Steve Jobs' death was a surprise, but not so much of one. He'd been ill for a while, and the foreshadowing was fairly evident when he stepped down in August. He looked bad, although the spark was still there.
In a way perhaps not so odd, it reminded me of Freddie Mercury's death in 1991 from AIDS-related complications. It came prior to the Internet era of instant information and incessant speculation, and Mercury made no public mention of his illness until the day before he died. But he continued working until very near the end, and the videos for Queen's final album, Innuendo, clearly signaled something was amiss.
Mercury was 45, Jobs 56. At 51, I'm right in between, having achieved very little in life compared to them. I've no reason to believe I'm anything other than healthy, and yet this mortality gig can be daunting ... daunting, indeed.
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Out of all the Steve Jobs quotes, I keep coming back to this one:
"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."
It is so impressive he didn't just sit down, but kept going for seven more years after his diagnosis.
He will remain a great inspiration to get up and hit it as hard as you can every day.
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