One of my favorite commencement speeches was that of the late Steve Jobs in a prestigious university in the US. It was very inspirational and he highlighted how important it is to do the things that your heart tells you to do and things will fall into places later on (he called it connecting the dots). He talked about failure as a necessary experience to keep working on and be successful. However, what I remember the most was his closing words, which he quoted from an old publication, "Stay foolish, stay hungry."
I liked that because it resonated well with me. As someone in her early 40s, who has been through so much in life, I sometimes feel that maybe it is time to just settle for a life with the least effort, least resistance and least time investment. I can stay in my comfort zone, not exert any more effort, and just let days pass me by. But there is something in my heart that tells me that I have to go on, break the glass walls of my comfort zone and be uncomfortable again. At this point in my life, there is more fear than in my 20s. The fear of the unknown in my 20s was easier to handle than the fear of disrupting my stable schedule in my 40s. The 20s was an adventure to be explored and I was eager to learn. to explore, to fail and learn again. I was foolish and hungry. Unfortunately between the 20s and 40s, a lot of things can happen that can make you lose the desire to stay foolish and stay hungry. Your passion, inspiration, and motivation take a backseat to regularity and stability. Listening to Steve Jobs talk about continuing to be foolish and hungry was a wake up call for me.
There is a need to constantly remind ourselves that the things that we can do, when we decide to do them, is unlimited. We can continue to explore and be free. Stability is good, being comfortable is good but that shout not hold us back. Let the foolishness and hunger of our 20s remain with us.
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