I love Steve Jobs
by: Christine Russell, co-founder 889 Yoga + Wellness Spa
I will miss you, Steve.
I love Steve Jobs.
He was the most brilliant person of this generation: hands down.
I think this not because he grew a company worth more than the US Treasury, rather, because within one guy was a spiritual seeker, a creative genius, a brilliant businessman, an innovator, a designer, visionary leader and a seemingly ‘nice’ guy.
He changed the way people do things. He created a company with a DNA that didn’t change to meet the market, but instead changed the market. He completely transformed the PC, he changed the music industry and how people listen to and consume music, and did the same for the movie industry. He pushed evolution. He saw things other people don’t see.
He made being young and being an entrepreneur acceptable and legitimate (not so sexy back in the 80s) and today makes being an entrepreneur look, well, I will let you decide that for yourself. Pretty freaking amazing to me! He’s an entrepreneurial legacy.
If you think you don’t care about Steve Jobs, you should re-consider…
This isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about Steve. To my leaders at 889, may this help you understand why I cried on Thursday in our meeting just after he died. I printed and pasted a speech of his in my journal 8 years ago I found after he addressed a group of Stanford grads back in 2005. I still go back and read it. It’s been all over the news since his passing, but if you have yet to watch it, take a moment. It’s well worth it…and it’s probably not what you think.
Two quotes in his speech I love are, ‘There is no reason not to follow your heart” and “Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
Some things you may not know about Steve Jobs…
He was fired from his own company.
He took a salary of $1.
He dropped out of College in Oregon to travel to India seeking enlightenment (speaks volumes to his mindful, zen design aesthetic)
He was married by a Buddhist monk
He was an advocate for karma and following the heart. Earlier in his career he would visit his local Hare Krishna temple for meals and sharing words of wisdom. Later he was led to Buddhism. He ran a multi-billion dollar company, yet he understood the innate intelligence of the heart.
He advocated and achieved greatness. In the world we’re in – full of a lot of crap – Steve was a shining white light leading the charge of innovation and simplicity from the heart. To touch hearts – to really touch them – is a gift. To do so you have to let your guard down and open your own heart and believe. Steve did this.
The world has lost an incredible human being.