Thank You, Steve Jobs
It’s unclear to me how to properly thank someone I never personally knew, but considering Steve Jobs changed the way I live, work and even dream, I feel I need to find a way. Apple’s head honcho wasn’t just a spark that pushed the envelope of technology; he completely changed the way I (we) consume media. He lead a group of innovative people and encouraged them to think big and ignore the term “impossible.” That’s something I find quite admirable.
It's unclear to me how to properly thank someone I never personally knew, but considering Steve Jobs changed the way I live, work and even dream, I feel I need to find a way. Apple's head honcho wasn't just a spark that pushed the envelope of technology; he completely changed the way I (we) consume media. He lead a group of innovative people and encouraged them to think big and ignore the term "impossible." That's something I find quite admirable.
My Facebook and Twitter feeds have been flooded with tributes to the father of the iMac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad and anything else with the lowercase "i" in front of it. Would the term "App" even exist if it weren't for him? I've never seen so many people banding together to honor this 21st century visionary (and I don't use that term lightly).
And while I'm still not entirely sure how to say thank you, the best I can do is let these words from Mr. Jobs guide me to be the best me that I can be. That may be the ultimate way to honor his legacy.
"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 other's 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."
-Steve Jobs
Thank you, Steve Jobs. May your mark on the world inspire the rest of us to dream big.
Brian
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Brian A. Klems is the former Senior Online Editor of Writer’s Digest, and author of Oh Boy, You’re Having a Girl (Adams Media/Simon & Schuster). Follow him on Twitter @BrianKlems.