swimming against the stream

I've just finished reading "Swimming against the stream", by Tim Waterstone. It has taken me very long to finish this small book, mainly because I've had a lot of stuff on my mind which has / is taking a lot of my time (work, goals, life, universe, everything).

Anyway, the book is fairly good, it covers some entrepreneurial topics, a bit of business advice, and some motivational / life things. I got a little bored around the middle of the book, but it does end really well. In fact I'd say the last few pages are about the best part of the book.

Tim quotes Steve Jobs (from Apple / Pixar) saying "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking that you have something to lose." I think that's a pretty good statement. Tim goes on to say that "I wasted too much of my own life in someone else's skin. A lot of us do, and it burns up our days. Our time on earth is short. We have to swim on our own, and for ourselves. We must never be trapped by dogma - which is living within the confines of other people's thinking, and just as likely flawed as true."

I think perhaps I like this bit because it fits in so nicely with the things I've got on my mind. I just have this constant feeling these days that I'm wasting my time at work. I'm not making a real difference, or achieving anything great. It's just more of the same, and I think I can, or want to, do much better, in work and life...