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Apple CEO Tim Cook Shares Words of Wisdom From Steve Jobs

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
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By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
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February 24, 2017, 6:29 PM ET
Apple Announces Launch Of New Tablet Computer
Photo by Justin Sullivan — Getty Images

Legendary Apple CEO Steve Jobs would have celebrated his 62nd birthday on Friday.

To honor the day, current Apple CEO Tim Cook took to Twitter to praise Jobs, who passed away in Oct. 2011 after battling pancreatic cancer.

Cook recalled one of Jobs’ famous quotes about following life’s passions: “There is no reason not to follow your heart.” The quote from Jobs comes from his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, during which he discussed his cancer diagnosis and how it affected his view of life.

Remembering Steve, whose words and ideals will always inspire us. “There is no reason not to follow your heart.” pic.twitter.com/MihKSnbYiQ

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 24, 2017

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The following is an excerpt from Jobs’ commencement speech that Cook referenced on Friday:

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

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.

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Additionally, Cook said this week that he would honor Jobs by naming Apple’s new auditorium the Steve Jobs Theater. The auditorium is located at Apple’s new headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., which the company will start to move into in April.

The campus Steve envisioned will be known as Apple Park, and its theater will bear his name. https://t.co/O0BEOdncDq

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 22, 2017

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
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Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

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