Steven Cox - Founder of TakeLessons. Build Something You're Proud Of

Steve Jobs: Magnificence and Mortality

Today, I woke up to the death of Steve Jobs.

At the age of 56, he did what most entrepreneurs dream of doing - changing the world for the better.

Even though I didn't know him, I could help but feel saddened and tearful. Part out of respect - and part out of feeling that I'm so far from realizing my own change in the world and making the impact that I want to.

He's was 16 years older than me.

16 years.

When I think about that, and let it sink in, my head spins with the idea that every day must be important - it must matter. I can't spend my time getting caught in the thickness of thin things. One day, my life will be done here on earth, and what will matter are the gifts I've left behind, and the positive, lasting impact I've made on the world.

"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."

- Steve Jobs, 2005

Today, I woke up to the death of Steve Jobs.

Today, I woke up with a deeper realization of my own mortality.

Never Graduate From Kindergarten

I'm fortunate enough to have smart advisors for TakeLessons. They've been motivational and have kicked my ass to think at a higher level and become a smarter business person.

In addition to all the business advice I get, sometimes a life lesson will shine through. These life lessons tend to be just as valuable as all the business stuff. I'm meeting two advisors, Jordan Greenhall and Tom Siegel this friday to go over a few things. Here is the conversation:

Steven: 

Jordan / Tom,

Can you get together with me this Friday morning for about an hour? I want to show you what the numbers look like, and get a final opinion on the options we should consider.

Jordan:  I could do 10:00 am

Tom: I'm available 10 or 11

Jordan: Scratch that - move to 11:00. I have a kindergarten event at 10.

Steven: Great, 11 at Tom's office

Tom: 11 AM works for me too. (Jordan, I thought you already graduated from kindergarten? :-)

Jordan: If you are lucky, you never graduate from kindergarten.

Steven and Tom: Great line and perfect timing.

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It was the perfect line for me yesterday. In all of the excitement, frustration, and worry of building a company and shouldering the responsibility of employees who rely on me, sometimes I forget to never graduate from kindergarten.

If you remember back when you were that age, the world was new and making friends was as easy as smiling at girl with the crayons. Recess was rejuvenating, and there were no bad habits to break. So today, I'm going to go back to kindergarten. It's an important step to ensure that I never lose that innocent curiosity. never forget to play, and never forget that people matter more than anything else.

The Reason We Form Companies

"The reason that a group of people get together and exist as an institution that we call a company is so that they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately – they make a contribution to society as a group that is greater than the individual contribution.”

David Packard, Founder
HP

Let us never forget the power of collective minds. We are all smarter than any of us.