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“Life is this simple: we are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and the divine is shining through it all the time. This is not just a nice story or a fable, it is true. ”
― Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O
Earlier this week, I was reminded of a sharing some years back by the CEO of Apple. Well, cancer somehow finds a way to humble even the giants among us.
However, in his interactions with his people, fellow human beings, the late Steve Jobs was not the world's greatest manager. In fact, this very God-gifted person, what the world perceived as, a “visionary” who revolutionized multiple industries with his cutting-edge products could have been, if not, one of the world's worst managers; his management style shrouded with darkness...instead of radiating light.
Where he could have reached out and touched many lives, he chose to destroy... constantly demanded excellence from people around him and was known for his blunt delivery of criticism. God seems to have disappeared from his life. Rather, his core obsession was with the change in people's lifestyle through his iPhones, iPads, Apple computers, iPods...everything else with the selfish “i”.
This very simple orphan, who once delivered the inspiring message at the Stanford University, seems to have forgotten how all the simple dots of his life...connected back to God...the ultimate tree of life...the ultimate architect...the ultimate provider.
At the end of the day, God will simply hold us all accountable... Let us then, as simple pilgrims, always remember this throughout our journey through life...we are merely humble instruments of God...sending out tiny ripples to make this world a little better for all...so that others too, whoever they may be, will come to know the loving God...through us.
“...keep me, as the apple of thy eye. Protect me under the shadow of thy wings.” (Psalm 16:8, Douay-Rheims)
This very simple orphan, who once delivered the inspiring message at the Stanford University, seems to have forgotten how all the simple dots of his life...connected back to God...the ultimate tree of life...the ultimate architect...the ultimate provider.
At the end of the day, God will simply hold us all accountable... Let us then, as simple pilgrims, always remember this throughout our journey through life...we are merely humble instruments of God...sending out tiny ripples to make this world a little better for all...so that others too, whoever they may be, will come to know the loving God...through us.
“...keep me, as the apple of thy eye. Protect me under the shadow of thy wings.” (Psalm 16:8, Douay-Rheims)
I agree. And though I am writing this on my MacBook, I would not have wanted to work for him. He sounds mean, and I don't like being around mean people.
ReplyDeleteLena,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your sharing. As much as there are "mean" people around, it is really not our choice whether we encounter them or not in our journey through life. At times, it is by God's grace that they should cross our path because there is a higher purpose in the infinite plan of Creation.
Steve Jobs had a humble beginning but somewhere along the journey, his human condition got the greater of him, the world and technology seduced him and he forgot...he forgot to use his God given talents to touch lives, to transform lives for the better.
He may appear to be "mean" but only he himself knows whether his journey was a rich one(by heavenly standards) or a cold and lonely one.
What we know is that he left us a legacy of having transformed plain "cold" technology into something that is friendly in the palms of many people around the world. It is through this that God used him to help many around the globe encounter God through Cyberspace!
May God Bless You Richly!
I didn't know that about him, that he was a mean boss. Some coaches are like him too then, coaching through insults. I always hate when I am working for a mean dude that thinks he is IT, and the rest of us are chumps that need to be motivated through humiliation or by instilling a fear of failure that can only be avoided through long hours and sacrifice. What I hate isn't the humbling, but that this seems to work too well, at least for types like me that seem to work that much harder when the boss is harder to please.
ReplyDeleteI did like his talk at Stanford though. He and Obama, two icons of secular society, are also icons of carrying the baby to term even in what seems like less than ideal circumstances for the mother. Unfortunately those in the eye of the camera will discount these two to chance and exceptions, as it is hard to argue otherwise without the eyes of faith.
Colleen,
ReplyDeleteAppreciate your comments and sharing. As Jobs said, at the end of the day when you look back, all the dots seems to connect. That's th3 wonder of life...that's what makes this journey so worthwhile. God Bless You!