Here's to YOU!

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently…they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.” – Steve Jobs

I recently saw “Jobs” the movie starring Ashton Kutcher outlining Steve Jobs’ rise in the technology industry. I had this strange PULL to see it, but because of the reviews and ratings, not very many people wanted to see it with me. I actually ended up with the ticket because Alamo Drafthouse was sold out of The Butler (another movie that I want to see!). I was strangely excited that it worked out the way it did, so that I could see this movie. 

Throughout the entire film, I was having trouble keeping it together. From the beginning, where they show Steve Jobs unveiling the IPod in 2001, to the time he gets funding for his “garage company,” to the time when he is forced out of apple, to the famous quote above. Each milestone, obstacle and failure spoke to me on a level that I am still reeling to understand. It should be noted, that Steve Jobs did not go about everything perfectly. He isn’t a God. He had human struggles, made human mistakes (sometimes HUGE ones), and was an “asshole” by many accounts. He did things in a way he saw right and sometimes, often lost perspective on other things. He was a human, just like the rest of us.

But I couldn’t help but think, even through the trials and tribulations, his life turned out in a way that it was supposed to. Not perfect, but GREAT. He was alive during the time and made opportunities for himself in the age of the development of information technology. He saw things that others didn’t. He built things that we continue to use now. 

While I am no engineer, and it’s hard to see the correlate I’m about to make, I FEEL that there is that in me. I can be GREAT. I don’t come up with innovative technology, but I see things differently in my own part of the world. I have had interests that are beyond my next paycheck. I’ve struggled working in a structured corporate environment. I want to focus on my random whims and ideas sometimes. I’m using myself as an example, but I feel that many of us can be GREAT. We can make an impact. We just have to figure out what it is meant to be and how to get there. 

 

The quote above refers to MANY people. Who among us isn’t crazy? Who among us has never felt like a mistfit? Have you ever rebelled or caused SOME sort of trouble? When have you not felt like you fit in? I think harnessing that different perspective that YOU have can make YOU great. People see me as crazy all the time. The phrase I hear over and over is “Oh, Belinda” no matter what I’m talking about or doing. Not always, but sometimes, I hit a stroke of genius that surprises even me. Typically that’s because I focused on something that someone else thought was dumb or crazy.

 I’m challenging myself to find out what exactly I can do to “make a dent in the universe” and I challenge y’all to do the same. It doesn’t have to be on the level of Steve Jobs, it doesn’t have to make you famous, it just has to have an impact.

“Things don’t have to change the world to be important.”