"Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life"

Life is short. We don't have forever. So why spend our precious time trying to live up to someone else's expectations? This idea is simple but powerful: be true to yourself and your own dreams, because your time here is finite.

This quote is often attributed to Steve Jobs, during his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University. Jobs was a man who lived life on his own terms. He faced his own mortality head-on—he'd been diagnosed with cancer a year before that speech. So when he said these words, they came from a place of deep personal understanding. He wasn't just dishing out advice; he was sharing a profound realization about the value of living authentically.

Now, let's bring this idea down to earth. Imagine you're a recent college graduate with a passion for art. But your parents want you to go to law school. They believe it's a safer, more lucrative path. So you put your dreams aside and enroll in law school, thinking you can paint on the weekends. Fast forward a few years: you're a lawyer, but you're unhappy, stressed, and you barely touch your paintbrushes. You may be successful in their eyes, but you're not living your own life. You're living someone else's.

So, how can you put this wisdom into practice? Start by identifying what truly matters to you. What are you passionate about? What activities make you lose track of time because you enjoy them so much? Once you know that, make a plan to incorporate more of these things into your life.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Maybe you can't quit your job today, but you can start a side project, take a class, or spend an hour each morning working on what you love. Small steps count. They add up.

Think about a story. Imagine you're at a cozy coffee shop with a friend. She tells you about a woman she knows, Sarah. Sarah always dreamed of being a writer, but she ended up in a corporate job because that’s what her family expected. She spent years climbing the corporate ladder, feeling increasingly detached from her true self. One day, Sarah read an article about someone who switched careers late in life and thought, 'Why not me?' She started writing in the evenings and on weekends. Slowly but surely, she built a portfolio. Eventually, she left her corporate job to write full-time. Now, she’s happier and more fulfilled than she’s ever been—she's living her own life.

We all have limited time. The clock’s always ticking. Don’t waste it trying to fulfill someone else’s dreams or expectations. Focus on what you want and take steps, big or small, to make it happen. It's never too early—or too late—to start living your own life.