One evening while waiting for sleep to come I checked on my Facebook and came across a post regarding the last words of Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder who succumbed to pancreatic cancer.
I am sharing his last words in the hope that you would gain some insights and realization on what matters most in life.
“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world, in other’s eyes, my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death.
“In the darkness, I look at the green lights from life supporting machines and hear the humming mechanical sounds. I can feel the breath of god of death drawing closer…Now I know, when we have accumulated sufficient wealth to last our lifetime, we should pursue other matters that are unrelated to wealth. Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me. God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth. The wealth I have won in my life, I cannot bring them with me. What I can bring is only the memories precipitated by love…Material things can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – Life. When a person goes into the operating room, he will realize that there is one book that he has yet to finish reading – Book of Healthy Life.
“Which stage in life we are right now, with time, we will face the day when the curtain comes down. Treasure love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well. Cherish others.”
What lesson have we learn from Jobs? For me there’s nothing like cherishing life and expressing our love to our loved ones, and the people whom we meet along the way. Life is precious. Time is of the essence. It’s good for our soul not to squander time in trivial matters. Hence, lets start today and right now to demonstrate and express our love before it’s too late.
Dr. Roopleen, a counselor, suggests the following ways on how to show love:
Show genuine interest in their life. Be interested in what’s going on with them. It is not only the easiest way to connect with them but also the best way to make them feel you value and truly care about them.
Have empathy for them. Feel what others are feeling and be mindful of their thoughts. Putting yourself in their shoes will give you a perspective of what they are going through and this little gesture will go a long way to reassure them that you understand them.
Be there when they need you. It is important to make your loved ones feel secure especially when they are upset, have faced failure or experienced hardships in life. Be there for them in that moment because this is when they need you most.
Help them solve their problems and resolve issues. Everyone has their set of problems which hassles them on a daily basis. Spend time with your loved ones to get an insights of their problems and see how you can help make their life simpler and easier.
It’s not hard to make your loved ones feel special. Simple, thoughtful ways can turn their life around and go a long way to let them know they are important and mean the world to you.