The passing of Steve Jobs left many people saddened. Not just those who were in his inner circle and his family but perfect strangers as well. One woman wrote on face book that she found herself tearing up and wondering why. I too felt a sense of loss. I certainly never met the man nor did I have any of his products until recently when I bought an IPad. I have tried to keep up with technology but it certainly is not my passion. I felt that the IPad would fit my needs since it was small, compact and seemed to be able to do a lot of things except perhaps tweeze my eyebrows, but I’m sure they’ll have an App for that soon. My latest issue of Time magazine has Jobs on the front and has devoted quite a few pages discussing his life. He was the quintessential visionary who revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing and digital publishing. His perfectionism and ferocity for his beliefs often made his co-workers feel unsettled and often inspired. What I love about Jobs after reading more about him was his need to follow his bliss and do it with great intensity and joy. During his commencement address at Stanford University he told the students that he recognized early on, even prior to his diagnosis of cancer, that “ death is life’s change agent” which allowed him to try to live each day as if it were the last. How many of us live in quiet desperation wishing we had spent more time following our dreams instead of our nightmares. Oh yes, there is definitely the need to make a living, and sometimes we are stuck in jobs, relationships and more that have become our prisons. I think it’s unfortunate that education does not include how to discover becoming your authentic self. I was often told that I should get a “real” job. My mother once asked me “How long do you think people are going to laugh”? Well, I guess they have for quite a while. I love a poem I saw recently, part of which I quote here” Here’s to the crazy ones, The misfits, The rebels, The troublemakers, The round pegs in the square holes, The ones who see things differently.” We need to honor those who see what is not there, and then make it appear, because they often push the human race forward. So the next time a friend, co-worker, partner, or child says something you feel is crazy, think about it awhile before you put them down. They could be the next Edison, Ford or just maybe the next Steve Jobs.