I've waited a few days to write about the passing of Steve Jobs for a couple of reasons. Firstly I wanted the frenzy of content regarding this sad loss to pass a little, and secondly I wasn't sure exactly what to write about a man that has indirectly had such an effect on my life, as he did with so many others. I wrote a quick post when the news of his death was released, but I never posted it. It didn't seem the right thing to do.
I never knew the guy. I never met him. I only ever saw him in the media and via the Apple keynote videos, and yet the devices he helped to bring to the masses and his work ethic and sense of innovation changed the way I think and work myself.
I first became aware of him, and indeed Apple, when I was recording music with my old band. We always used Apple computers in the studio, and they always seemed to be light years ahead of anything else I'd used. My old bandmate, Alastair, started to convert me to the ways of Apple and before I knew it I owned an iPod and my first Mac.
As I write this, on an Apple computer and using other Apple devices every day, I can't help but think of the legacy Jobs has left behind. There is no denying that his drive and eye for innovation has changed the consumer technology market, and indeed the way we live our lives, but I also find that Jobs himself had a hugely inspirational quality.
He was a gifted orator, yes, but his outlook and his constant drive towards higher quality and better technology also spilled over into promoting a better way of thinking in your life. There are some incredible quotes from Steve's speeches circulating right now, and all of them are uplifting, inspirational and aspirational.
There's nothing wrong with wanting better for yourself and from the things that help you live your life. There is nothing wrong with aspiring to great things. That's what I get myself from the legacy of Steve Jobs. I want to do more. Be better than I am. Go further. I want to be thrilled by what the future can bring, and in turn I want to bring my own contribution to the future that I can be proud of.
Steve Jobs transformed technology during his career, but he did something much more fundamental than that. He showed us what people are capable of with only ingenuity and determination as their tools. Thanks, Steve.
I'll end with a piece of one of his most famous quotes:
“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
R.I.P, Steve. You were one of a kind.
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