Powazek
Powazek
Thoughts about Quotes

Thanks Steve
Just a thought from 28 June 2005 about , , .

Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs, who dropped out of college after six months, gave a commencement speech at Stanford recently. Here are my two favorite bits:

Sometimes life's going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love, and that is as true for 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, and 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. Don't settle.
Death is very likely the single best invention of life. It's life's change agent; it clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now, the new is you. But someday, not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it's quite true. 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, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

This is the guy who was the visionary behind the computers I use every day. If it weren't for him, for the Macintosh, I never would have used a computer as a kid. If I never used a computer as a kid, I wouldn't have the job I have now, the wife I have now, the life I have now.

Thanks, Steve.

Regret and the Big Kahuna
Just a thought from 1 April 2005 about .

A small moment from The Big Kahuna:

Phil: The question is, do you have any character at all? And if you want my honest opinion, Bob, you do not. For the simple reason that you don't regret anything yet.

Bob: Are you saying I won't have any character unless I do something I regret?

Phil: No, Bob. I'm saying you've already done plenty of things to regret. You just don't know what they are. It's when you discover them. When you see the folly in something you've done. And you wish you had to do over. But you know you can't because it's too late. So you pick that thing up and you carry it with you. To remind you that life goes on. The world will spin without you. You really don't matter in the end. Then will you attain character. Because honesty will reach out from inside and tattoo itself all across your face.

Words to live by.

Wha?
This section is called Just a Thought. It's a blog where I post little pieces of what I'm thinking about at the moment. This page shows thoughts about Quotes, including:

Thanks Steve
28 June 2005

Regret and the Big Kahuna
1 April 2005

Join the POWlist
Enter your email address here so I can send an occasional note to your inbox. Only good things, I promise. More info »




The Fine Print

Working the web since 1995, Derek Powazek is the creator of many award-winning websites, a couple of which still exist. Derek is the cofounder of JPG Magazine and the CCO of 8020 Publishing. Derek lives in San Francisco with his wife, two nutty Chihuahuas, a grumpy cat, and a house full of plants named Fred. More »

Join the POWlist to receive the occasional note.

Previously

Thoughts by month:

Thoughts by subject:

Search with Technorati:

Search with Google:

In Print
My CaliforniaMy California
Contributor (Story)
We DoWe Do
Contributor (Photos)
Design for CommunityDesign for Community
Author (Tech)
San Francisco StoriesSan Francisco Stories
Author (Stories)
We've Got BlogWe've Got Blog
Contributor (Essay)