What I learned from Stephen Hawking: living life to the full

LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL

Today the news was announced that the world had lost one of its foremost scientific brains, and that Professor Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76.

Tributes are pouring in from all over the world to celebrate the life and work of one of the UK's most famous people.

As a very outwardly 'creative' kind of person myself, you may be surprised to know that I actually took A' levels in Pure Maths and Physics and my fascination for both subjects has continued well into my successive decades. I love reading about physics and its search for the 'theory of everything', I get excited when science seems (at least to me) to be the same side of the search for philosophical and spiritual meaning; and although I cannot always follow the developments of quarks, bosuns and string theory, I love to give it a go! :)

So today, on hearing the news, I thought I would write a short blog of appreciation to say what this amazing man has brought into my life. I have never met him, and now never will, but he has taught me many things about life that go far beyond the realms of Hawking's radiation, space/time and black holes.

Here are just a few of them:

1) That the labels we are given are just that, a label - and a label that other people have agreed - it is your choice whether you subscribe to and adhere to them or not. And it is your choice whether you allow them to define you. Professor Hawking was told at the age of 21 that he had 2 years to live.....so reaching the age of 76 goes well beyond everyone else's expectation. But I suspect, it was exactly what Professor Hawking had planned all along.

2) Never give up! There is ALWAYS a solution if you look hard enough and have enough determination. You cannot write a book that sells over 10 million copies, without having some determination. And you cannot exist on the public stage whilst only communicating one letter at a time by twitching a muscle in your face. Who of us would persevere under such circumstances and which of us would give up? "Never give up" was one of the things he said often. And what amazing things he has achieved against all odds with this simple mantra.

3) "Look up to the stars not down at your feet." This is another quote from the great man which has meanings on many levels; meanings in theoretical physics as well as some inspirational advice about transcending one's one physical limitations by dreaming and looking towards what can be instead of what is. We can all do this in everyday life too but many of us get stuck by looking down, and miss the amazing, exhilarating and truly awe-inspiring world that is really around us if we bothered to look up.

4) One man can inspire a generation, nay, an entire world. How amazing is that? What would it be like to be able to inspire so many young minds and to trigger their curiosity, talent and potential. This is an amazing legacy and it doesn't matter that most people stopped reading "A Brief History of Time" in the first 10 pages - he inspired people to be interested, to stand apart from their normal humdrum and consider something else (however briefly). But then if you understand time, you'll realise that that is ultimately not a problem either!

So today, I want to say thank you, Professor Hawking for:

• inspiring me to be a better person
• suggesting that I look at my self-imposed limitations and to cast them aside in favour of what is possible, however many other people tell me it is not
  
• igniting a passion in me for learning and knowledge
• making me struggle with complex maths that I did not and still do not fully understand, but I tried anyway
• showing me that life is not defined by the circumstances you find yourself in, but purely by WHAT YOU MAKE IT.

What an amazing legacy.

It is British Science Week this week too, so what better time to celebrate the life of this amazing man, and the lessons we can all learn.

They do not need to be applied to theoretical physics - we can apply them in everyday life, to every situation and in every place where we may feel we could give up............and then again, we could be inspired, go and seek out the solution and take our life onto the next level.

What will you take from Professor Stephen Hawking's legacy?

Please leave a comment and let us know.