Make the Most of Your Time on Earth

Life Lessons from Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, and Puss in Boots

I recently saw a movie that reminded me of a concept I literally have tattooed on my arm, which is “Memento Mori.” In this movie, the main character struggles with the fact that he is going to die. This realization sends him on a journey of fear and despair, but it also leads him to transcendence and a new way to look at life. That movie was “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.”

As Steve Jobs famously stated in his 2005 Stanford Commencement address:

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.”

This powerful and motivational speech still resonates today, not only for the impact of his message, but also for the context of his life. Steve Jobs, who passed away at the young age of 56 due to pancreatic cancer, left a lasting “ding on the universe.”

Most people regard Steve Jobs as a genius, but it was not his technical expertise that set him apart; it was his understanding of human nature and his “reality distortion field,” which he used to create some of the most disruptive innovations of our times.

Steve Jobs knew that we all strive for something more than just wealth, fame, or power. This is exemplified in the infamous line he used to recruit John Sculley as CEO: “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or come with me and change the world?”

Steve was our generation’s Henry Ford, who also transformed our lives with his understanding of human behavior. One of his most important contributions to our society surpasses that of his manufacturing process invention to make cars more affordable—he created the 8-hour work shift and weekends and thus got us closer to achieving work-life balance.

The concept of “memento mori,” or remembering one’s own mortality, is not new and can be traced back to ancient philosophy, specifically Stoicism. Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, wrote a lot about how essential it is to accept that you will die and use that knowledge to make the most of your time on earth. In his book “Meditations,” Aurelius wrote,

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”

Like Steve Jobs, the Stoics believed that the ultimate goal of human existence is transcendence, or living a virtuous life. By constantly being mindful of our mortality, we are reminded to make the most of our time and to strive for virtue and wisdom, rather than material possessions and fleeting pleasures.

According to the UN, the world’s average human life expectancy is roughly 72.6 years. Doing some simple math, a year is 52 weeks long, which means 3744 weeks to live! You also have to consider that, as adults, we divide our days into thirds: 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of work, and 8 hours of “you time.” How do you spend them?

There’s something I left out; the complete phrase is “memento mori, memento vivere,” which translates to “remember you must die, so remember to live.” This is the focus you must have in all endeavors: living life to the fullest, with the realization that you may die at any moment.

So, remembering your mortality may not sound like the most fun thing in the world, but it’s an important tool in achieving transcendence and making the most of your time here on earth.