Last June 2005, at the Commencement Ceremony of Stanford University, one of the finest institutions in the world, Steve Jobs gave an address in front of Stanford’s graduating students. In his address he imparted three dimensions or stories in his life. He categorized it as; connecting the dots, love and loss, and death.
First of his stories is connecting the dots. In here, he narrated the beginning of his life. His biological mother was a young, unwed graduate [Steve never did mention the name of his real mother]. Because she can’t afford to support Steve, she decided to put him up into adoption. His biological mother wanted only the couples who both had finished college to adopt her son. All was set for Steve; to be adopted by a lawyer and his wife. But when Steve popped out there was a last minute cancellation; the lawyer and his wife actually wanted a baby girl. After being rejected by the first couple in the waiting list, there comes another couple who are ready to adopt the baby boy. But in not a very long time, Steve’s biological mother found out that both the man and his wife to adopt Steve never finished college. His biological mother did not sign the adoption papers, but the couple promised that the baby would be able to go to college and Steve’s mother finally agreed.
That was the start of Steve Jobs’ life.
17 years later, Steve did go to college. But he dropped out for the reason that he couldn’t find the meaning of spending his parents’ earnings for their entire life just to attend the course that never interested him. He dropped out of college hoping that everything would be OK.
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Steve dropped in the calligraphy class and there he learned about serif, san serif interfaces, proper spacing, etc. Through this, together with his friend, they invented the Macintosh.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”
“You have to trust something, your gut, destiny, life, and karma, whatever.”
“Believing the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart. Even when it leads you off to the well worn path and that will make the difference.”
Second of his stories is love and loss. Wuz and Steve started the Apple in Steve’s garage, Steve was 20 then. With this he met David Backard and Bob Noyce. Te start of Apple also started a new love for Steve, he met Laurene, who later became his wife.
When Apple has been established they hired a person [which Steve did not identify] whom they thought could help the company. For the first year of this person was good, but later on there had been a conflict. The Board of Directors sided this person instead of Steve, with this Steve got fired. How can you get fired from a company which you have started? He had been rejected but was still in love. He didn’t know what to do for a few months.
Later on he started NeXt and Pixar. In not a very long time, Apple bought NeXt, then Steve was back to Apple!
“The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again less sure about everything.”
“It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it.”
“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”
“You’ve got to find what you truly love.”
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life.”
Last of his stories is death. He was diagnosed to have a disease that was incurable. The doctor had a mistake and Steve had a biopsy again. Steve found out that the first diagnosis was wrong and that his disease was curable.
“If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.”
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way to know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”
“You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
Steve Jobs: “Death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
- · ‘No one wants to die.’
- · ‘Death is the destination we all share.’
- · ‘No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life.’
Thanks for viewing. Have a nice day! :)
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