Steve Jobs Quote of the Day: "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have ..."

We spend much of our lives building a sense of security. We gather possessions, seek stable jobs, and care deeply about our reputation. It is natural to want to protect what we have. But Steve Jobs, the visionary behind Apple, offered a startlingly different perspective.

He said that the key to a bold and authentic life is not to focus on safety, but to remember our final limit: "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

At its core, this is not a dark or morbid thought. Instead, Jobs frames it as the ultimate source of clarity and freedom.

The first part of his statement targets a common human trap: the fear of loss. We often avoid risks—starting a new career, expressing a difficult truth, or pursuing a creative dream—because we are afraid of losing what we already have. We worry about losing money, status, or approval. Jobs argues that keeping our own mortality in mind shatters this illusion. It reminds us that, in the very long run, we hold onto nothing material. This realization empties the word "loss" of its terrifying power. If you understand that you cannot keep any of it forever, the fear of losing it begins to loosen its grip.