Below is a condensed portion of the Commencement speech given at Stanford University on June 12, 2005 by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios. (He died in October 2011).

His message is a powerful reminder that the time is now to follow our heart.

You can watch him give the speech in its entirety in the video included.

The following abbreviated excerpt is taken at about the 8 minute mark in the video:

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like:

“If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.”

It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have 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…