October 11, 2011
Much is being written about the message of Steve Jobs' life. His inspiration and dedication to his vision, as stated in the Stanford Commencement address: "Stay hungry, stay foolish." Richard Bramson provided this lovely tribute and insight:
"Woke this morning to hear the sad news that Steve Jobs has lost his battle with cancer. He was a truly great businessman but more than that he was an inspiration to young people, entrepreneurs, inventors, designers, early adopters, budding musicians, and people with disabilities who discovered with Apple's devices a way to engage with the world.
"So many people drew courage from Steve and related to his life story: adoptees, college drop-outs, struggling entrepreneurs, ousted business leaders figuring out how to make a difference in the world, and people fighting debilitating illness. We have all been there in some way and can see a bit of ourselves in his personal and professional successes and struggles.
"He inspired with his direct message "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life...have the courage to follow your heart and intuition." And yet, despite all his success - he never forgot what was really important in life and was a much loved family man. My thoughts are with Laurene and his family. He will be sorely missed."
Steve Jobs' life touched the outsider and iconoclast in all of us. Success in achieving one's goals and human connection are critical factors in personal redemption.
The author Steve Lohr recalls a conversation with Jobs around the time of the dotcom boom. Jobs noted the ambitions of young entrepreneurs to make a fast buck and then exit with a big payout. "It's such a small ambition and sad really," Mr. Jobs said. "They should want to build something, something that lasts."
NBC News reported on a young woman, Kamael Sugrim, who graduated from Stanford's Business School hearing Jobs' address. She was on a corporate path, but Jobs' words helped compel her to follow her dreams. She founded Empower, a program to combat poverty in India by giving poor children cell phones that can be used to "check in" to school, giving points to their families which can then be redeemed for food and medical care. What a brilliant social innovation!
It's a question I always ask my patients: "What is your purpose? Why are you here on earth?" The ones with lives focused on something larger than themselves almost always do better in the long run. What's your purpose in life? Add your comment below.
© 2011 Ravi Chandra. All rights reserved.
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