Steve Jobs Speech: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

I’m sure we all know who Steve Jobs is and how successful he is, but do we really know the story behind the man? This is a video of his inspiring 2005 commencement speech at Stanford. As a person who always tries to listen to and follow their inner voice (no I am not losing my mind), I find his words to be so true. It’s one of the most inspirational talks I have ever heard and encourage everyone to set aside 15 minutes to listen. Some of my favorite quotes include:

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

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.

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.

Enjoy your weekend. Keep up the great work and lifestyle changes you are making right now…and most importantly, Stay Hungry….Stay Foolish. The world is yours to make what you want of it (health, fitness, happiness, success)….anything is possible, so go make it happen.

Note: This is also the transcript of the speech for those that can not see the video, although I would stress listening to him as he really gets the message across more than just words can do. Enjoy.