Cheers to the one of the most accomplished and successful entrepreneurs of our time - Mr. Steve Jobs.
While it is sad that he has left this world and his "followers" behind - his legacy lives on - as a source of inspiration to all. His legacy is more than just the revolution he brought to the way consumers interacting with technology - his legacy is truly about his attitude and way of living - not conforming, following your heart, trusting in your gut feelings, and believing in your intuition.
Not too long ago, I was facing some challenges as a young entrepreneur myself and undoubtedly, I turned to his (now famous) Stanford commencement speech from 2005 for some enlightenment. His words never fail to ignite that fire within me, his journey and experience since the day he dropped out of college never fails to put a sparkle in my eye as I listen on:
People call me silly when I say that I have strong intuition about what I believe I can achieve. They say I am still young. Steve tells me otherwise - he tells me I have to trust that "the dots will somehow connect in my future" and "to have the courage to follow my heart and intuition".
People call me naive when I tell them that I gave up a potential career at a leading tech firm to go after my entrepreneurial dreams. They say I am impractical. Steve tells me otherwise - he tells me to "never settle" until we find what we are looking for.
People call me emotional when I say that my work is driven by my passion and love for my business. They say I am not made for business. Steve tells me otherwise - he tells me that "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".
People call me arrogant when I don't listen or follow the advice of others. They say I am too self-conceived. Steve tells me otherwise - he tells me not to "let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice".
People call me aggressive when I tell them my career aspirations and that I will make it to become a top 30 under 30 candidate. They say I am too ambitious. Steve tells me otherwise - he tells me to "stay hungry. stay foolish".
Thank you Steve for all your wise words. May you rest in peace.
