Steve Jobs: Let His Vision Be Your Inspiration
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| Green Career Tip of the Week |
" 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."
Steve Jobs 1955-2011
As I was sitting down to write this week's newsletter article I learned of Steve Jobs' passing. As many are noting online and on television, he was one of the most prolific innovators of our time. His work, over the span of several decades, did much to contribute to the look and feel, vocabulary, tools, and mindset of our times. Quite a trailblazer.
Steve Jobs was also an advocate of reaching down to discover/uncover the work you are meant to do and how important it is to follow that calling to contribute in the way you are best suited to do. In the article below I delve into this topic in more detail with the help of some of his quotes.
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Tip of the Week: Steve Jobs: Let His Vision Be Your Inspiration
As one of my Facebook friends noted this evening, Steve Jobs "is amazingly quotable."
I'm sure you've noticed it too. Social media networks are awash with quotes and clips sharing Steve Jobs' philosophy of life and contribution.
These three quotes are excerpts from a powerful commencement speech Steve Jobs made at Stanford University in 2005, one year after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. These thoughts are just as powerful today as they were then. Every time I read this speech I'm inspired to continue doing the work I do.
My hope is that you'll read these words both as a tribute to Steve Jobs for his passion, contribution, and spirit and as a catalyst for your own life's journey.
"...you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life..."
"...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..."
"...Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary..."
If you'd are inspired to read the entire commencement speech, visit this page in a quiet space and time to take in all the layers of his experience, wisdom, and guidance.
My Two Cents
In this address, Jobs wasn't speaking to only the creators, the innovators, and the designers of this world. He was speaking to all of us.
I believe we all have work we are meant to do. Work that is our passion, our calling. It's the work we've been preparing for all of our lives, whether we knew it or not. As he notes, you may not be able to connect the dots in present time. The pattern of your career may only become visible as you look back at your life and see how all of your experiences, both professional and personal, both public and private, weave together to create Your Work.
I also believe that the more of us doing the work we are meant to do, the more likely we are to shift to a sustainable future that benefits us all.
Is the path forward always straight? Nope.
Is the way always easy? Not that I've experienced.
Are there any guarantees when you take this path? No.
Is following one's path fulfilling and meaningful? Yes.
Can my actions have an impact? Absolutely.
You don't have to know exactly where you are going to start stepping into the work you are meant to do. Follow the threads of interest, excitement, and joy that show up in your life. Whenever you are feeling these emotions you are engaging in something that's an important clue to what you are meant to be doing.
One Final Thought
These are the words of the "Think Different" ad campaign for Apple Computers in 1997...
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. - Apple Inc.
If you think you can change the world...believe in yourself! Take actions that support you in stepping into the role you see for yourself
Steve Jobs, and many others, demonstrate that one person can make quite a difference in the world.
Copyright 2011, Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc
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Green Career Central(TM) is an online coaching and resource center designed to help mid-career professionals, students, new grads, and career counselors make sense of the green economy and the green job market.
Carol McClelland, PhD, author of the award-winning, Green Careers For Dummies, is one of the nation's leading green career experts and founder of Green Career Central. Throughout her career, Carol has helped thousands of people find careers that match their values and interests.
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