No Limits | The Freedom Blog™
Are You Living or Dying?
Written by Steven Griggs | stevengriggs.com
“I’d rather die living than die dying” Steven Appleton, Chairman of Micron Technology
Two weeks ago on a Friday, Steven Appleton, the chief executive and chairman of Micron Technology, Inc. died when his acrobatic plane crashed at the Boise airport.
In addition to running the last remaining U.S. competitor in the DRAM or memory business, Steven was a stunt pilot, race car driver and was involved in a lot of other high speed, high risk, high adrenaline activities, including martial arts.
Obviously he was a very active and fast moving guy. And he surely lived his passions.
"I'm obviously an aggressive person," Mr. Appleton told The Wall Street Journal in 2006. "It is kind of a cliché, but I'd rather die living than die dying."
This really struck me because it was such a clear example of how to live a life, to really live as fully as possible in every moment.
Even though he died at a fairly young age, Steve probably lived two lifetimes of intense passion filled moments compared to most people.
Not many of us are aerial acrobats or race car drivers like Steven Appleton, but like him, we all have passions.
So the question is: What are you doing today (and tomorrow) to feed your passion?
Working in your business 12-14 hours a day may satisfy you and you may say it feeds your passion. And if that is really true, more power to you.
But is it true? Does it really take 12-14 hours a day to build and then run a successful business?
I don’t think so.
To test yourself, try using the death bed scenario. Picture yourself dying and in your final moments when you are looking back on your life.
Are you going to be happy that you spent all that time away from your spouse or children, working?
Are you going to be glad that you never seemed to take those trips you planned on?
Are you going to be glad you never pursued that painting class or started writing the book you always talked about writing?
So, the question is: Are you living or dying?
