Amazon has become like a second home to almost everyone. Most of us visit Amazon more often than we visit our close family and friends. Undoubtedly, Jeff Bezos has not just created a company with Amazon, he has created an experience. A person who has achieved this feat, has a lot to teach through his example.

Here are the few things that may fuel the vision of our lives for transforming the world

1. Life is a tapestry of choices

Take that train if it takes you through beautiful scenery(if that is what you enjoy), rather than a plane that just fast forwards the experience. Your experience of life lies in the choices you make. For every choice you make, you progress towards an entirely new life. It is like if you have four options, you have 4 different lives to live. Whoever you turn out to be will be the result of the path you choose to take. Make one that leans toward the least regrets, and for that you have to have a keen ear to listen to your heart. 

“So I wanted to project myself forward to age 80 and say, ‘Okay, now I’m looking back on my life. I want to have minimized the number of regrets I have.”

2. It’s not ‘work’ when you make a card for your partner.

Some people often keep their passions and profession separate, so as not to kill their love for their passions. These people consider work as something they do to ‘survive’ and earn a living. But when your work aligns with your vision and works towards creating a tomorrow that brings about a change in the world, it’s not ‘work’; it’s your passion you are following. And work like this gives ‘newer’ meaning to life. You do not ‘survive’; you ‘live’.

“Everything comes with pieces you don’t like. Minimize the things you don’t like.”

3. You don’t need to be Jeff Bezos to create Amazon.

When we see a huge building, the architectural beauty and the massive size restrict our vision of understanding what it took to get it up. We fail to see the hours of relentless work, thousands of blueprints that went into making that. It is okay to be inspired by successful people, but following in their footsteps may overwhelm you. 

We need to realize that what worked for someone else may not work for us. Whoever we become will be a reflection of our strengths and choices.

“What applies to the life of others won’t apply to you. The formula for success doesn’t exist. Rather, it is about you leveraging your personal strengths, making the best of what you have, taking risks, and trying to add value to the lives of others.”

4. The feeling of waiting for handwritten letters.

We are living in a world of instant gratification. With 30-minute pizza delivery, 1-day prime delivery, instant messaging, we have forgotten the art of patience. It is like traveling to a particular place. Some people travel for a shorter amount of time, running past the place with the hope of ticking their bucket list. But if you are the kind of traveler who values experience more than ticks, you would spread out the trip to enjoy every experience. And who knows, you may stumble upon hidden treasures that were not even on your list. 

“If you’re going to invent, it means you’re going to experiment, and if you’re going to experiment, you’re going to fail, and if you’re going to fail, you have to think long term.”

5. If you don’t find the book you want to read, write one.*

Don’t we all buy ice cream that we want to eat and the gadgets we want to own according to our tastes ? If we can believe in ourselves when it comes to such simple things that do not even matter in the larger scheme of life, why do we then hesitate to create our future? We are the architects of our lives. There is nothing as transient as the future. We have the strength and ability needed to carve out a future that we want to live. 

The common question that gets asked in business is, ‘why?’ That’s a good question, but an equally valid question is, ‘why not?’

Jeff Bezos lives by this quote. 

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It simply expresses the human nature of even a person as successful as him. 

Life is all about these little moments. You will always cherish your first kiss more than your successful corporate collaborations, your first salary more than your big promotion, the small space you started your life, than the big mansion you live in. They will always remind you of the experiences which have made you the person you are.