I saw the movie last night. This is not a review per se. In fact, the movie does not need any review. I cannot imagine anybody not liking this movie. A movie about a dyslexic child… under pressure from the materialistic expectations of parents and teachers… suffering from absolute lack of confidence. It is an amazing journey of the little boy – from the naughty kid in his own world to an unknown boarding school world where he cannot find himself. Until of course, Aamir Khan discovers the little boy’s strengths and likings.
As I said earlier, the movie is too good for me to even attempt writing a review.
For me personally, watching the movie was a real experience. For, I could relate to the little boy very intimately. Everything that happened to him has happened to my elder brother – except a ‘savior’ in the form of AK. I could feel the pain of the little boy. I have seen many similar scenes of the movie in my own life years ago. The comparison of the little boy with his elder brother, for instance. My brother was also put through such subjective evaluations relative to me. The difference vis-à-vis movie is that I am the younger brother.
It was really really tough for me to keep my composure and not break down crying as I watched the movie. There were scenes which ripped me apart because it happened to my brother also. My parents too behaved exactly the way the little boy’s parents did – because the fact of the matter is they did not think they were doing anything wrong. I can perceive the emptiness in my brother’s life when I was given the kind of attention (at his cost) for being 'academically good' and 'normal' like other kids. Thankfully, my brother was not sent to boarding though. In fact, it was contemplated seriously at one point in time. Financial problems stalled the plans.
This movie has hit me hard. It has increased my guilt and remorse for not being able to make any difference to my brother’s life. I wish it was as easy for me to go up to him and share my feelings. I wish I can assure him that I am always going to be around for him. I wish I can make a little difference to his life. I wish I would not have been so immature, selfish and stupid all these years.
The brilliant work of Prasoon Joshi can be easily overshadowed by the little boy’s classic performance and AK’s charisma. But I strongly feel the movie will lose a lot of charm and feel if it was not for the lyrics of few songs. Kudos to Prasoon Joshi…
This movie will act as a catalyst in fulfilling my dreams over the next few years. May the tribe of Amole Gupte and AK in this world keep growing…
Sorry chetta for everything…
December 25, 2007
December 21, 2007
Strength of a Man
The strength of a man isn't in the width of his shoulders,
it is in the width of his arms that encircle you.
The strength of a man isn't in the deep tone of his voice,
it is in the gentle words he whispers.
The strength of a man isn't how many buddies he has,
it is how good a buddy he is with his kids.
The strength of a man isn't in how respected he is at work,
it is in how respected he is at home.
The strength of a man isn't in how hard he hits,
it is in how tender he touches.
The strength of a man isn't how many women he's loved by,
it is in can he be true to one woman.
The strength of a man isn't in the weight he can lift,
it is in the burdens he can understand and overcome.
Read this in one of the forwarded mails I received.. found it a nice little write-up. But, is this description passé? Girls, please throw some light on this.. :)
it is in the width of his arms that encircle you.
The strength of a man isn't in the deep tone of his voice,
it is in the gentle words he whispers.
The strength of a man isn't how many buddies he has,
it is how good a buddy he is with his kids.
The strength of a man isn't in how respected he is at work,
it is in how respected he is at home.
The strength of a man isn't in how hard he hits,
it is in how tender he touches.
The strength of a man isn't how many women he's loved by,
it is in can he be true to one woman.
The strength of a man isn't in the weight he can lift,
it is in the burdens he can understand and overcome.
Read this in one of the forwarded mails I received.. found it a nice little write-up. But, is this description passé? Girls, please throw some light on this.. :)
December 17, 2007
Dull start...
...to an otherwise exciting week… and this, after a really hectic weekend!
Wondering why we miss few people so very much! And, why it is not necessarily reciprocated...
Wondering why we miss few people so very much! And, why it is not necessarily reciprocated...
December 13, 2007
Delhi's cool - in all sense!
Back home after 2 days' official trip to Delhi. I love Delhi for many reasons and for some one going from Mumbai, the cleanliness, greenery, broad roads and less crowded spaces cannot miss the eyes. Even if we discount the fact that it is the administrative capital, the progress that Delhi has made over the last few years should put Mumbai think-tank to shame. And if you ever go to Delhi, do not come back without hitching a ride on the new intra-city rail network, Metro. It is simply brilliant. You must see it to believe it...
Crowded airports, flights running into full capacity, Mercedes and Porsche cars even in the most unlikeliest of places in the country, crowded malls, non-availability of rooms in most of the hotels around Connaught Place - all point towards a booming economy. A long way to go obviously...
Some people on this mother earth are just simply fabulous. Wonderful human being, caring mother of 2, loving wife, extra-ordinary performer, smart driver, fun loving attitude - really too good a person. May GOD shower all the happiness on such superb people.
This post might not make any sense to most - but that is precisely how it is supposed to be!
Cheers,
U No Hoo
P.S.: The next person who asks me about when I am getting married is going to see a different Harish! :)
Crowded airports, flights running into full capacity, Mercedes and Porsche cars even in the most unlikeliest of places in the country, crowded malls, non-availability of rooms in most of the hotels around Connaught Place - all point towards a booming economy. A long way to go obviously...
Some people on this mother earth are just simply fabulous. Wonderful human being, caring mother of 2, loving wife, extra-ordinary performer, smart driver, fun loving attitude - really too good a person. May GOD shower all the happiness on such superb people.
This post might not make any sense to most - but that is precisely how it is supposed to be!
Cheers,
U No Hoo
P.S.: The next person who asks me about when I am getting married is going to see a different Harish! :)
December 10, 2007
Back with a bang!
Yes, the title is about me - back with a bang after about 4 months. Why this break? Well, what else do you expect from a lazy dumbo like me! :)
As the year is closing in towards the end, lots of random thoughts eating me up. Hate to say this, but a good number of my 2007 resolutions have to be carried forward to the next year. Hopefully, 2008 would be a much better year. Oh God, that same, old HOPE thingie remains...
To be fair, 2007 has been decent for me personally and professionally. ING has treated me well and am happy to be here, though a tad dissatisfied for not having done better. As they say, there is always a scope for improvement! But then, there should always be something to look for tomorrow and on that front, I've lots to look forward to.
The most frequently asked question to me this year has been 'So, when are you getting married?'! Gosh, that thought scares me. Not at all gung-ho about getting married... Before you start presuming that something's wrong in me ;) , lemme clarify that's not the case. :) There are more than one reasons why I believe I will be happier remaining single than married. More so, for the eventual girl if and when I get married. Few of my good friends got married this year. And by traditional parameters of the right age for getting married, they say I am more than eligible! Want to run away to Mars...
So will 2008 be more eventful than 2007? Will US head into a recession eventually? Or may be stagflation will show its ugly face? Will Abhi-Ash remain happily married? With a baby?? Will Sachin Tendulkar retire on a high? Will he have to be shown the door?? Will Sensex touch 25k? 30k?? 50k??? Will I get married? Happily?? I have no answers to any of these questions...but one thing's for sure - I will turn a year older and complete the silver jubilee of my life. Should I be happy or sad? :)
Lots of traveling over the next few days. Off to Delhi tomorrow and then to Hyderabad next week.
Sometime soon, the most precious thing in this world would be SILENCE.. sheer tranquility.
Take care and keep smiling :)
U No Hoo
As the year is closing in towards the end, lots of random thoughts eating me up. Hate to say this, but a good number of my 2007 resolutions have to be carried forward to the next year. Hopefully, 2008 would be a much better year. Oh God, that same, old HOPE thingie remains...
To be fair, 2007 has been decent for me personally and professionally. ING has treated me well and am happy to be here, though a tad dissatisfied for not having done better. As they say, there is always a scope for improvement! But then, there should always be something to look for tomorrow and on that front, I've lots to look forward to.
The most frequently asked question to me this year has been 'So, when are you getting married?'! Gosh, that thought scares me. Not at all gung-ho about getting married... Before you start presuming that something's wrong in me ;) , lemme clarify that's not the case. :) There are more than one reasons why I believe I will be happier remaining single than married. More so, for the eventual girl if and when I get married. Few of my good friends got married this year. And by traditional parameters of the right age for getting married, they say I am more than eligible! Want to run away to Mars...
So will 2008 be more eventful than 2007? Will US head into a recession eventually? Or may be stagflation will show its ugly face? Will Abhi-Ash remain happily married? With a baby?? Will Sachin Tendulkar retire on a high? Will he have to be shown the door?? Will Sensex touch 25k? 30k?? 50k??? Will I get married? Happily?? I have no answers to any of these questions...but one thing's for sure - I will turn a year older and complete the silver jubilee of my life. Should I be happy or sad? :)
Lots of traveling over the next few days. Off to Delhi tomorrow and then to Hyderabad next week.
Sometime soon, the most precious thing in this world would be SILENCE.. sheer tranquility.
Take care and keep smiling :)
U No Hoo
August 27, 2007
Lead India!
The Times of India has launched the "Lead India" campaign. It is one of the best initiatives that has come from a media house as far as I remember. The programme gives the selected candidates an opportunity to join politics without dirtying their hands, something that is perceived as the biggeest roadblock towards choosing politics as a career option by youth. The details of the campaign can be found at www.lead.timesofindia.com.
For all of us, I hope this campaign gives a genuine opportunity to stop criticizing the system and stand up for the broader well-being of the society.
Among many pre-conditions, one is that the minimum age for this programme is 25 years (in line with the parliamentary rules, I guess). For the time being, hence, I use this as an excuse to continue being very very selfish...
For all of us, I hope this campaign gives a genuine opportunity to stop criticizing the system and stand up for the broader well-being of the society.
Among many pre-conditions, one is that the minimum age for this programme is 25 years (in line with the parliamentary rules, I guess). For the time being, hence, I use this as an excuse to continue being very very selfish...
August 25, 2007
From Bombay to Mumbai to ... ?
It was a normal travel routine for me. Boarded a fast Kasara local from Byculla station last evening. The train was more crowded than normal and I could just find myself enough space to accomodate my bulky body in a very congested fashion. Of course, the thoughts were to try and avoid the brunt of over-enthusiastic crowd that would get in from Dadar.
Before I could do much to get into a 'safer place', the crowd was all around me and I was trying to maintain my balance with atleast 3 people leaning on me from different sides, as the case with everyone inside that 'hell'. It is very easy for any body to lose one's cool when he is so very uncomfortable due to heavy crowd and resultant heat and suffocation. And then, at that very moment something happened - something that I personally witnessed for the first time in my life here in Mumbai.
An argument started between two guys, both stuck in some awkward position in the crowd and apparently one of them was pushing the other. A heated argument followed and voices were raised. The family members were referred to in the choicest of filthy words by both as is usual in such arguments. One of the two was shouting in Marathi. At one point, the other person tried to play smart. He 'complained' that he does not understand Marathi and sarcastically asked the other guy to talk in Hindi. That was it... The first guy got really very furious, as could me made out from his voice decibels. He kept talking in Marathi and blasted the other guy for not knowing Marathi in Maharashrta! He said you are an outsider and are sitting on our heads in Mumbai. We let you come in and that is the biggest mistake we did. And now you are polluting this place in a very significant manner! All this in Marathi... I was stunned a moment later when his 'speech' was responded by cheers and claps in the bogie!! The other guy was obviously tongue-tied.
I have never seen such a 'aamchi-Mumbai' incident ever in Mumbai. Of course such things do happen and the famous campaign by Shiv Sena is an example. But a real-life incident like this struck me. Though it is just a small incident but it is true that
such frictions based on insiders/outsiders are very much prevalent. I wonder whether these small incidents would result into some fracas soon in our daily lives. Hopefully not...
It is true that Mumbai has ceased to be Maharashtrians' land but it is incorrect to claim it that way at the first place, I feel. Ok, it is a part of Maharashtra but now it has evolved as the financial capital of the country and thence the influx of 'outsiders' is a natural progression. But unfortunately, when in a situation of rage, logics take a backseat and emotions rule the show.
All said and done, these sentiments and emotions, as reflected in this incident, is here to stay.
Before I could do much to get into a 'safer place', the crowd was all around me and I was trying to maintain my balance with atleast 3 people leaning on me from different sides, as the case with everyone inside that 'hell'. It is very easy for any body to lose one's cool when he is so very uncomfortable due to heavy crowd and resultant heat and suffocation. And then, at that very moment something happened - something that I personally witnessed for the first time in my life here in Mumbai.
An argument started between two guys, both stuck in some awkward position in the crowd and apparently one of them was pushing the other. A heated argument followed and voices were raised. The family members were referred to in the choicest of filthy words by both as is usual in such arguments. One of the two was shouting in Marathi. At one point, the other person tried to play smart. He 'complained' that he does not understand Marathi and sarcastically asked the other guy to talk in Hindi. That was it... The first guy got really very furious, as could me made out from his voice decibels. He kept talking in Marathi and blasted the other guy for not knowing Marathi in Maharashrta! He said you are an outsider and are sitting on our heads in Mumbai. We let you come in and that is the biggest mistake we did. And now you are polluting this place in a very significant manner! All this in Marathi... I was stunned a moment later when his 'speech' was responded by cheers and claps in the bogie!! The other guy was obviously tongue-tied.
I have never seen such a 'aamchi-Mumbai' incident ever in Mumbai. Of course such things do happen and the famous campaign by Shiv Sena is an example. But a real-life incident like this struck me. Though it is just a small incident but it is true that
such frictions based on insiders/outsiders are very much prevalent. I wonder whether these small incidents would result into some fracas soon in our daily lives. Hopefully not...
It is true that Mumbai has ceased to be Maharashtrians' land but it is incorrect to claim it that way at the first place, I feel. Ok, it is a part of Maharashtra but now it has evolved as the financial capital of the country and thence the influx of 'outsiders' is a natural progression. But unfortunately, when in a situation of rage, logics take a backseat and emotions rule the show.
All said and done, these sentiments and emotions, as reflected in this incident, is here to stay.
August 21, 2007
From bad to worse
The more I remain patient with the downs of life, it is getting worse. I do not know for how long this lull would continue or what will trigger a revival, but I remain hopeful...and foolishly perhaps. I am forced to re-produce the headline of my blogpage:
All my life, I wanted to be somebody! Now I see I should have been more specific
I am searching for myself these days...
All my life, I wanted to be somebody! Now I see I should have been more specific
I am searching for myself these days...
June 21, 2007
CA = Complete Aaram?
I was privy to an interesting conversation between two gentlemen in the train today. They were discussing about Chartered Accountants (CAs).
I did not bother to catch up with their conversation till the time I realized that they were discussing about me and my professional colleagues. Hence, I missed the context in which this conversation came up. Nevertheless, it still remains interesting. One of the two people was a global gyaani – a genre of people you would always find in Mumbai who believe they are on top of everything that happens in this mother earth… or perhaps in Mars, Venus and Saturn too. He opined that CAs are too many - too much these days. Or to put it in his own words, aaj kal CA kachre ke jaise mil jaate hai. Aisa hi chalta raha to paanch saalon mein yeh log raste mein bhatak rahe honge!
No, if you are thinking that I would have pounced on him and beaten him blue and black, you are completely wrong. I am not such a person at all. I am kind at heart and ever forgiving even in such situations. I am not an egoist to feel offended about these remarks. Considering all this, it is almost irrelevant that the global gyaani had an enviable giant frame - bulky and not shorter than 6’2. :)
Coming back to their conversation, it had not ended. The not-so-global gyaani was visibly surprised. He had thought, like me, that clearing CA is not that easy and so how could the number increase in such proportion. To this the global gyaani had an instant answer. He explained that the passing rates of the examinations have increased and aaj kal koi bhi CA ban sakta hai. He added, more importantly these CAs have no knowledge at all. They just have to sit in an air conditioned office and could earn Rs.1 lac per month for doing nothing! I wanted to intervene and ask the address of this office to apply for a job. ;)
On a serious note, there was some truth in what the global gyaani was saying. It is a fact that the passing rates of CA examinations have improved significantly. And I do not think that is because of improvement in the quality of candidates. I have been teaching CA students for about three years now and I can say this from my experience that the quality is visibly deteriorating. Perhaps it is unfair to pass such remarks on the batches that succeeded mine. But I would be lying if I say that I have not experienced deterioration in quality.
The proportion of quality students in a batch that I teach has more or less remained constant over the years. But the number of students who pass out has increased, and within them the quality is mixed. And this is not necessarily because these students are not good, but purely because the yardstick has been lowered. Presumably, this has been done to cater to the increasing demand for CAs. Whether this is the right approach or not is an entirely different realm for debating.
Whilst it is incorrect that all CAs go on to earn Rs.1 lac per month for doing nothing, people who have passed out in the last 5 years (and includes me) has never had it better in terms of the career opportunities. The pay scales have also improved significantly. Simple economics would suggest that a sharp fall in the pay packages of CAs should precede a scenario that our global gyaani envisaged – that CAs would have no work at all.
I did not bother to catch up with their conversation till the time I realized that they were discussing about me and my professional colleagues. Hence, I missed the context in which this conversation came up. Nevertheless, it still remains interesting. One of the two people was a global gyaani – a genre of people you would always find in Mumbai who believe they are on top of everything that happens in this mother earth… or perhaps in Mars, Venus and Saturn too. He opined that CAs are too many - too much these days. Or to put it in his own words, aaj kal CA kachre ke jaise mil jaate hai. Aisa hi chalta raha to paanch saalon mein yeh log raste mein bhatak rahe honge!
No, if you are thinking that I would have pounced on him and beaten him blue and black, you are completely wrong. I am not such a person at all. I am kind at heart and ever forgiving even in such situations. I am not an egoist to feel offended about these remarks. Considering all this, it is almost irrelevant that the global gyaani had an enviable giant frame - bulky and not shorter than 6’2. :)
Coming back to their conversation, it had not ended. The not-so-global gyaani was visibly surprised. He had thought, like me, that clearing CA is not that easy and so how could the number increase in such proportion. To this the global gyaani had an instant answer. He explained that the passing rates of the examinations have increased and aaj kal koi bhi CA ban sakta hai. He added, more importantly these CAs have no knowledge at all. They just have to sit in an air conditioned office and could earn Rs.1 lac per month for doing nothing! I wanted to intervene and ask the address of this office to apply for a job. ;)
On a serious note, there was some truth in what the global gyaani was saying. It is a fact that the passing rates of CA examinations have improved significantly. And I do not think that is because of improvement in the quality of candidates. I have been teaching CA students for about three years now and I can say this from my experience that the quality is visibly deteriorating. Perhaps it is unfair to pass such remarks on the batches that succeeded mine. But I would be lying if I say that I have not experienced deterioration in quality.
The proportion of quality students in a batch that I teach has more or less remained constant over the years. But the number of students who pass out has increased, and within them the quality is mixed. And this is not necessarily because these students are not good, but purely because the yardstick has been lowered. Presumably, this has been done to cater to the increasing demand for CAs. Whether this is the right approach or not is an entirely different realm for debating.
Whilst it is incorrect that all CAs go on to earn Rs.1 lac per month for doing nothing, people who have passed out in the last 5 years (and includes me) has never had it better in terms of the career opportunities. The pay scales have also improved significantly. Simple economics would suggest that a sharp fall in the pay packages of CAs should precede a scenario that our global gyaani envisaged – that CAs would have no work at all.
June 20, 2007
What if you knew you were gonna die today!
An extract from the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories. (I'm sharing just the third story here. The entire text is readily available in the web. Just google for the same if you are interested in reading the entire speech)
My third story is about death.
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.
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.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.
STEVE JOBS
Personally, I could not have read this piece at a more apt time in my life.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories. (I'm sharing just the third story here. The entire text is readily available in the web. Just google for the same if you are interested in reading the entire speech)
My third story is about death.
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.
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.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.
STEVE JOBS
Personally, I could not have read this piece at a more apt time in my life.
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