The World’s Six Best Doctors

Credit for this article goes to Patrick Guan.

The World’s Six Best Doctors

by Steve Jobs

“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In some others’ eyes, my life is the epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, my wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on my bed and recalling my life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in have paled and become meaningless in the face of my death.

You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone bear your sickness for you. Material things lost can be found or replaced. But there is one thing that can never be found when it’s lost – Life. Whichever stage in life you are in right now, with time, you will face the day when the curtain comes down.

Treasure love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well and cherish others. As we grow older, and hopefully wiser, we realize that a $300 or a $30 watch both tell the same time. You will realize that your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you fly first class or economy, if the plane goes down – you go down with it.

Therefore, I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, that is true happiness! Don’t educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy. So when they grow up they will know the value of things and not the price. Eat your food as your medicine, otherwise, you have to eat medicine as your food.

The One who loves you will never leave you for another because, even if there are 100 reasons to give up, he or she will find a reason to hold on. There is a big difference between a human being and being human. Only a few really understand it. You are loved when you are born. You will be loved when you die. In between, you have to manage.

“The six best doctors in the world are sunlight, rest, exercise, diet, self-confidence and friends.”

— Steve Jobs

The six best doctors in the world are sunlight, rest, exercise, diet, self-confidence, and friends.

Maintain them in all stages and enjoy a healthy life.”

Steve Jobs (1955-2011): His final Essay: “The World’s Six Best Doctors”

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“He has also set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

At age 56, Steve Jobs died a billionaire. What can we learn from one who reached, by the world’s standard, the pinnacle of success?

How can you improve your lifestyle by incorporating his six best doctors?

My Favorite Poem by Ruth Graham

Ruth Graham’s ministry as a writer began to flourish in the 1980s. She would author several books filled with spiritual insight and poetry. The poem below captures her perspective on life as life dances with time. More than one reading is needed to fully grasp the depth of her feeling.

Oh, time! be slow!

it was a dawn ago

I was a child Dreaming of being grown;

A noon ago

I was

With children of my own;

And now

It’s afternoon

And late,

And they are grown

And gone.

Time, wait!

– Ruth Bell Graham, 1974

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

"He has also put eternity in the human heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

What about this poem speaks to you?

How do you explain the feeling and perspective conveyed through the pen of its poet?

A Cameo of Ruth Graham

“Many reporters ask me who is the greatest Christian I have ever known. I always answer, Ruth.

”

— Billy Graham

Ruth Bell Graham’s life (June 10, 1920–June 14, 2007) rises up as an inspiring journey of faith and love. Ruth modeled growth in Christ in an extraordinary way, and as a writer, poet, wife, and mother, she represented a powerful presence in the life of her husband, Billy Graham.

Born in China, Ruth Bell entered the world as the daughter of medical missionaries, where her father, Dr. Nelson Bell, served as a surgeon. One of four children, Ruth was nurtured in the Christian faith that would shape her life. She stated, “Not only did Mother and Daddy teach the faith in the home, they lived it. And as a consequence, it was easy as a child to give my heart to the Lord Jesus.”

Ruth Bell journeyed to the United States to attend Wheaton College in suburban Chicago. Traveling aboard the USS McKinley, contemplating her avowed spinster existence, she penned these now prophetic words:

“If I marry, he must be so tall when he is on his knees, as one has said, he reaches all the way to heaven. His lips must be strong enough to smile, firm enough to say no, and tender enough to kiss. ”

— Ruth Graham

“If I marry, he must be so tall when he is on his knees, as one has said, he reaches all the way to heaven. His shoulders must be broad enough to bear the burden of a family. His lips must be strong enough to smile, firm enough to say no, and tender enough to kiss. His love must be so deep that it takes its stand in Christ and so wide that it takes in the whole world. He must be big enough to be gentle and great enough to be thoughtful. His arms must be strong enough to carry a little child.”

When she met her future husband, he quickly made an indelible impression. “I heard him praying and I thought, ‘There is a man who knows to whom he is speaking.’ I remember getting on my knees that night and just saying, ‘Lord, if You will let me spend the rest of my life serving You with him, I will consider it the greatest privilege.’ I didn’t know at the time what that would imply.”

Ruth and Billy were married in 1943 in the North Carolina mountains. The young couple soon returned to Illinois, where Billy became pastor of a small church in the Chicago area. He later served as a traveling evangelist with a new organization called Youth for Christ. In 1949, he began a ministry that would eventually reach millions. Ruth had a profound influence on his message and was an indispensable partner as the Graham ministry grew.

By the late 1950s, the Grahams had five children and a permanent home on a mountaintop near the North Carolina village of Montreat. Ruth’s responsibility as a mother was demanding. Often with Billy away at crusades, she was on her own to raise three daughters and two sons while her husband traveled around the world with his message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Saying goodbye, often for months at a time, never became easy. Ruth’s faith helped her face these trying times.

“Looking back on my life, I thank God for especially the tough times. That’s when the Bible comes to life for you. That’s when the Lord Jesus becomes the most real to you.”

— Ruth Graham

“Looking back on my life, I thank God for especially the tough times. That’s when the Bible comes to life for you. That’s when the Lord Jesus becomes the most real to you.”

After their children were grown, Ruth often joined her husband on the road, where she frequently shared her faith with others. Ruth’s ministry as a writer began to flourish in the 1980s. She would author several books of spiritual insight and poetry.

In 1996, Ruth and Billy Graham became only the third couple in U.S. history to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. With nineteen grandchildren, dozens of great-grandchildren, and friends and admirers around the world, Ruth Graham’s life overflowed with blessings. Her warm heart and her gracious spirit embody the hallmarks of a ministry that will endure.

“In her later years, Ruth said, “I’ve enjoyed growing old.””

— Ruth Graham

In her later years, Ruth said, “I’ve enjoyed growing old. There is so much to look forward to after this life. And so much to look back on. And the thing that stands out in my life, above everything else, is the promises of God that you have seen come true.”

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“He has also set eternity in the heart of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

What intrigues you most about the life of Ruth Graham?

How do you relate to her attitude on growing old?

The contents of this cameo are lifted from The Leader’s Wife: Living With Eternal Intentionality®