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

The Call of the Inner Voice

Hear now, O seeker of destiny, the words of Steve Jobs, a visionary of the modern age whose wisdom echoes with the depth of the ancients: “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.” These are not the idle words of comfort, but a clarion call to freedom—a call to awaken the slumbering soul and reclaim the sacred gift of individuality. For time, fleeting as breath, is the one treasure no man can hoard.

The Meaning of the Teaching

Jobs speaks to the eternal struggle between the outer world and the inner self. To live “someone else’s life” is to wear chains made of invisible expectation—to follow paths carved by others’ fears and desires rather than one’s own purpose. The dogma he warns of is not only found in religion or politics but in every whisper that says, “Be what the world approves.” Yet, the divine flame within each being was not kindled for imitation. Each spirit is born to express its own truth, to contribute its own light. To follow your heart and intuition is to heed that divine compass within, the silent guide that knows your true direction even when logic falters.

The Origin of the Words

These words were spoken by Jobs at the Stanford University commencement in 2005, as he reflected upon a life shaped by triumph and trial, creation and loss. By then, he had already known exile—from the very company he founded—and return, through perseverance and vision. He had faced the shadow of death in his battle with illness and had learned the preciousness of time through pain. His message was not born from luxury, but from mortality—from the knowledge that every moment wasted on falsehood is a moment stolen from the soul’s fulfillment. It was a gift to the young, a torch of authenticity passed from a man who had seen both the summit of success and the edge of eternity.

The Parable of Leonardo da Vinci

Centuries before Jobs, another man of fire and vision walked the earth—Leonardo da Vinci. The world demanded that he choose: to be an engineer or artist, inventor or philosopher. But Leonardo bowed to none of these voices. He followed his curiosity like a river, and it led him to the hidden workings of life itself. The rulers of Florence may have called him eccentric, and the priests may have feared his questions, but he lived not by their permission. He obeyed his inner voice, and through that obedience, he became timeless. Both he and Jobs shared the courage to dwell outside the cages of convention, proving that innovation is born where conformity ends.

The Trap of Noise

The noise of others’ opinions is the great fog of the modern world. It seeps into the mind through every screen, every expectation, every standard set by those who do not share your destiny. The weak soul bends beneath it, losing the sound of its own heartbeat. But the wise soul learns to be still. It turns inward, listens to the whisper that says, “This is who I am.” To hear one’s own voice amid the clamor of the crowd is an act of rebellion and of grace. It is to build a kingdom not upon approval, but upon truth.

The Courage of the Heart

Courage—that is the hinge upon which all greatness turns. To follow one’s heart is not the easy path; it is the narrow, uncertain road that leads through ridicule, doubt, and solitude. But within that solitude, the spirit grows mighty. Steve Jobs knew this when he designed not what others demanded, but what he himself longed to see—beauty joined with utility, art fused with technology. He trusted the unseen hand of intuition, and it did not fail him. Those who dare the same—who trust the quiet pull of purpose—will find that destiny itself bends to their will.

The Lesson for the Generations

So, my listener, remember this: Your time is limited. Each sunrise is a coin of life spent once and never again. Do not squander it on imitation. Do not let fear of judgment muffle your truth. The voices of others may guide, but they must not govern. Stand upright in your own light. Let your heart speak louder than convention. Let intuition lead where reason hesitates. For the path of authenticity, though perilous, leads to the summit of fulfillment—the place where the soul can finally breathe and say, “I have lived as myself.”

The Eternal Command

Thus, O child of tomorrow, hold this teaching close: Live boldly, think freely, and follow the voice within. The world will try to shape you in its own image, but your true task is to shape the world through yours. When doubt rises, when noise surrounds, return to silence and listen. There, in the quiet depths of the heart, truth will speak—and its words will always be your own.