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Upon hearing the news of Steve Jobs passing, a deep sense of loss swept over me. In that very moment I thought about the life that this great man lived, the many lives that he touched, and the world he shaped and helped to transform. He’s innovative spirit and determination to succeed against the odds put him upon a pedestal that only few have reached. Yet his down-to-earth spirit made us all believe that achieving our own dreams is very possible.
I was never a Mac, iPod or iPad convert. In fact, I’m a PC and Android-man at heart, and maybe always will be. However, I respected wholeheartedly the work of Steve Jobs and how he turned Apple into one of the most valuable and innovative companies in the world. The creative spark, the innovative spirit, and the incredible determination and passion of this man gave me hope that anything is possible if you just set your mind to it.
Building an iQuote Matrix
To celebrate Steve Jobs incredible life, I wanted to gather together his most inspiring quotes that have touched my life in incredible ways, and piece them all together onto a single map that I call an iQuote Matrix.
A standard IQ Matrix is primarily designed to inform and guide you through a specific topic, while an iQuote Matrix is designed to inspire and move you to take action.
This particular iQuote Matrix contains 13 Steve Jobs quotes as well as questions that you can ask yourself that will help you to live an inspired and creative life. I have outlined the quotations and questions below for you. However, you will also find them within the map that you can download and print at your leisure and use as a reference wall poster or desktop background.
Steve Job’s Greatest Quotes
Here is a list of Steve Jobs greatest quotes about life, living and creating remarkable things:
“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.”
“I want to put a ding in the universe.”
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me… Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”
“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?”
“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, 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.”
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
“Why join the navy if you can be a pirate?”
“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”
“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”
“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. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
“If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. 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.”
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”
Living Life as Steve Jobs Lived…
Reading over these quotes I vowed to myself that from today onwards I would live a more inspired life. I would live a life like Steve Jobs lived — shaping and transforming the world in my own unique way. However, to do this, I will need to cultivate the message contained within Steve Jobs words on a daily basis. And as a Life Coach, I realize that the best way to do this is by asking the right kinds of questions — by asking the questions that will focus my mind upon living a Steve Jobs inspired life.
Here are the key questions contained within this iQuote Matrix that I will personally be focusing on:
- Am I following my heart or someone else’s?
- Do I love what I do?
- What is my inner voice telling me?
- What have I done today that is wonderful?
- What have I done today that matters?
- What small step can I take today that could help me transform the world?
- If today were the last day of my life, would I do what I’m about to do today?
- What opportunity does this setback present me with?
- What is good and positive about this experience?
- How can I live a more exceptional life starting today?
Living an Inspired Life
Steve Jobs certainly transformed the world in immeasurable ways. He has left a lasting legacy behind, which will continue to shape and transform the world in the decades to come. Even though we may never reach such heights of achievement ourselves, we can however transform the world in our own little way a step at a time. And this journey begins by asking a single question — a question that could effectively change the direction of your life. The question is…
How can I begin living a more inspired life, starting today?
Download Living an Inspired Life mind map
Adam Sicinski Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 10:26 pm
Hi Anna,
It’s sad that this day had to come. The world has lost an incredibly gifted individual. But the legacy that he leaves behind will hopefully inspire others to pursue their dreams as passionately as he pursued his.
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