Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Steve Jobs - Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish


Stanford Report, June 14, 2005
'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says
This is a prepared text of the Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.
Again, 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.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
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.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. 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. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.
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.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because 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.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
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 others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Again, 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."


I hate to see him leave...
Kimberly


Monday, August 29, 2011

Say What You Need to Say


As most of you know, I began this blog a few weeks ago. It was August 16th, to be precise, during one of those “AHA” moments. The idea just popped up out of nowhere.

I am still giddy over it!

While the “look” of this page, (and we all know how important looking good is,) is still bare-bones, the content is getting better and better. As a matter of fact, this week I am pleased to introduce the first of many guest contributers! 
YAY for special appearances by mega-stars in Broadway musicals!

Setting the stage:
After making my list of who to invite, I zeroed in on precisely what I thought each person should write about. After all, I was inviting them because each is an expert in their field. One is an optometrist and sells highly sought after vintage eyewear frames. I figured they could write about all things retro. Retro chic, retro inspired, retro music…you get the picture. One person is in finance. Maybe they could write about personal finances. Woohoo! A modern day Suze Orman!
I even came up with a witty name for that particular post, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” I’m now thinking this is a particularly excellent game plan to follow.

I invited a very elite group of people to participate as contributors. That’s right, my friends. My friends are from all walks of life and all over the world. They have different backgrounds, beliefs, and educations. Some work from home, others have a 9 – 6er, 7er, or 8er. They all have strong values, and integrity. They never give up. They are amazing mega-stars. Each is hip in his/her own right.
I love them and I am proud of them. It is an honor and a privilege to call them my friends.

Within 5 days of sending out the invitations, I had answers from everyone. One “No” and all the rest were a “Yes!” We set up phone appointments to go over the details. Yeah, baby! We’re off and running now!

Developing the show:
I was so eager and happy when I called the first friend on my list. They were eager and happy to talk to me! (Or they faked it really well.) Many I haven’t spoken with in a long time. Some, I had never talked with at all. And so on, and so on, and so on. One by one, I called, and we shared our excitement.  It was magnificent!

I explained what the blog was about: anything, everything, nothing, love, life, honesty, being free, blah, blah, blah.

The first question everybody asked was “What should I write about?” In that moment, I saw that it wasn’t about what I wanted them to write. It wasn’t about me boxing them it. It was about me empowering them to write about something they are passionate about. A story written from their own heart. Something that resonates in their soul.

Suddenly, it didn’t matter to me what their subject matter was. If it meant something to them, others would find meaning in it too. Now, it may not be the same exact “story” for you, our readers, but certainly one that you will be able to relate to somewhere in your life.

I spoke with each friend for a long while, at least an hour. We talked about our lives, what we have in common, (or not,) what is important to us and what we are passionate about. I could almost see the light bulb click and turn on over their heads. Almost every single person had something to say, something to write about. It may have been something that had been buried deep inside or something they just haven’t had a chance to share with anyone. In some cases, it was something they didn’t even realize they wanted to talk about or had a need to talk about. Whatever it was, it was something that touched them deeply and they wanted to pay homage to it. Hell, some people just always wanted to write. Whatever the case may be, these phone conversations were magical. Truly a celebration of life in it’s many forms.

I had a different kind of conversation with other friends. You don’t know what you want to write about? Cool! Just do it. Just write. Be a daredevil. You writes it as you sees it. Really? Really. You can! Write it as it happens. Write about it when it flashes through your mind. Write about the things you don’t want to write about. Just do it. Let it all hang out! Just write. These were also magical conversations.

Musings (for us all) on life as a broadway musical:
People… Readers, Friends…Just Do It.
Live your life as a broadway musical. YOU get to pick the song. Get in touch with your true self. Share yourself with your friends, your family, your co-workers. Inspire yourself. Touch your own soul. Live the life of your dreams. It’s YOU who gets to write the song.  Go sing it loud and proud.


For us all:

This is one of my favorite songs and I wanted to share it with you. Redundant, but so what – it drives home the point and maybe, just maybe, it will ring a bell and resonate with you.


John Mayer: Say What You Need To Say Lyrics
Songwriter: John Clayton Mayer

Take out of your wasted honor
Every little past frustration
Take all your so called problems
Better put them in quotations

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Walkin' like a one man army
Fightin' with the shadows in your head
Livin' up the same old moment
Knowin' you’d be better off instead
If you could only

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Have no fear for givin' in
Have no fear for givin' over
You better know that in the end
It's better to say too much
Than to never to say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shakin'
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closin'
Do it with a heart wide open
A wide heart

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you to all of my contributors. It is YOU who have inspired me.

Much love to everyone.
Keep Singing!


Kimberly


Saturday, August 27, 2011

A prayer

For those of you in Irene's path: You are surrounded by angels. Millions of us are posting angels along the coast. Do what you know you should do -- leave where you are if you are supposed to leave -- and know that the rest of us are praying without ceasing for your safety and wellbeing. All love to you...

Marianne Williamson

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Jumping On Board! with Deb and Kim

I need to get a life. I mean a job.  I haven’t been working for a long time. In fact, years. It’s time I got off it, (my butt.). The thought of working a real JOB has been less than appealing to me, although a monthly paycheck would be an uptick.

‘Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~ Thomas Alva Edison

A visit to my past:
I’ve been wearing my own version of overalls every day. They are faded to the point of looking a disgusting shade of grayish/brownish/white. The rear pockets and the hem are shredded to bits. The holes in the knees are spider webs. They are ephing ragged.

“What the hell has she been doing?” you ask. “Stuff”. I’ve been doing stuff. While living in NYC I took care of my husband for three years before he passed from Multiple Myeloma. Within two months I moved to Austin, a mile away from my brother, to help him and his kids for two years. Next I was off to California to care for my parents. I just got home to Austin after six months away. (Don’t worry, Carter came with me.)

Lately:
I have been taking “time off” for a few weeks now.  What a treat. Getting my house and my own life back in order.  What  now?  What’s next for me? I have no clue. That’s the beauty of it. It’s time to get moving!  Now THIS is an exciting predicament to be in. Really? Really.

How do I get in action?

I schedule a call with Deborah Brown-Volkman. Many of you know her. She is a
top professional Certified Coach (PCC), veteran coach, sought-out career coach, career development expert, social networking expert, author, and President of Surpass Your Dreams, a global career coaching and life coaching company that has been in business since 1998.

While speaking with Debra, I saw how she could coach me with the “what’s next for me” question. Damn she’s good!

I hired her on the spot. Our first “working” appointment is Friday, September 9th. I’ll keep you posted.

So now, I’m a happy camper. I’m movin’ and shakin’. I’m a major babe! (And so is Deborah.)

Fuggedabout the JOB angle. I am Jumping On Board! Deb and me. Cool, huh?


See ya later,

Keep Singing!
Kimberly


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

All the News That's Fit to Print


Good morning everyone! How’s it going for you so far today??  Here’s my story morning and I'm sticking to it…

Let me catch you up on the events of yesterday.

First off, the dentist visit yesterday was a real OUCHER. L As it turns out, I have an infection in my lower gum that caused, well; I’m not going to go into all the gory details here. You are probably still chugging down the Starbucks, (*$s,) so no need to ruin your enjoyment of that. Suffice to say that I had to make two other appointments to get some “work” done. (And no, it wasn’t a cavity from eating too much chocolate, which I am told is an old wives tale anyway.)

Next up, exceptionally titillating news: Carter is FINALLY learning how to “Speak!”  Woohoo!!! Carter is my adorable little Yorkshire terrier. He just turned 7 years old on July 8th and is the cutest little pumpkin that ever was. (Don’t even tell me that you don’t know the date of your pet’s birthday by heart. If you do – I will have to challenge your parenting skills.) I got Carter when I was living in New York City. I had to go way out into the boonies to meet him and his sibs. Believe it or not, my ex-husband came with me! In case you were wondering, we are still friends. There were three dogs available in the litter. At only 5 weeks old, Carter had the most spunk and was already getting to “know” his auntie. Needless to say, we both thought he was he perfect. But I digress…for Carter to learn how to speak is a BFD to me. When he was a young pup he went to Doggie Training classes. He hid under the bleachers the entire time. All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names; they didn’t let poor Carter join in any reindeer games. (Ha! I made a funny! Or not.) Carter never learned any commands at school.  I even gave him private tutoring lessons (really!) at my apartment. He flunked out.  Really long story short – he learned how to “sit” over this last Thanksgiving vacation. I was out of town and Carter was at boarding school. He copied the other dogs, was the star of his class, and graduated with honors. And now he is learning to “Speak.” I am so proud of him and giddy with excitement.

Lastly, drumroll please… I broke up with my boyfriend of 7 months yesterday. All I can tell you is that he * unfriended  * my Facebook page and me. Oy vey.

Your coffee is probably cold by now so I will sign off.  Laters.


Keep singing!
Kimberly

Monday, August 22, 2011

Monday, Monday (sing this out loud like you are one of the Mamas and the Papas)

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend.


I had a really, really great story for y'all today but I am off to an emergency dentist appointment :(


Let's catch up tomorrow!


PS. ELLEN is taking Oprah's old time slot today!! Woohoo!!



Wednesday, August 17, 2011

I'd rather tread water...

"I mean, even those who claim they are normal may, in fact, be the most neurotic among us, swimming with a nice pair of scuba fins down the river of Denial."

By THERESE J. BORCHARD

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Hey!

I am thrilled to welcome you to my new blog. It's my first blog and a new adventure for me!
What's it all about you ask?

It's about nothing.
It's about anything.
It's about everything.
It's about life.
It's about being free.

The blog itself is lighthearted, funny, fun, serious, honest, entertaining, empowering, learning and other "stuff".
It's here to light you up and make you grin, smile, comment, *Like* and share.

A bit about me:
My passion, what turns me on and lights me up, is inspiring people, empowering people, making a difference in the world, living my own truth and leaving a legacy of love. That's what I am passionate about. Oh, and ice cream too!

I'd love to hear what you are passionate about.

Please free to email me or visit me on our Facebook page with any comments, requests, ideas, suggestions......pretty much anything.

I hope that you enjoy my blog. Thanks so much for visiting.

Keep singing!
Kimberly

mysoulinshoes@gmail.com
Facebook page: My Soul in Shoes, Musings on life as a broadway musical.


Friday, August 12, 2011

SAM I AM

I do not like this Uncle Sam, I do not like his health care scam. I do not like these dirty crooks, or how they lie and cook the books. I do not like when Congress steals, I do not like their secret deals. I do not like ex-speaker Nan, I do not like this 'YES WE CAN'..I do not like this spending spree, I'm smart, I know that nothing's free. I do not like their smug replies, when I complain about their lies. I do not like this kind of hope. I do not like it. nope, nope, nope.



Thursday, August 11, 2011

COFFEE, the mother of invention. Or, knock knock. Who's there?

Hi friends,

Welcome to my new blog, 

My Soul In Shoes.......Musings on life as a broadway musical.


I love coffee. My fav hangout is Starbucks. (When I text someone I just write *$s.) Starbucks is a good place for me to take a break and relax. It's a fun place for people watching. (Not as much fun as an airport, but it will do.)  Yesterday I was sitting there and happily sipping away. I started thinking of "all of this stuff" and "all these things" that I've always wanted to do, but never did. WTF? (Sorry if this offended anyone.)  I have this really creative side to me, and I'm funny too. I've just been too afraid to tap in to it and let it all hang out. I have literally managed to hide it from myself  and hide it from you guys for 30+ years. No, probably more like 40+. I was sooo worried that I wouldn't do it "right" and I would look like a dufus or something. I mean really, that would be a catastrophe of epic proportions. (Geeze, I had to get my dictionary out just to spell "catastrophe." Oh well.)

Anyway, I felt like I was suffocating. I realized that people don't see the real me. Maybe they thought they did. I was putting on a (broadway) show for everyone in my life. Hell, I was fooling myself too . *unlike* 

This was the moment of my big "AhHa!" I realized that I WANTED to come out of hiding. I wanted to go on a fishing expedition. I wanted to discover who  I REALLY am. What I am all about. 


Knock, knock. 
Who's there? 
Kim. 
Kim who?


This is an exciting adventure for me!. I feel like I am on a magic carpet ride! Woo-Who!!! (Woo, who?) I can only imagine what the possibilities are.

Ok. The truth must come out now.....
Don't laugh, but I have no idea yet what this blog will be about! None. Zip, nada, zilch. What I do know is that it will be awesome. (Oh, by the way, if you have any special requests or ideas for what you would like to see here, tell me about it. Inquiring minds want to know.) 

As soon as I figure this out, you will be the first one I tell!
If you register your email address, that is.


In the mean time, please join my site. *Like* it. Come fly with me. I promise you won't be sorry!
And,  if  YOU really want to swing out,  feel free to leave any comments here and share this site!

Thanks for hangin' with me.

Keep singing!
 Kimberly


PS. I am a lousy speller and poor at punctuation. I don't use the correct grammar, l like to use parenthesis a lot, and sometimes I use swear words. I writes it as I says it . If this bothers you, kindly get over it! 

mysoulinshoes@gmail.com