Like most of the world I found out about the passing of Apple’s Steve Jobs on a device he created, my IPhone. And like so many, I researched his speeches and quotes, moved by the death of a great man who connected the world in so many ways.
Beyond his technological accomplishments, I was touched by a man who was a visionary, a dreamer, an innovator, a doer, a fighter and a survivor- a man who spoke his mind, followed his intuition and never compromised. He faced both life and death head on and kept his head and heart intact.
He had a vision and built a company only to have corporate suits remove him. I know what that’s like. That happened to me, not once but twice.
He rebounded by investing in Pixar and more than doubled his success and fortune. No one was going to put this baby in the corner. And no one should put you in a corner. If someone tries, carve a new route, fight back; just don’t crouch down and accept it.
He returned to Apple and made it shine brighter, helping to develop technological innovations that shape our lives and connect the world. We all have the power to rebound, reinvent and reconnect.
He was diagnosed with cancer, faced it, fought it and, for a time seemed to beat it. His cancer may have had the final word on his life but the the words and actions of Steve Jobs will live on. We all need to stand up to our setbacks, take charge where and when we can keep control in the face of uncertainty and decide, “How do I to choose to live my life on this earth, and when I depart it, what do I want to leave behind and how do I want to be remembered?”
We should all take a lesson from the book of Jobs. Here is my Melanie manifesto (in boldface) and the words of Steve Jobs in quotes.
Be true to yourself; live life on your terms. Not one person’s opinion of you is as important as the one you have of your own self. “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 other people’s 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.”
Love what you do and do what you love. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you will know when you find it.”
The true wealth of an individual is will not be measured by the money she makes but by the difference she makes in the lives of others. “Being the richest man in the cemetary doesn’t matter to me…Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful…that’s what matters to me.”
Follow your instincts, your intuition, your faith: whatever it takes to believe in yourself. “You have to trust something- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down and it has made all the difference in my life.”
Setbacks can help propel you forward. “I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the mosty creative periods of my life.”
Embrace and respect individuality: “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the trouble makers, the round pegs in the square holes…the ones who see things differently- they are not fond of rules…You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify them or vilify them, but the only thing you cannot do is ignore them because they change things…they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
Create something from your heart; make it your own and then pass it along for others to experience, enjoy or learn from. “I want to put a ding in the universe.”
Thinking young keeps you young. Keep your mind open to new ideas and new directions. “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”
This Apple didn’t fall far from my tree of life. I’ll take these seeds of inspiration and toss them to the wind. Maybe others will pick them up.
