If today were the last day of my life

For the past 33 years, I’ve looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

在过去的33年里，我每天早晨都会问镜子里的自己：“如果今天是我生命的最后一天，我是否愿意做我今天将要做的事情？”

And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

并且如果很长的一段时间里，这个问题的答案总是不，我变明白我要做出一些改变了。

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

时刻记得我将不久于人世，是我做生命中重大决定时最有帮助的方式。

Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

因为诸如所有外界的期望和荣誉，所有的难堪或是失败的恐惧，在面对死亡时都不值一提，只有真正重要的东西会留下来。

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.

我知道时刻记住你终将死去是避免陷入思考上陷阱最好的方式。你已经一无所有，还有什么理由不追随自己的内心？

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas.I didn’t even know what a pancreas was.

大约一年前我被诊断出患了癌症。我在早晨七点半进行了扫描，结果明确的告诉在我的胰腺出长了一个肿瘤。我甚至不知道什么是胰腺。

The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months.

医生告诉我这是目前认定无法治愈的一种癌症，并且我最多还有3到六个月的寿命。

My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor’s code for prepare to die. It means to try and tell your kids everything.

我的医生建议我回家处理后事，这意味着要尝试告诉你的孩子一切事情。

You thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family.

你要知道你必须要将未来十年要告诉他们的东西仅在几个月做到，这意味着我的家人要接受我的离开。
It means to say your goodbyes.

这意味着，你要和这个世界说再见。

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乔布斯在斯坦福大学演讲了3个故事，主题分别是串连生命点滴、爱和失去、死亡。本文是第三个故事——关于死亡的节选，该故事是乔布斯被诊断出癌症后的所为所想，也是他对我们的劝诫——“记住你即将死去”。