Defining "Success"

Steve Jobs passed away at age 56 on Oct 5th, 2011.  I heard the news first from my driver Carlos when he picked me up, then for the whole day, that's the only thing people talked about on Facebook and the news.  Based on the amount of Facebook posts and video tribunes made on the same day, Steve Job's death felt like it triggered a magnitude of aftershock and media coverage that rivals 9-11 attack...dwarfing mentions of Osama bin Laden's death several months ago, as well as Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai's passing, which was just a weekly earlier.  Osama bin Laden, Wangari Maathai, and Steve Jobs are all influential people, but the contrast on how the world reacted to their deaths made me wonder: what made Steve Jobs more endearing/successful than the others to people?  Do we marvel at geniuses more than philanthropists?  Geniuses often make impacts that are more tangible (i.e. an iPhone, an airplane, E=MC^2), they also do so in a way that's got a big reveal, a WOW element to it so it's highly memorable for the audience.  A revolutionary product is memorable, has a specific time/date associated with its debut that can be talked about as a historical moment, but a successful movement is only more successful when it just become part of people's life and that people stop talking about it (except from history books).  Its impact (such as civil right) is far broader than an iPad per se, but somehow, iPad is more top of mind for people.  Philanthropists or activists' work are more steady and out of the spotlight most of the time, and even when they do appear in the spotlight, their work is talked about in a way that's more about their ability to mobilize and tap into the collective powers of the masses rather than about their individual contribution.  The other thing with Steve Jobs is that his work touches people on a daily basis in a top of mind sort of way.  Apple's footprint is everywhere, and because those products are so synonymous with him, how can one not be reminded of him and feel connected to him every time he uses his iPhone or Mac?

Going back to the question of how would one define "success", I suppose there's a few different dimension to consider...
1) Do you want to be known more for your work/intellect or your character?
2) Would you rather have a broad but shallow impact? or a narrow but deep impact?
3) Is having the spotlight on you as an individual important? or would you be happy being behind the scene orchestrating positive change?

A couple days after Jobs' death, I learned of the passing of a good friend, Hector.  I met Hector while studying abroad in Tokyo. He was a smart, soft-spoken, and kind person.  He has been living with cancer for awhile but finally lost the battle on Oct 7th, 2011.  Most of the news I get from friends these days are mostly happy ones like engagements, wedding, and babies.  While I know death is always a possibility, sad news like that have been limited to people's parents, grandparents, or co-workers.  Never had I expect an age-mate I know personally would be passing on.  It is a sobering knock back into reality, and my false sense of invincibility definitely got shaken a bit.  This may be a bid morbid, but if you only have the next 10, 20 years to live, what would you be doing with your life?  How would you want people to remember you?  How would you define a "successful life", a life well lived, at the last moment on your deathbed? What would you need to do or start doing now in order to be able to feel content and at peace when you swallow your last breath?

I suppose, for me, I would consider a life well lived if:

• I have spent as many moment of my life as possible to learn about different people, different schools of thoughts, to understand myself, and to build my capacity for empathy and compassion...and more importantly, use those wisdom to do something good
• Made a positive difference in at least 5 people's lives (narrow but deep) 
• I stay true to my values so friends and families will remember me for my heart and character 
• Always pour my heart into everything I do 
• Be able to be truly happy for things that I'm blessed with in my life and accept things that I just won't have in my life despite my efforts

Relevant Reads:

• Steve Job's 12 Rules of Success