The "Do You Know When To Change?" Story

It was an ordinary day. Trying to decide if I want the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson for a Christmas gift. I have always had a Macintosh computer and recently purchased an iPad, but for some strange reason I am typing this story on my Toshiba laptop. Bought it a few years ago to take with us on vacations, since it was less expensive than a Mac laptop. It works, but not half as well as my Mac. I have always liked Macintosh products, probably because that is what the school where I taught put into all the classrooms. Steve Jobs was a genius when he made sure that all schools were able to buy computers at a fairly inexpensive price. He knew that many would continue to use them in the future. Look at me! I learned on a Mac and have been using one ever since. Steve Jobs had a vision that no one else could see. He built a company based on that vision, but the leaders of the company still couldn't see that vision so they eventually managed to dismiss him. Apple computers came upon hard times and Steve eventually returned and reinstituted his vision. Many of the original doubters were now gone and he assembled an army of loyal supporters who helped lead Apple to what it is today. Steve was the leader in many aspects of the technology explosion that hit the world. He and David Kelley of IDEO helped develop the first commercial mouse. The prototype used a steel ball and when you rolled it on a table it could be fairly loud. Steve said it was unacceptable so they coated the ball with rubber to reduce the noise. Most CEOs care about the product, but not the details. Steve was different. He demonstrated that design can lead a company to greatness. In 2005 Steve was named graduation speaker at Stanford University. Most wanted Bill Clinton and were disappointed when the announcement was made. He started his speech telling how Apple fired him and then his doctor told him he had cancer and was going to die. Told the graduates that he was adopted by parents who had never went to college. Told them that he gets up every morning and asks the image in the bathroom mirror: If today were the last day of my life, would I want do what I am about to do today? If the answer is "no" too many days in a row, then it is time for a change. Wow, can you say that you have followed that advice in your life? I never looked in the mirror, but do believe that I knew when it was time for a change in my life. That came in 1999 when I retired from teaching. His final words of wisdom to the class was: Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Amen! You know, I have read enough and heard enough about Steve Jobs that I really don't need to put that book on my Christmas list. Don't want to tarnish the image I have of him, and I fear by reading the book it might do that. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.