The Death of Steve Jobs

The unfortunate passing of Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple, has reminded me of a few things.

Adoption is a beautiful thing. Steve Jobs was born to an unwed mother and a Syrian father in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Unable to care for her son, Joanne Simpson placed Steve to be adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs. I applaud the courage of Ms. Simpson for bringing Steve into the world in difficult circumstances, and the compassion of the Jobs in adopting Steve. The world has been made richer by his life.

Creativity is the ability to think beyond self-limiting boundaries. There was no dream too big for Steve Jobs. The courage to create a personal computer that would change the landscape of human culture from the confines of a family garage illustrates that humans have the creative capacity to rise above self-limitations.
Simplicity is still craved in our chaotic world. I'll never forget the first time I held the first generation iPod in my hands. I was amazed by the simplicity of that little white wheel, simple metallic grey devise, and yet the explosion of sound in my ears. I loved the iPod for its simplicity, and yet its utility. It is a good lesson for all of us that complexity is not always better.

Leadership always rises to the top. Despite being forced out of Apple due to a disagreement with John Scully and the Apple Board of Directors, Jobs would eventually return to the company and take it to heights never before known. He became the "face" of every revision and upgrade, and his mere presence when launching new devices seemed to be able to lift excitement in the product and confidence in the market.

Sickness and death are the great levelers of life. Jobs survived a malignant tumor in his pancreas, and a subsequent liver transplant, yet the sickness that ravaged his body would not relent. Sickness forced Jobs to resign as CEO of Apple in August, 2011 to assume the position of Chairman of the Board. Yet even this step back could not save Jobs from the specter of sickness and death. In a now famous, and eerily prophetic, 2005 commencement address to Standford University, Jobs shared these words: 

"When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: 'If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.' It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to 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.

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 is 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 is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."

But what about you, my friend? What are YOU living for? What are YOU willing to die for? And have you considered your final destination? If today were your last day on Earth, would you want to do what you are about to do?

Mr. Jobs, farewell. You will be missed.