What I learnt from Stephen Hawking

5 years + a few days ago, on the 14th of March 2018 the iconic Stephen Hawking died. Below are 5 life lessons I have learnt from him.

• At the age of 21 he was diagnosed with a rare disease called ALS. Despite of the diagnose he went on to do what he loves. No bump in the road is big enough to stop you from your life goal.

• Normally people with ALS have a lower life expectancy. Stephen lived with ALS for more than 50 years. He lived on till his last day doing amazing work. Being able to do what you love most likely has positive impact on your health.

• In 1985 on a trip to Geneva he caught pneumonia and was put on life support. Doctors performed a tracheotomy. As a result he lost the ability to speak. Stephen got a voice from Intel allowing him to speak 15-20 words per minute. Communication is a powerful tool. Choose your words with care, keep it short.

• In 2007 Stephen Hawking fulfilled a lifelong dream, to experience weightlessness. Don’t let your situation affect your dreams.

• Finally. Stephen has published 15 books and 55 papers, he gave humanity a lot of wisdom in his lifetime. Even though he has faced so many odds in his life he didn’t give up.

Next time you feel like you are being negatively impacted by anything think of Stephen. His drive and hunt for impact on society has always inspired me and will continue to motivate me for the rest of my life.

If you can dream it, you can do it.