As you have likely heard by now, moments ago Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, passed away. I never had the honor of meeting him personally. I’ve never even seen him in person. But despite that, I considered Steve Jobs a mentor – the greatest mentor I was never able to thank in person. To me, he was an inspiration, a mentor, and perhaps one of the smartest people to have ever lived. I live by the words “dreams can happen”, but that wasn’t always the case. Two years ago I watched Steve Jobs’ Standford Commencement Address. If you do the simple math, you’ll know that it obviously wasn’t in person, but watching it has changed the way I think about life. I now firmly believe that no matter how crazy an idea or goal may be, if you put the time and effort in to it, and I mean really put it in, it can happen. And when it finally does, well, I can’t even begin to put in to words how it feels. It’s not a feeling of accomplishment. It’s something much more powerful. If it weren’t for the advice Jobs gave on live in that address, there is a very good chance I wouldn’t have gotten to feel that feeling.
Around the same time I watched the address, I was almost ready to give up on an idea that I had been working on for a couple of years. It wasn’t making any progress and it looked like it would never see the light of day. While it still hasn’t publicly, I decided to “finish” that idea. I say “finish” because I’ve now gone back and have started adding on to it. I won’t say what it is nor when it might go live to the public. That isn’t the purpose of this post. But I will say that that address from Jobs’ is the sole reason it still lives in semi-active development today. And now, I’ll never have the chance to thank him for that.
So here’s to you Steve, where ever you may now be. Thank you for all you’ve done for the world. You’re no doubt tired from all of it. You’ve certainly convinced me to never settle. May you forever rest in peace.
