What More Can We Learn From Steve Jobs

Just after Steve Jobs died, I blogged about him.  I’d never met the man.  I’m sure he had as many faults as the next guy.  But there was something so magical about him.  Whimsical and unforgettable.  He reminded me of Willy Wonka, except Wonka was a figment of Roald Dahl’s imagination.   Jobs was real –  in life and in death.

Jobs was initially diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004 – one of the most lethal forms of cancer.  Told by doctors at 7:30am that morning his cancer was inoperable, Jobs was given 3-6 months to live. That’s it.  Cold.  Stark and final.  He spent the entire day in emotional agony playing his death sentence over and over in his mind.  That’s gotta be one of the worst punishments any human being one could endure

That evening, Jobs’ doctors did a biopsy on the tumor.  His team literally cried on discovering the cancer indeed could be cured by surgery. Jobs underwent the surgery shortly thereafter.  He recovered well, later reporting, “I’m fine now.”  The world and scores of Apple fans and employees breathed sighed with relief. 

This close call made Jobs even more frank and honest – and he started to talk openly about (his) life and death.  It was like he became a mere (im) mortal overnight.  Full or paradoxes and quirks, Steve soldiered on.  Shortly afterwards, in his now well-known 2005 Stanford commencement address, he eloquently shared his thoughts on living with purpose, passion, love and excitement.

Steve always believed he was one of the lucky few to love his work – and that he found it so early in his career was even more of a blessing.  In its first ten years, under Steve’s almost obsessive eye, Apple grew from nothing into a $2 billion powerhouse that ultimately redefined how the world’s citizens related to their computers.

And then he was fired from the company he created.

Jobs confessed he felt like a failure – a loser – but like a genius, he was able to identify what kept him going during these very dark hours.

“The only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did,” he said. “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.”

Each and every one of us are uniquely gifted to do certain things.  Only certain work can engage our talent and bring out the best in us.  And it’s different for all of us – in a good way.

Steve followed his passions.  He loved what he did.  He did what he was uniquely capable of doing better than anyone else.  Most importantly, he ensured his work was aligned with his passion.

In his commencement address, he said:  “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.”

“I look in the mirror every morning and ask 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,” he said.  Jobs continued, “Remembering I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.”

He urged the graduates not to waste their lives living someone else’s dream. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice,” he said. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

Imagine a world where everyone was as passionate as Steve.  What if all of us came to work as pumped to be at our jobs as Steve was to be at Apple?   We’re not all leaders and/ or creative geniuses like Steve.   But we can all bring the same energy and passion to our jobs as he did. We can be just as passionate about our work as he was. When we make the commitment to finding work we love and not settling, we set the stage for magic (as Steve did). 

We each have unique personalities; abilities, skills, and interests to fulfill us when we align them with meaningful work.  When the right person is in the right job at the right company, success ensues -  for both the individual and the employer.  That was the Steve and Apple story.   

Jobs found his calling and showed us how to live with passion and purpose. He didn’t settle, and he urged us not to either. Think about that world again where we’re all as jazzed as Steve was about our jobs. How cool would that be?

To echo the last words Steve ever said – it would be “Oh wow.  Oh wow.  Oh wow.”  His eyes flickered.  And then he passed onto the next world.