Living and Dying According to Steve Jobs

Sunday, October 09, 2011



STEVE JOBS (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)


American entrepreneur, inventor, and founder, chairman and CEO of Apple, Inc.

This, of course is a late post but, I can never forgive myself if I can't even write a blogpost about Steve Job's death. We all know he has made a big impact on our technology today. I'm sure one of you are enjoying the magical benefits of having Ipod, Iphone, Ipad and more importantly, Mac computers. I was shocked when I read it online via Yahoo News.

The death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs stirred up a lot of emotion around the world. Apple stores were adorned with flowers and thank you notes, but some of the most fitting tributes could be found online.

At 56, Steve Jobs suffered from serious health problems for several years.

He had undergone a liver transplant two years ago and survived pancreatic cancer in 2004. In 2009 already he had been away for several months for health reasons.

Steve Jobs resigned from his position as CEO of Apple on August 24 and was replaced by Tim Cook (number two in the group).

The death of Steve Jobs comes 24 hours after the announcement by Tim Cook the launch of the 4S version of the iPhone.

“Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family. In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.”

In 2005,  Jobs gave a commencement speech at Stanford University, in which he shared his insights into mortality after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the previous year:

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

No one wants to die, even people who want to go to Heaven don’t want to die to get there, and yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent; it clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now, the new is you. But someday, not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it’s quite true. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

In all the talk we will hear this week and the coming days of Jobs’ legacy, these words, from a visionary, an innovator, a man who didn’t waste his life living someone else’s life is the one that will stay longest with me. I may not know him personally but I do know that he's a great man. He did his best to do his goal here on Earth which made me wonder if I'm doing the same thing right now, at my age. Hopefully I am. Living out my goal on a straight path.


To Steve Jobs, I salute you!


"Rest in peace Steve Jobs..your genius will live on for generations to come." - Neil Patrick Harris

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