Steve Jobs’ Famous Speech and the New Normal

Steve Jobs’ Famous Speech – The Commencement Address at Stanford

Many of us have heard Steve Jobs’ famous speech delivered at Stanford in 2005. It has over 37 million views on YouTube. Some snippets and phrases from this speech have been quoted very frequently and even inspired titles of books. So, what exactly did Steve Jobs say in this commencement address at Stanford? More importantly, how can we relate it to the present times? What are the lessons that are still relevant in the New Normal, 16 years after Steve Jobs’ famous speech?

I have heard this speech multiple times at different stages of my life. Interestingly, there is a new take-away each time. Let us see if his messages are as relevant in the New Normal.

Here is an audio version of this article, “Steve Jobs’ Famous Speech and the New Normal”. Video version of this article is available at the end of this post and on our YouTube channel.

The Three Stories From Steve Jobs Stanford Speech

I heard these three stories from the commencement address yet again. This time, I had a few new points to take home, especially in light of the pandemic and the New Normal.

#1 – Connecting the Dots

Similarly, in life, the final picture only emerges at a much later stage, after we have created and travelled through a lot of dots. Consequently, Steve Jobs remarked in the address at Stanford that the dots can only be connected backwards. We do not know upfront what the dots will lead to, and this can be discovered only at a later stage in life.

This is very apt during the current times. There is hardly any one whose life has not been disrupted. We are all passing through new dots during this phase of our life. Some of us may find it difficult to come to terms with the situation. We may struggle to find meaning and decipher the bigger picture. In such times, we need to remember the immortal words of Steve Jobs.

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.

Steve Jobs

Side Note

So, go ahead and take advantage of these times. Yes, you heard me right! No other time will give you the liberty to experiment and enable you to create new dots and traverse unchartered territories. This will surely lead to new possibilities, which may not be clear right now. For the umpteenth time, I repeat what Steve Jobs said in his famous speech – the dots can not be connected looking into the future, they can only be connected looking backwards!

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#2 – Love and Loss

Many of us have lost a lot during the pandemic. It could have been the loss of a job or a heartbreak from a loved one. Or simply the loss of a lifestyle or the loss of freedom to travel. However, when life throws lemons at us, the enterprising ones make lemonade. The key, as Steve Jobs mentioned in this commencement address, is to introspect and find out what is it that we truly love.

This applies to work, as much as it applies to relationships or other aspects of our life. The current times have given us a golden opportunity to reflect on what we truly love. We need to continue experimenting and introspecting, until we find something that we love. And, there is no better time to reset the path of our lives than right now!

Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith… You have to find what you love… If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle.

Steve Jobs

The similarity between ‘life hitting us in the head with a brick’ as mentioned in Steve Jobs’ famous speech and the pandemic are truly stark. We need to keep looking and relentlessly pursue what we love doing. And, we need to remember that nothing good ever came out of the comfort zone. Since the pandemic has already shaken most of us out of our comfort zones, this is as good a time as ever to find what we truly love.

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#3 – Death

The third story in Steve Jobs’ famous speech is about Death, where he narrates how he won his (first) battle with cancer. Death is the only certainty in life and yet we go about living our lives, as if this were not true.

We don’t know how much time we have, or how much time others around us have. Consequently, it is a good idea to be grateful for the gift of life and live each day as if it were our last. If this sounds very dramatic, we can at least start living each year as if it were our last year. This can also help us put things in perspective and help us do what is truly important.

Your time is limited. So, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Steve Jobs

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Applying The Learnings From Steve Jobs Commencement Speech

In my view, these high level concepts need to translate to something tangible that we can practice on a daily basis. For instance, we can use the above thoughts as a backdrop in our Time Management initiatives. For instance, let us say we follow Stephen Covey’s time management matrix of Important and Urgent activities. While doing this classification, it will be useful to keep the bigger picture in mind.

We may be surprised by the results of putting time management into practice in the right manner. What truly constitutes ‘Important activities and priorities’ in our lives may not be aligned with our implied priorities. There is no better time to recalibrate our lives than right now, when we are on the verge of embracing the New Normal.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

Last, but not the least, Steve Jobs ended the iconic commencement address with the immortal words – Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!

So, re-discover yourself and live the New Normal life that you always dreamt of.

Saving the best for the last, here is Steve Jobs’ full speech from Stanford’s YouTube channel and also the video based on this article, narrated by the author on our YouTube channel.

Beyond the 3 Stories of the Commencement Address – Lessons for the New Normal

I hope you enjoyed listening to Steve Jobs’ famous speech at the Stanford University. More importantly, I do sincerely hope that it has given you a fresh perspective and a helicopter view of your own life. After all, perception is reality and if we change the way we look at our lives, we can change our destiny!

In case you loved reading this, you may also want to read more about adopting a Pitstop Mindset during the pandemic and having an Internal Locus of Control. All the best for this new path and once you are at it, ensure that you do not lose Momentum!

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About The Author

Rajiv Maheshwari is a business and start-up advisor, and the co-founder of From The Experts Mouth. He is a management professional with over 25 years of experience, and worked as CEO for a decade, and in leadership roles with NYSE listed companies such as Accenture and WNS.

He is a Chartered Accountant and MBA (Director’s Merit List from IIM Bangalore) and an autodidact, who is on the path of self-directed life long learning and sharing. He is a thought leader, author and keynote speaker and has developed several frameworks to bridge the gap between academia and industry.

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