I was once shown this video approximately a year ago and prior to seeing it, I had no idea what to expect. I mean, who would have ever thought that one of the world’s most influential leaders was a prior college drop out? Growing up as kids, we are taught to stay in school because this is the road that will lead us to future success in our careers. Not to say that college is a waste of time but listening to this speech allowed me to view the success of a person in a different way. There is a quote that is perfect examples of how I feel in the aftermath of listening to Steve Jobs speak to the graduates of Stanford University. The quote goes as follows: “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do with what happens to you.” –Mary Engelbreit
These are the elements that comprise of the 15-minute speech made by Steve Jobs:
Connecting the Dots- this segment is allowing those of us who do not know the early years of Steve Jobs, better insight into the obstacles that makes him the man he is today. As baby, he was birthed to a woman in graduate school but she felt strongly about Steve being taken care of by a couple who were college graduates, with a little more to offer him as he grows into an adult. “You can not connect the dots looking forwards, only moving backwards.”-Steve Jobs
Love & Loss- As a teenager, he and a close friend started Apple in his parent’s garage. Steve would later go to college but drop out because he saw no purpose in accumulating debt for his parents, as he was already aware of what his passion in life was. Apple was started ten years later but after internal irreconcilable issues, Steve Jobs would be fired. This devastated him and he felt ashamed and much like a failure but the turn of events at Apple didn’t change what he loved to do in life, it made him stronger. Over the next few years, Pixar and Nex were developed and he also got married. “The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again;” “It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”- Steve Jobs
Death- Diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer at age 49, Steve knew that life was fragile. He was expected to only live for a few more months. Cured of a very rare cancer condition via surgery, allowed him view life as clear as it’s presented.
Steve Jobs taught me the true meaning of living a life worth celebrating. No matter what, never lose faith when going forwards and always reflect on how far you’ve come; life will have its ups and downs, but the key to success is to not give up and ALWAYS love what you do within your career. He faced failure, death, and success in a lifetime; he is a true inspiration to me as an aspiring entrepreneur within the entertainment industry.
