When Steve Jobs passed away almost two weeks ago, people across the globe mourned for the loss of one of history’s greatest entrepreneurs. We mourned for a man that few of us had ever met, but with whom we all felt a shared connection.Through his work, Steve Jobs changed the world. He was a rare breed of person who could seemingly pull ideas from the future and put them within everyone’s grasp. Jobs’ vision and creativity showed us a future of which few could dream.
Now that he’s gone, many are left to wonder if our dreams of the future are dead as well.In the wake of this loss, we have two options. The first, and easiest, is to wait for the next Steve Jobs. The second, and much harder option, is to rise up to the challenge of continuing his work. When the world loses an innovator, we shouldn’t wait for one to replace him; instead, we should become the next innovators. If one man could change the world, then what could hundreds of people do? Thousands?While it is indeed a somber time for the world, that’s not how Steve would want us to see it. Instead, he’d want us to embrace the fear and uncertainty that we face and make a new future, one better than he envisioned.
The man who once urged us all to “think different” would not want us to see this as a sad moment, but as a chance to step up to the plate.Like any great entrepreneur, Jobs wasn’t afraid to take risks, and he certainly wasn’t afraid of failure. Instead of sitting idly by and taking the easy way out, we all have to push the envelope and find a new path. He showed us his path, but it doesn’t mean that he wanted us to follow it.Jobs thought differently, and in the process, changed the world. Now it’s up to us to outdo him. Jobs loved the thrill of competition, and it was an environment in which he thrived. He might have excelled as a pioneer of the computer revolution, but we are entering a new stage of the industry.
We live in a world where computers are becoming more and more prevalent, an age where phones, cars, and just about everything else has a CPU inside of it or soon will. This world is still wide open, waiting for an influx of innovative thinkers to bring us products and solutions to make everyone’s lives easier.Steve Jobs’ death is not just a somber moment, but an impactful one. In the coming years, many will question where we would be if he were still with us, questioning whether or 2the future that seemed to be destined for us died along with one its greatest visionaries.When Steve Jobs died, he didn’t leave us a world without a visionary, he left us a world filled with opportunity. This is our chance, our time to lead the world into a new era.
The best way to honor a man like Steve Jobs is to keep competing, keep trying to make the world a better place. It’s time to think different. As Jobs said in his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”Thanks for the advice Steve. Thanks for the memories, the revolutionary designs, and for the inspiration to follow our hearts and change the world. Thanks for everything.
