Hey Tim, Just wanted to tell you about my biggest fear now. I'm a scientist who now does science communication. One of my duties is to organize conferences and workshops. I had to organize such a conference two weeks ago for 200+ people. I couldn't sleep the night before. I stayed away from Medium and Substack.
I did my job anyway because if it challenges me, it means growth. By the way, the next workshop is taking place next week in another country. I'm not shaking yet but a bunch of last-minute cancellations are making me re-think some of the planning.
I’ve been living with fear and anxiety most of my adult life. I chose, on many occasions, to take the chance of doing it wrong, shooting from the hip. Remarkably those decisions almost always brought successes.
I found out later in life that I’m an entrepreneur. That’s not a business term, that’s a personality type. It’s when you walk past fear of getting it wrong and do it anyway.
I appreciate everything about this post except the use of the term suicide to describe Jobs' death. For starters, the language around this is shifting. Death by suicide is more appropriate than "commit," for those to whom it applies.
More importantly, the way I see it, Jobs gambled. He wagered a bet that he could beat the odds, and the cards didn't land in his favor. That's not suicide. He is quoted as having said, "You’re born alone, you’re going to die alone. And does anything else really matter? I mean, what is it exactly is it that you have to lose, Steve? You know? There’s nothing.” We can speculate all we want about whether he might have lived longer than the 8 (?) years he had after diagnosis. But deciding to take an alternate treatment route is not the same as death by suicide.
Doubt is Fear's little brother. And, he's worse in some ways. He's sneaky, and will try to trick you into believing opportunity doesn't exist. Superb article Tim, thank you!
Great post! What I realised recently, after having living most of my adult life in fear of any kind of failure, is that there is worse than that.
I have been successful in almost everything I’ve done. Great right ??
It would be, if they were the right things to be successful. Instead, I was successful in all wrong things. Hard to realise, and even harder to start from point 0, because earlier you had arrived the wrong point 100.
Tim, my buddy...you certainly dropped an article that'll spike some interest, emotion and feedback for sure.
My two c(s)ents...I've never know anyone to commit suicide, so I don't have any close emotional attachment to the word, though I'm sure others would.
I haven't owned an iPhone since version 4, so I'm not particularly attached to Jobs and his brand. I do, however, like a few of the things he would do like wearing that black tshirt all the time for ease of morning choice bandwidth, as well as he read the same book each year (Autobiography of a Yogi). I've taken this into my lifestyle to re-read some of the books I've found most powerful each January (Goggins' Can't Hurt Me and Clear's Atomic Habits).
To me actions are preceded by intention. Lack of action is also preceded by intention. Lack of action is in itself an action to stay the course. For someone to commit suicide or to have died by suicide I would be on the side of having an intention to no longer live. For whatever reason behind the choice, the intention is clear and linear. For Jobs to have the intention to live but do so via a means of less than proven methods than others would still be a clear and linear intention toward life.
Fears in our lives can be tough to overcome. Knowing the fear and reasons behind it help in overcoming it, working through it, and perhaps defeating it. But without knowing the basis of it we can simple go through our day to day in this constant fear state as our norm and not even know it's an issue....It's just the way I am, some may say. Unfortunately, thinking like this doesn't lead to ever having any concept of overcoming the fear...it's there to stay.
My partner and I discuss this on the daily and our lives have changed so much because of this understanding, fear IS a compass and and there’s nothing like the rush you get from jumping in anyway and just doing the thing!!
Powerful article 🙏🏿 Felix Dennis love that man, a friend of mine old mentor lived together in london in the 70s soho. Worked for his company mid 2000s Dennis interactive 😊🙏🏿
Hey Tim, Just wanted to tell you about my biggest fear now. I'm a scientist who now does science communication. One of my duties is to organize conferences and workshops. I had to organize such a conference two weeks ago for 200+ people. I couldn't sleep the night before. I stayed away from Medium and Substack.
I did my job anyway because if it challenges me, it means growth. By the way, the next workshop is taking place next week in another country. I'm not shaking yet but a bunch of last-minute cancellations are making me re-think some of the planning.
I’ve been living with fear and anxiety most of my adult life. I chose, on many occasions, to take the chance of doing it wrong, shooting from the hip. Remarkably those decisions almost always brought successes.
I found out later in life that I’m an entrepreneur. That’s not a business term, that’s a personality type. It’s when you walk past fear of getting it wrong and do it anyway.
Tim, you are a pure entrepreneur.
I appreciate everything about this post except the use of the term suicide to describe Jobs' death. For starters, the language around this is shifting. Death by suicide is more appropriate than "commit," for those to whom it applies.
More importantly, the way I see it, Jobs gambled. He wagered a bet that he could beat the odds, and the cards didn't land in his favor. That's not suicide. He is quoted as having said, "You’re born alone, you’re going to die alone. And does anything else really matter? I mean, what is it exactly is it that you have to lose, Steve? You know? There’s nothing.” We can speculate all we want about whether he might have lived longer than the 8 (?) years he had after diagnosis. But deciding to take an alternate treatment route is not the same as death by suicide.
Jobs has chosen the natural way.
He didn't fight it, because he knew that this one game couldn't be won.
There are games with no happy ending, but it does not mean we can't enjoy the play. Doctors play God with the time.
Adrenaline seekers play with Death.
Once we realize that we are nothing more than pieces on the chess board we should make a move or get wiped off without playing.
Our choices segregate figures from pawns. Those who used to live life as pawns may like to die as figures.
Your move to decide.
Pancreatic cancer is not ‘the type of cancer that’s easily curable.’ You missed the mark Tim.
Doubt is Fear's little brother. And, he's worse in some ways. He's sneaky, and will try to trick you into believing opportunity doesn't exist. Superb article Tim, thank you!
Fear's little brother. I like that. Thanks Kim.
"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
Great post! What I realised recently, after having living most of my adult life in fear of any kind of failure, is that there is worse than that.
I have been successful in almost everything I’ve done. Great right ??
It would be, if they were the right things to be successful. Instead, I was successful in all wrong things. Hard to realise, and even harder to start from point 0, because earlier you had arrived the wrong point 100.
Tim, my buddy...you certainly dropped an article that'll spike some interest, emotion and feedback for sure.
My two c(s)ents...I've never know anyone to commit suicide, so I don't have any close emotional attachment to the word, though I'm sure others would.
I haven't owned an iPhone since version 4, so I'm not particularly attached to Jobs and his brand. I do, however, like a few of the things he would do like wearing that black tshirt all the time for ease of morning choice bandwidth, as well as he read the same book each year (Autobiography of a Yogi). I've taken this into my lifestyle to re-read some of the books I've found most powerful each January (Goggins' Can't Hurt Me and Clear's Atomic Habits).
To me actions are preceded by intention. Lack of action is also preceded by intention. Lack of action is in itself an action to stay the course. For someone to commit suicide or to have died by suicide I would be on the side of having an intention to no longer live. For whatever reason behind the choice, the intention is clear and linear. For Jobs to have the intention to live but do so via a means of less than proven methods than others would still be a clear and linear intention toward life.
Fears in our lives can be tough to overcome. Knowing the fear and reasons behind it help in overcoming it, working through it, and perhaps defeating it. But without knowing the basis of it we can simple go through our day to day in this constant fear state as our norm and not even know it's an issue....It's just the way I am, some may say. Unfortunately, thinking like this doesn't lead to ever having any concept of overcoming the fear...it's there to stay.
Love this!!
My partner and I discuss this on the daily and our lives have changed so much because of this understanding, fear IS a compass and and there’s nothing like the rush you get from jumping in anyway and just doing the thing!!
Hey Dennis, directly bought the book from Felix Dennis, you should put affiliate links into your newslettwer when you recommend books
I was thinking the exact same thing.
This article was just for me! I was just talking about what fears me!
You have a never ending supply of good stuff Tim!
During my first sales call I almost shat my pants but that terrifying experience was also the most exilerating afterwards.
Fear is the absence of faith.
Powerful article 🙏🏿 Felix Dennis love that man, a friend of mine old mentor lived together in london in the 70s soho. Worked for his company mid 2000s Dennis interactive 😊🙏🏿