"If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I'm about to do today?"
That has to be one of the most thought-provoking questions ever uttered. It was said during a Stanford graduation speech by Steve Jobs (who, in turn, was inspired by a quote he had read as a teenager).
Those few words at the start - if today were the last day of my life - cut through all of the layers of worry, self-doubt, anxiety, and whatever else we put on top of the decisions we make each day. Because if today were actually the last day of my life, I wouldn't make decisions based around other peoples' thoughts or opinions and I wouldn't make decisions that I'm not 100% confident about.
The answer to that question is incredibly telling to a person’s mental state.
If your answer is no, that you’d run away from your current life, that you’d travel to that place you’ve always wanted to go or be honest in a way you never have before, you’re dreaming of escapism.
But if your answer is yes, if you can honestly look in the mirror and say that you would spend your last day doing what you’re about to do, you’ve unlocked true happiness.
A few years ago, my answer would most likely have been no. I was just starting out in my career and was working the night shift, which always takes a mental toll. I also was just starting to figure out what I wanted out of life outside of work. I felt like a beginner in most parts of my life, as if I was working toward something in the future rather than enjoying the work now.
In fact, back then, I probably couldn’t have imagined a life where my answer to the question most days would be yes.
But it is now.
After a few years of hard work, of spending the time to improve my own self-awareness and listen to my intuition, to pursue crazy ideas and spend hours upon hours creating, of finding a job that actually means a lot to me and that I enjoy doing, and – maybe most importantly of all – having a child, the answer to that question is an unequivocal “yes” nearly every day.
I love what I do, from the moment I wake up to the moment I lay down to sleep at night. I love waking up to the early morning air and taking our dog for a sunrise walk. I genuinely love the work I get to do at my job, designing creative solutions and making a difference for our partners. I love cooking dinner and sitting down to a rewatch of Supernatural with my wife. And I love sharing my perspective on this beautiful, wonderful life I get to live through the videos I create and the words on my blog.
Lately, it seems like each day passes faster than the one before it and whole weeks or months go by in a blur. I don’t spend enough time reflecting on the gratitude I feel to get to live this life, nor what a privilege it truly is.
But by writing down these thoughts, I hope to remind myself to do that just a little bit more often.
