I'm a big fan of quotes. But in a closeted kind of way.
I rarely put them up on my facebook wall or post them in big letters on a bulletin board. I like to write them in a journal and look back on them when I need inspiration or motivation to go get my dreams.
I'm also a big fan of my Apple products. I asked for an iPhone for my birthday and saved up my money for four years to buy myself an iMac. If my house were on fire, those would probably be the two non-living things I grab, to put my love in perspective.
I was in my car on my way to work this morning, listening to NPR, when I heard that he passed away. It's probably one of those moments that I'll always remember where I was when I found out. And I totally teared up when they started talking about the great innovator and executive he was. The tears started falling when they got to the part about Pixar, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo. Yes, even my inner five-year-old understood that this was a big deal.
Later, I found a video of Steve Jobs' commencement speech to the 2005 graduates of Stanford. I watched it. I cried again. His words resonated. And then I thought I'd share those words here. Because I want to remember them. I want to come back and have them inspire me, again. And I want them to inspire you.
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And 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'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."
"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."
"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."
"The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."
This might be the part that gets me the most. He didn't start his business with a huge investment, he worked hard for every big break he got. Steve Jobs was wildly successful, but his success came on the tails of failure. In fact, his biggest successes followed his greatest failures.
This gives me hope. And warm fuzzies toward this amazing man who was able to change the world. And called the rest of us to do the same by "Thinking different." I want to live up to that.
Here's to following your heart, doing great work, and loving what you do.
Quotes taken from a transcript of the 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech
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