live your life to the full, I always think. 'what a crock of shit'. Especially people that claim to do so. I always ask them how. What did they do today that was so special.

    I would rather, be live life to be content. You don't need to bungee jump from an airplane everyday to be living it to the full.

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    1. Hey, no worries. Everybody has their own way of looking at life I guess. I'm still figuring that part out myself.

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