The world lost one of its most innovative and influential figures last year with the death of Steve Jobs. His inventions, designs and leadership changed the face of technology unlike anyone before him, and his legacy will continue to shape the field for years to come. He inspired millions during his lifetime, and he will only continue to do so as the years go by. In a now-famous commencement address at Stanford in 2005, Jobs gives one of the most inspirational speeches we’ve had the pleasure of hearing. And in true Jobs fashion, he does a masterful job in his presentation and delivery.
Jobs, himself, was a college dropout. After six months of school at Reed College, he didn’t see the value in staying in college, paying a lot of money to take classes he didn’t care about and wasn’t interested in. So he decided to drop out, and start dropping in to classes that he was interested in. One of those included a calligraphy class, which gave him a keen eye and appreciation for typography. That knowledge would establish in him the necessity for beautiful typography, which ten years later would influence all Apple products with the inclusion of aesthetically pleasing type.
Though the decision to dropout was a risky one, he says, it was one of the best decisions he ever made. If he hadn’t dropped out and taken that calligraphy class, personal computers might not have the beautiful typefaces they do now. “You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future,” he says. “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.” Believe in yourself and trust in your intuition. It may seem like nothing makes sense right now, but someday it will.
Jobs goes on to discuss how he was fired from Apple when he was 30, and how that left him devastated and feeling like a failure. He was lost for months afterward, until he realized that his very public failure had lifted the heaviness of success from his back and he began to feel light in a way that sparked one of the most creative periods in his life. Jobs says it best: “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.”
After he was fired from Apple and thought about leaving Silicon Valley, Jobs went on to found NeXT, Pixar and meet his wife. He didn’t lose faith, he didn’t settle and he didn’t stop moving. Find what you love and do it well. If you don’t know what it is you love, keep chipping away until you find it.
Next, Jobs discusses death, calling it the single most important, best invention in life. Remembering that one day you will be dead is the easiest way to “avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.” Our time is limited and it shouldn’t be spent living someone else’s life, or doing things we don’t want to be doing. Jobs says he’s looked in the mirror every morning and asked himself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what am I about to do?” If the answer is no for too many days in a row, it’s time for a change. And most importantly, Jobs says to “have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
Jobs’ compelling words are even more effective because he gives a great presentation. He stays true to the rule of three, and presents his speech in three parts making it easy for the audience to follow. He also keeps it short (at less than 15 minutes) without sacrificing any of its strength. In fact, the conciseness of the speech is one of its strengths.
These are words to live by. So on this Monday morning, try and take them to heart. Be inspired to do great things. Don’t settle for anything less than what you want, and do everything you can to make your dreams and goals realizations. Jobs ends with a quote that sticks, one that is a guidepost to avoiding irrelevance and dissatisfaction: Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
So go forth, dear readers, and do what the man says.
