Think Different.
Apple
Steve Jobs
1997
This is for the one who sees life and the world not as it is, but as it could be. A world of the ideal, of a different future and is crazy enough to believe that it is changeable.
This is for the one who would rather spend their time juggling ideas, creating things and questioning the assumptions of the status quo while understanding just how important it is for the development of society.
For the one who feels that life offers so much more room to fly and is at the edge of going for it, running, sprinting, taking off…
To you, I say
You are an architect of your future and maybe even the future of the world we live in. The world needs your courage, your defiance and your hungry pursuit for something better. It is time to stop waiting for permission.
It is time to make your move.
create|courageously
I embraced “Create Courageously” as a framework for this season of my life, because the phrase describes what it means to create within our current place and time. Massive amounts of courage is required to put ideas and one’s creativity out into our world and have it be seen as worthy of work (for others to find enough value in it that the creator can thrive). Therefore many of us never try.
You create a huge disservice to us all when you deny us the beauty of your creativity. It takes courage to do it.
The opposite of belonging isn’t isolation; it’s fitting in.
An Excerpt from: Guerrillas of Grace by Ted Loder, 1984
I want to acknowledge the struggles that come with the territory. The path is often lonely and dark. It is filled with doubts and skeptics who rarely build anything that lasts (except for the inflation of their own egos). You may not be rejected outright, as it often comes as radio silence despite your effort.
Trailblazers always face resistance, otherwise it wouldn’t be called trailblazing. Every revolution (in a wide sense) began with someone daring to challenge convention. I would argue that [the tasks of challenging the status quo] is the hardest work that exists for us as humans. But I would also argue that this work is the most fulfilling. It is the ONLY way we create a dynamic world.
It is the quiet resilience of dreamers and doers that shapes the world.
Creativity thrives on iteration.
Frame every action as an experiment.
You don’t need all the answers to start. I challenge you to start when it’s messy. Start when you’re scared. But just start.
Imperfection is the way to go. Every half-as-good creation is further along the path to perfection.
When you create you’re creating new potentials. At the very least, your work could inspire someone else to cross the chasm of action and change the world.
You are not alone.
You’re a part of a line of creators, engineers, problem-solvers and dreamers who feel the tension of internal angst and hope for a different future. You are a part of the Spirit and Soul of the World. In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the “Soul of the World” is the force connecting all existence, living and non-living. It symbolizes the unity of the universe and guides individuals toward fulfilling their “Personal Legend” (life purpose).
There is an undercurrent of power that is supporting our efforts. Please know, you are NOT alone.
So if you dare, please create. Start by creating for the sake of creating. For you, your family, your dog. Just start. Then move into more ambitious endeavors.
If you don’t feel like you fit in, don’t try. Create a different hole.
Find out who you are, then do it on purpose.
Refuse to settle.
Refuse to conform.
Build what you dream.
Solve the impossible.
Fail forward,
and keep getting up.
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.*
It belongs to you.
Now, go do it.
*Eleanor Roosevelt; a legit boss.