Steve Jobs

"...for the past 33 years, I've looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I wanna do what I am about to do today?" and whenever the answer has been 'no' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. 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 of 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.... 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 other's 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. Everything else is secondary." 
 from Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

I just read that Steve Jobs has died. He battled pancreatic cancer, had a liver transplant, and it seems that his death was cancer related. This is an incredible tragedy. He created the iPhone, iPod, and iTunes, amongst other things. The things that he created literally changed the way that we live today. I am writing this blog on my Mac book, while sending the stunning message of his death via text on my iPhone. Steve Jobs changed the world.

We (the people that don't actually know him) mourn the loss of Jobs because of the amazing things that he did, the gadgets and programs that he created, and his huge imaginative energy that brought his sought-after products to the market. The fact that he changed the way we live is a really big deal.

Alas, I am sure that Steve Jobs meant much more to his friends and family, his co-workers, and his wife Laurene. I am certain that those who were close to him didn't love him for what he did, rather, they loved him for who he was. Perhaps, for his laugh, or the way that he smiled. His huge heart. His life was bold and powerful, which makes his death resonate in the hearts and minds of us all the more.

As we mourn this visionary's tragic death, let's take a moment to be thankful for the life that we have. Let's be loving to ourselves and to one another. Be kind, love with your whole heart, and don't ever go to sleep angry. Knowing that life is short is not morbid, it's a reminder that every moment matters.

Please see the apple page, and the beautiful, simple way in which they pay tribute to this unforgettable human being's life, and death. Rest in peace, Steve Jobs.

God bless.