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Working 9-5 (a.m.)
Ever randomly wondered about the inception of Apple, Inc.?
Same here.
Steve Jobs will forever be the face of tech giant and lifestyle brand Apple, Inc. However, it’s imperative to remind ourselves that there was another Steve in Apple’s lore:
Steve Wozniak.
This is Steve II’s memory of how a revolution was born soldered.
As we’re enjoying the Olympics in Rio, specifically the events and sports we watch exclusively every four years, what we see is the final stage of years of preparation and determination. Equally fascinating, though, are the preceding years and moments alone on the beach, in the pool, in the gym, on the winding road, on the pitch or in the garage.
How did these individuals reach the summit in their respective fields?
Steve Wozniak’s recollection of his youthful motivation for building computer parts serves as an inspirational lesson for us all. That lesson is to find our passion and start creating. And so often, the drive behind some of the world’s greatest innovators (and some Olympic athletes) isn’t always what we imagine from a distance. The sport is not always the central reason for competing. Still, from far away, we possess the clarity to recognize authenticity, inventive vision and talent and it’s what brings us into another person’s story with a powerful, magnetic attraction.
And apparently, if you want to succeed in tech, be named Steve. If you want to host a late night talk show, be named Jimmy, James or Jay.
I have always wanted my own studio audience…
Time to write my monologue jokes, until about 4:00 a.m.
Learning to Color
A glass of water is half full. Or is it half empty?
Sam: “This sandwich is delicious!”
John: “No, this sandwich is terrible.”
Dalton: “It’s not the best, but it’s pretty good.”
Some see things in black and white. Others may see the gray area.
One of the pinnacle phenomenon’s of the human mind is how person x can see something one way and person y can see it completely differently. Then, person z can see the same thing and give a reaction in the space between person x and person y.
Whatever the situation, people will react similarly or differently, with varying degrees in between. But these are the two very basic reactions of any human mind to an event or occurrence.
“This is great” or This sucks I mean, “This inhales profusely!”
“That was a smart decision” or “That was dumb.”
“Love it” or “List it” (I concede that it is a mildly addicting show, eh).
But here is one of the truly remarkable characteristics about this dynamic: In some circumstances, the presence of an outlier with definitively rigid opinions can become the catalyst that surprisingly brings the masses together.
Wait, what?
Even upon brief reflection, it doesn’t make much sense on the surface. The odd one out is the one who unites the larger population of people who are considered the inside? How does that work? Aren’t there reasons why this person is on the outside to begin with?
One word: Apple.
When we hear this word, some of us initially think of a deliciously tasty red fruit. Others recall the ending to a well-known movie adapted from a best-selling book. However, after these first reactions, a majority of us are probably thinking of computers, tablets, phones, music players, etc.
Apple = Fruit = World Altering Password = Technology = Steve Jobs.
Most accounts portrayed the late Steve Jobs as a black and white thinker/innovator. He had a vision and that was that. Period. If you agreed and did what he needed, then great, welcome. If not, you were fired. Astonishingly, it was his rebellious thought process, wild ideas and relentless one-track mind that ultimately united consumers of all mindsets and backgrounds with Apple’s wide array of technologically ground-breaking products.
Do you own an iPhone? An iPad? An iPod? A MacBook Pro? If not, have you ever used one?
Most people, in my opinion, would not characterize Steve Jobs as normal. He was not part of the mainstream of American society. He was different. But, incredibly, this outlier became a beloved figure and thinker to the inside.
Steve Jobs rigidly saw things in black and white, and yet, in doing so, he opened the world to all the colors and opportunities in between.
Most people will color inside a box, but it takes something special to want to discover what’s outside the lines…
P.S. I learned about the trailer via a tweet from Ashton Kutcher on my iPhone 4s.
Define Efficiency
There are two options for researching the meaning of words: in a book or on a computer.
Which one do you think is more efficient? Are you leaning heavily towards the computer? Let’s conduct an experiment.
Using Google, type, “labyrinth definition.” After an exhaustive 0.31 seconds, there were approximately three million results for this specific search. Mind-boggling!
Now, using a hand-held dictionary, look up the word, “labyrinth.” While there was only one definition and it took a few seconds to locate, there are now tens of thousands of other words at your immediate convenience.
In this quest for a definition, but ultimately knowledge, which option cast a better, wider net?
Between the book and the computer, which one proves to be more of a labyrinth to an immediate abundance of information?
Mind-boggling indeed.