Steve Jobs

“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." - Steve Jobs

Typing this on a Mac while I listen to music on my iPod and check messages on my iPhone (the kids are watching a Pixar movie on iPad right now), I could be an ad for Apple and for all Jobs created. So when I found out he had died, I felt a void. My heart was heavy as I watched my Facebook feed fill up with memorials and quotes from the visionary genius. But more than Pixar, more than Apple, more than any technological gadget, I was affected by Job's words. The different commencement addresses, the various interviews - all showed a man who "got it" and really understood what was important in life. That his untimely death occurred as I'm starting my Happiness Project gives me even more inspiration, so add that to the list of things I want to thank Steve Jobs for.

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." - Jobs at Stanford Commencement address June 2005

"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." - Steve Jobs