Steve Jobs Had Six Months to Live for a Day
Posted June 15th, 2005 @ 03:37pm by Erik J. Barzeski
Steve Jobs:
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
From his commencement speech at Stanford.
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Posted 15 Jun 2005 at 3:40pm #
FWIW, my favorite quote is "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."
Posted 15 Jun 2005 at 4:40pm #
You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.
It's a little long, but damn it's good.
Posted 15 Jun 2005 at 10:34pm #
This is a damn great speech.
They also upload the video clip on the web site, make sure you didn't miss it.
Posted 12 Oct 2011 at 3:20pm #
[...] previously quoted it, but I'd never embedded [...]