Steve Jobs

I’m somewhat at a loss for words at the news of the death of Steve Jobs

Obviously I didn’t know him personally, never met him, but Steve Jobs probably had more impact on my adult working life than almost anyone else. The tools I use daily are almost all the result of his vision, his perfectionism, his drive.

There’s a quote from his 2005 Stanford address that should stand as a guide to us all in the time we have left to us:

“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.”