from Sahil Bloom | by Sahil Bloom

Steve Jobs passed away 11 years ago today. His 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University is a treasure trove of his wisdom. 7 quotes and lessons from the incredible speech: t.co/8jhhaAKnhh

Lesson: Question the Assumptions Independent thinking is a superpower of the modern age. To carve your own path, you have to develop your own views. You can't be constrained by the way things have always been done—by the false tradeoffs that others have told you to believe. t.co/zta236TQU1

Some of the worst decisions I've made in life were grounded in "that's how it has always been done" thinking. Learn to question the basis of anything that doesn't feel right to you. Don't chart your course through life based on someone else's map. Question the assumptions.

Lesson: Let Curiosity Guide You Life is a mysterious expanse that we're tossed into without a flashlight or guide. We hope that mentors can help, but the reality is that we have to figure most of it out on our own. Curiosity can be your guide—but only if you embrace it. t.co/KqletfaflQ

It's hard to predict, but when you pursue learning with genuine, inspired curiosity, good things tend to happen. It’s a mysterious and powerful force—one you should always have on your side. Let curiosity guide you.

Lesson: Have Faith in the Dots We are just a series of "dots"—moments, decisions, successes, and failures. Our lives are the line that connects through them. The struggle is that it's often impossible to see that line as you place new dots. t.co/pqUDL0V0uc

Much of life, therefore, requires a terrifying leap of faith. A grounded belief that those dots will connect—somehow, someway. And yet, as terrifying as it may be, they do. Time and again. Always, always have faith in the dots.

Lesson: Go Back to the Starting Line After being fired from Apple, Steve Jobs felt the weight of a tremendous public failure that most of us will never experience. Interestingly, the public failure led to a sort of Renaissance period in his life. t.co/pLwraX2hIU

It's easy to allow external forces to drain your life. The pressures late in the race, with high expectations and a buildup of fatigue, bear down. Think back to how you felt as a beginner—the lightness of that moment. Metaphorically or literally, go back to the starting line.

Lesson: Never Settle If you have the luxury of choice, never settle for less than love. Low tolerance for uncertainty is one of the greatest drivers of settling. Resist this urge and temptation: Tolerate uncertainty for a bit longer than you otherwise would. Never settle. t.co/5IN7GmtRh9

Lesson: Memento Mori One year before this speech, Steve Jobs had survived a scare with pancreatic cancer. It was a visceral reminder of his mortality and the inescapability of death. But rather than darkness, this close encounter brought light… t.co/paZ9Aw6cru

Life is simultaneously both very long and very short. Many of us ignore the shortness of life: We get caught up in the stresses and fail to recognize that our precious days are slowly fluttering away. Our time is finite, but we often fail to recognize it until it's too late.

Lesson: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish The fight against normalcy is perhaps our most important fight in life. Growing up, I feared being different. I only realized later: Being different is your edge—your ultimate competitive advantage. No one can compete with you, at being you. t.co/Cf3F7BKbWZ

We all need to fight back against “fitting in”—fight back against normalcy. The world wants you to be normal and play by the rules. You have to fight—consistently and diligently—to maintain your uniqueness. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

These are 7 powerful lessons from one of the most wisdom-rich speeches of all time—one I watch at least 2x per year. Follow me @SahilBloom for more writing like this. You can find the full text and video of the speech linked in my article below. t.co/po7UHHxxgv