Health and Psychology

There's something that happens to people when they have an idea that their mortality is catching up to them.  Many start to do things they think are important and will have some lasting meaning.

Steve Jobs found out a few years ago that he had pancreatic cancer.  So he did what a lot of people do.  He ignored it.  In the initial stages of diagnosis, it's common for people to not want to deal with things.  So people make up stories about what a disease means.  Even a disease like cancer.  Even a person like Steve Jobs.  In the early stages a disease like pancreatic cancer is very treatable.  The doctor's found it early, by accident.  Steve was told his options.  He decided he didn't like surgery.  So he waited 9 months.  By the end of that time his cancer had metastasized outside of his pancreas to other areas.  Metastatic cancer isn't as easy to treat and as the disease spreads the cure rate drops.

So realizing he had nothing left to lose he decided to make cool things that were beautiful.  The iPhone.  The iPad.  Things that people never knew they wanted until they had them or saw them.  And once someone touched them things were magical.

I remember when I bought my iPad.  My husband asked what I needed it for.  I said "Listen, this is really cool technology.  It's just fun.  You touch it and it responds to you.  It's quick and easy and light.  It makes my heart happy."  and he said "Yeah, okay honey."  because we've been married a long time and he knows when to stop.  Then one day he picked it up.  Just to search for something like a football score to tell his brother.  Then it was to listen to a Youtube video of some music.  Then a radio program.  I haven't seen it in the past month.  It's always with him.  It's now his cool gadget.

Steve Jobs left a legacy of technology.  He left us with cool, beautiful, geeky stuff that people just want.  He left us inspired.  No one has to die to leave that kind of a legacy.  They do need to think about what they want to do, what their purpose is, and how not to let things get in the way of it.  I'll always like cool tech stuff.  For me the legacy of Steve Jobs is to do what you think is the right thing to do, to fly in the face of convention if necessary, and to follow your passion.  It makes your heart happy.