Roy Exum
Steve Jobs, who died in 2011 of pancreatic cancer, has long been one of my personal heroes. He was a maverick and his disdain for school rooms, pompous authority figures, and those who refused to “think outside the box” was legendary. At the time of his death it was alleged Jobs was worth $10.4 billion (with a ‘b’) after birthing Apple computers and he had blessed the world with hundreds of great observations, like: “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.”
Earlier this week I came across what has been claimed as his last essay from his death bed. I was blown away, as I am every time I read about Steve Jobs, but when I fact-checked an article entitled, “The Best Six Doctors" on the Snopes website, they claimed the story is false. There is a strong belief it came from one of many blogs on the Internet in 2015 – four years after Jobs’ death.
There are others who believe the Last Words of Steve Jobs are indeed true, that for some strange reason the story never entered the public domain until after he had died. What is telling about that claim is that Steve Jobs had over 400 patents while heading Apple (on different occasions) and a full 240 were not certified until after his death.
Michael Michalko is a motivational speaker and human resources expert in Naples, Fla. In early March of this year, he published a story, “The Last Thoughts” of Steve Jobs and it has not only gone viral, but has scorched the Internet.
So I am not asking you judge this story’s validity, I want you to read the words as though Steve Jobs was sitting beside you at lunch. These words made me soar because I believe when the time comes on our death bed, you’ll share what Steve Jobs may have said:
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THE FINAL THOUGHTS OF STEVE JOBS
Written by Michael Michalko of Palm Beach, Florida
Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, died a billionaire. Here are some of his last thoughts and words:
"I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes, my life is the epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I have become accustomed to. At this moment, I am on my sick bed, and recalling my life. I realize that all of the recognition and wealth in which I took so much pride, have become meaningless in the face of my impending death.
You can employ someone to drive a car for you, and to make money for you, but you cannot employ anyone to bear illness for you. Material things, when lost, can be found, but the one thing, that can never be found when it is lost, is your health and eventually your life itself.
When a person goes into the operating room, he realizes that there is one book that he has yet to finish reading, "The Book of Healthy Life".
Whatever stage in life we are at currently, in time we all face that day when the curtain comes down.
Treasure love for your family, love for your spouse and love for your friends. Treat yourself well, and cherish others.
As we grow older, and hopefully wiser, we slowly realize that wearing a $3,000.00 or a $30.00 watch is not important. The time is the same. Whether we carry a $300.00 or $30.00 wallet/handbag, the contents are the same. Whether we drink a bottle of $100 or $10 wine, the hangover is the same. Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3,000 sq. ft., the loneliness is the same. Whether you fly first class or economy, if the plane goes down, you go down with it.
You will come to realize that true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world.
Therefore, treasure your buddies, old friends, brothers and sisters. Chat often, laugh, sing songs with them. Talk about north-south-east-west, or heaven & earth. That is true happiness."
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SIX UNDENIABLE FACTS OF LIFE
1. Don't educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy, so when they grow up they will know the value of things, and not just their price.
2. "Eat your food as your medicines, otherwise you have to eat medicines as your food."
3. The one who loves you will never leave you for another, because, even if there are 100 reasons to give up, he, or she, will find that one reason to hold on.
4. There is a big difference between a human being and being human.
5. You are loved when you are born. You will be loved when you die. In between, only YOU are in charge of your life.
6. If you just want to walk fast, then walk alone. However, if you want to walk far, then walk together.
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THE SEVEN BEST DOCTORS, ACCORING TO STEVE JOBS
1. God
2. Sunlight
3. Rest
4. Exercise
5. Diet
6. Self Confidence
7. Friends
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HOW TO CONECT THE DOTS IN LIFE
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – Steve Jobs
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A CARPENTER’S TIP ON BEING THE BEST FROM START TO FINISH
“When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.” -- Steve Jobs
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THE TOTAL IS THE SUM OF ALL THE PARTS
“My model for business is The Beatles: They were four guys that kept each others’ negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts.” – Steve Jobs
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THE FACE OF THE MAN IN THE MIRROR
“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.” – Steve Jobs
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