Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

People can collect some weird things and I like to collect speeches.  It does not matter what kind of speech as long as I find a message I want to remember.  I save sermons, commencement addresses, and keynote speeches.  A few years ago Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer, delivered a commencement address at Stanford that I continue to share with students.

Jobs describes his unusal background of dropping out of Reed College because he could not see the value of it since he did not know what he wanted to do.  In this speech, there are several lines worth remembering.  He says, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.  You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, karma, whatever.  This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

Jobs tells another story about death because in 2004 he was diagnosed with cancer.  But the tumor in his pancreas was a rare form of cancer that is curable with surgery.  He had the surgery and is fine.  He summarizes the experience by saying, "Death is the destination we all share.  No one has ever escared it ...Death is very likely the single best invention of Life.  It is Life's change agent."

Jobs concludes by teling the graduates that their time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.  "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."

This is great advice for all of us at any age.  Life is a journey.  Continue to explore.  Look at the view.  Become a sage.  Enjoy the mystery. And said best by Steve Jobs, "Stay hungry.  Stay foolish."