Special to IGW by Dr. Valencia Walker.
Whether it’s Steve Jobs (the “Apple” guy) or T.I. (the rapper guy), you still hear the same message… LIVE YOUR LIFE. By now, most people know that the co-founder of Apple, Inc. died Wednesday, October 5, 2011. People often say that actions speak louder than words. In Mr. Jobs case, they not only spoke louder, they amplified the powerful messages of his words.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life! Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice... Living with the results of other people's thinking. Have the courage to follow your own intuition... they somehow truly know what you really want to become. Everything else is secondary." -Steve Jobs
The interesting thing to me is that T.I. had a hit song appropriately entitled, “Live Your Life.” Some of those lyrics echo similar sentiments to Steve Jobs quote (with the “swagger” so typical of rap culture). “Never mind what haters say, ignore them 'til they fade away/ Amazing they ungrateful for after all the game I gave away/ Safe to say I paved the way, for you cats to get paid today/ You still be wasting days away, nah had I never saved the day…” T.I. goes on to rap these lyrics too, “Seems as though you lost sight of what's important with the positive/ And checks until your bank account and you up out of poverty/ Your values is ah disarrayed, prioritizing horribly/ Unhappy with the riches cause you're piss poor morally…” Now, I recognize that my thought process might turn things around differently than yours. Still, it seems that even those lyrics line up with another rather profound quote from Mr. Jobs:
"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important." -Steve Jobs (2005 Stanford Commencement)
When you encounter people who try to pull and push you into directions that deny your ability to live your best life, trust yourself enough to walk away. No one escapes death, but there is no need to practice dying every day either. Stop listening to the people who want you to be what they want you to be. Stand up for who you really are because that is what is truly important.
Whether it’s Steve Jobs (the “Apple” guy) or T.I. (the rapper guy), you still hear the same message… LIVE YOUR LIFE. By now, most people know that the co-founder of Apple, Inc. died Wednesday, October 5, 2011. People often say that actions speak louder than words. In Mr. Jobs case, they not only spoke louder, they amplified the powerful messages of his words.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life! Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice... Living with the results of other people's thinking. Have the courage to follow your own intuition... they somehow truly know what you really want to become. Everything else is secondary." -Steve Jobs
The interesting thing to me is that T.I. had a hit song appropriately entitled, “Live Your Life.” Some of those lyrics echo similar sentiments to Steve Jobs quote (with the “swagger” so typical of rap culture). “Never mind what haters say, ignore them 'til they fade away/ Amazing they ungrateful for after all the game I gave away/ Safe to say I paved the way, for you cats to get paid today/ You still be wasting days away, nah had I never saved the day…” T.I. goes on to rap these lyrics too, “Seems as though you lost sight of what's important with the positive/ And checks until your bank account and you up out of poverty/ Your values is ah disarrayed, prioritizing horribly/ Unhappy with the riches cause you're piss poor morally…” Now, I recognize that my thought process might turn things around differently than yours. Still, it seems that even those lyrics line up with another rather profound quote from Mr. Jobs:
"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important." -Steve Jobs (2005 Stanford Commencement)
When you encounter people who try to pull and push you into directions that deny your ability to live your best life, trust yourself enough to walk away. No one escapes death, but there is no need to practice dying every day either. Stop listening to the people who want you to be what they want you to be. Stand up for who you really are because that is what is truly important.
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