Motivational Monday: Think Different...Like Steve Jobs

As most of you all know, one of the world's leaders in innovation and technology died last week. Steve Jobs was a pioneer in the "Think Different" mentality. It is because of him that technology has excelled the way it did. He single-handedly forced other companies to think differently about their products, whether it was out of necessity or competition, products became better because of what Steve Jobs created through Apple, Inc. But now that he is gone, what can we take away from his legacy? Sure we can admire the innovations from the first Mac to the upcoming iPhone series, but what else has Steve Jobs given us?

In my opinion, he has taken the scary out of thinking different. Society, especially the American society, makes it scary to be or think different. We like categories and similarly grouped items. When we are unable to place something in a box...we shun it. Thankfully Mr. Jobs made it "normal" to think and be different. He made it so that being different and being an innovator was the ONLY way to prevent us from living in the dark ages.


I think we should constantly think different. We should constantly push the envelope of what is considered normal. We should go into any task we do questions multiple processes in achieving success.


So Motivational Monday is dedicated to the innovative legacy of Steve Jobs, the Father of "Thinking Different"

Amy Winehouse and the "27 Club"

Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin
Jim Morrison
Kurt Cobain
Jean Michael-Basquiat
Freaky Tah of the Lost Boyz
Johnathan Brandis from the NeverEnding Story II

All influential and known celebrities and artists who came and touched our lives through music, art, television, and movies. All tragically and mysteriously died at the age of 27. It's sad when you think a celebrities career is just beginning to take off. It literally seems like they were here today and gone tomorrow. Now they are infamously a part of what is known as the "27 Club." The club in which famous people become inducted into when they die at the age of 27 through tragic causes.

In their deaths, lies a story. Nothing lasts forever. What can we learn from Amy Winehouse and the "27 Club?" Sure it's easy to give an "anti-drug" speech, but at the end of the day as we look at their careers, the lives they left, and the people who surrounded them there is a story lesson to be learned.

1. Live your life like it's your last day. It seems almost like these, and others, were at the height of their career. Things seems to be going to well, seeming so lucrative, and all of a sudden we get the breaking news of their deaths and find out even later that they were depressed and overwhelmed with the level of celebrity they received. No matter what, do what makes you happy. Whether it's picking up trash, inspiring others, teaching, or writing. Do what makes YOU happy. No one can live your life, but you!


2. Make your dreams a reality, despite the nay sayers. These folks lived a dream life we will never get to experience. They may have died suddenly at 27, but what they were able to accomplish is more than most of us will ever experience in our lives. Do what you can to even get a glimpse of your dream. It's worse to regret not trying to live out your dream or passion than to deal with the failure experienced trying.


3. "Yes" people are enablers, get rid of them. It's always great to have your ego stroked. We all want it, we sometimes need it. However, if you are around people who ONLY tell you how good, awesome, great, pretty, or smart you are how will you know what you need to do to get better and to grow? We need constructive criticism to progress. If all you hear is yes, how will you know how to handle the "no." We can only speculate that some of these celebrities died, especially the ones from suicide and drugs, because they had too many fans and not enough friends. Get rid of enablers, their bad for you.


4. Know when to ask for help. At the end of the day, we need help. In our darkest hour, for our progression and growth, just because. Help is available in many forms, what we have to do is learn to put our pride to the side and ask for it. I feel like if these artists were able to simply ask the right person for help, we would have had them for so much longer.


5. Empowerment is a very powerful tool we all need. Motivation. Inspiration. Empowerment. It's the tools that keep the positivity in and the negativity out. Find a mentor, speaker, book, counselor, or method to ensure that you ALWAYS have some form of empowerment and positive energy in your life.

Amy Winehouse [9.14.83-7.23.11]

Amy Winehouse was a great singer. Despite her vices and her troubles, she had a gift that she was able to share with the world...even for a little while. Unfortunately, she is now the newest member of the "27 Club." We may not ever know what problems she had in her life, but from the time we had her here...we can learn much from her and the other members of the "27 Club."

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

Don't know what you've got til it's gone

Everyday we live our lives hoping that the lives we live will transcend us. We hope to leave a legacy so that our decedents can have a pretty nice life and an even better name to live up to. But what is there to do when the life you left behind leaves a more lasting effect or rather lasting profit?

I maybe late, but I figured I'd share anyways.

Forbes: Top-earning dead celebrities

1. Michael Jackson| $275 million| Died:June 25, 2009


2. Elvis Presley| $60 million| Died: August 16, 1977


3. J.R.R Tolkien| $50 million| Died: September 2, 1973


4. Charles Schulz| $33 million| Died: February 12, 2000


5. John Lennon| $17 million| Died: December 8, 1980


6. Stieg Larsson| $15 million| Died: November 9, 2004


7. Dr. Seuss| $11 million| Died: September 24, 1991


8. Albert Einstein| $10 million| Died: April 18, 1955


9. George Steinbrenner| $8 million| Died: July 13, 2010


10. Richard Rodgers| $7 million| Died: December 30, 1979

When these icons were alive, we hoped they would be around forever. Now that their gone...now they will. What legacy do you hope to leave behind?

The Unemployed Entrepreneur
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