"Your time is limited, so dont let it be wasted living someone elses life." -Steve Jobs, CEO Apple Computer, CEO Pixar

For Steve Jobs, getting a college degree meant living someone elses life; so he dropped out. But studying unrelated subjects that interested him represented his own life, and so he started dropping in on classes that piqued his curiosity. One of those classes was calligraphya class that included the study of fonts. No one could have guessed that this seemingly frivolous class would one day culminate in the magnificent fonts displayed on the Macintosh computer. Of course, no one could have guessed it, because Jobs hadnt yet co-founded Apple Computer. For that matter, he hadnt founded NeXT software yet or inaugurated the revival of animated films through his leadership of Pixar. And he certainly hadnt introduced the iPoda product that relegated the once mighty Walkman to the status of an also ran. The calligraphy class was at the start of living his own life and hes spent his adulthood doing just that. But it wasnt until he was diagnosed with cancer (a rare, but treatable form) that he realized just how limited time could be.

Too many folks spend their entire lives living someone elses life. From how to make a living, to where to live, to whom to marry: they move with the flow of someone elses expectations. Sure, they get by, theyre comfortable and they even find some degree of pleasure. But there are always soft, lingering regrets and barely acknowledged what ifs that invade their solitary moments.

If circumstances havent handed you someone elses life to live, the media will help you out. Theyll make sure you understand that you can never be thin enough, rich enough, sexy enough or interesting enough. And when youre convinced, theyll sell you everything you need to lead that magical celebrity lifestyle. Youll realize too late that its all hype and that it cant give you what you need.

And it can be the same way at work. What once looked like a challenging opportunity becomes just a job. The culture is a bad fit and no amount of complaining will make it better. But its steady and you have responsibilities and bills to pay, so you try to live the life the company has handed you. In the end, you become someone you dont even recognize.

Your time is limited. Are you living some one elses life? Do you even know what your own life looks like? Now is the time to connect with your interests, your passions and most of all, your values. If you live what you value you cant help but discover your own life. This isnt about being blithely happy; although that might be a byproduct. When you live your own life, everyone you touch and everything you do is enriched. When Steve Jobs introduced the Mac, it was described as an insanely great product. You can have an insanely great life. But do it now. Your time is limited.