The most inspirational phrase?

In Honors Forum last week, my class was told to look up Steve Job's Commencement speech at Stanford. For those of you who do not know, Steve Jobs is a college drop out who started Apple, was fired by his own company 10 years later, and then started Pixar.

He said that the most important phrase to make choices in his life was "I'll be dead soon." For some, this sounds depressing. Why even bother? I'm just going to die. But to me, this is an inspirational phrase.

I don't want to just die. I want to make my mark on society. I want to be remembered. And this hope to be remembered is what I think drives Steve Jobs and many other people to success. So what is this success? Some would say money, wealth, owning a valuble company like Apple or Pixar. But I think it's doing whatever you are happy with in life, doing something that you love, doing something that you care about, and settling for nothing less.

My goal is to be a marine biologist, and right now I am studying at the University of North Alabama in Florence, AL. I'm not getting my degree for my health or because my mom told me to; I'm in college because "I'll be dead soon," and I want to reach my goal. I want to become a marine biologist. And while I'm here studying, I want to make my mark. Maybe not in a huge way, but just to inspire one person. I want to get involved and succeed. And I'm excited to accomplish as much as I possibly can because "I'll be dead soon."

If you're alive, you're alive for a reason. God's not finished with you yet. So strive to reach your highest goals, strive for the best. Life isn't about dying, it's about pushing yourself to make a difference.