5 Inspirational Quotes from Steve Jobs

by Raymund Tamayo

I was recently reading articles about the life of Steve Jobs and here are five of his quotes that inspired me enough to share to you this morning.

           1. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

I totally agree. If you want to excel in doing something, then have passion for it.

Making a living is a huge part of our life. In fact, we spend most of our waking hours in our work, whatever it is. It will be a waste to hate something we do every day.

I’m constantly trying to re-examine myself with regards to my work. Sometimes I realize that I can always choose to love my work and be happy in whatever it is I’m doing.

But I still don’t forget about my first love, writing. That would be the other way around.

2. “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”

This is one lesson I learned early on. That sometimes trials and problems happen to us to bring us closer to our faith. Sometimes setbacks are blessings in disguise.

If everything is smooth-sailing and convenient, we tend to relax and be complacent about the direction of our lives. These kinds of things catch us and gives us the opportunity to improve and carve out our straight path.

Personally, I would have never discovered minimalism if our family didn’t have a major financial setback 3 years ago. Now, the benefits of being a minimalist far outweighed what happened during that time.

3. “When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back.”

This is about integrity and giving our best in everything we do.

I’ve always been a firm believer of this principle, doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Giving my best in anything that I create or do. It may not be the best for everybody, but it is the best for me.

Doing this helped me learn that I can’t please everyone. It also gave me a tremendous amount of self-worth which makes it easier for me to accept suggestions and constructive criticisms.

4. “Get your thinking clean to make it simple.”

I remember this verse from the Bible that says “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

It always starts with our thoughts. It shapes our life.

5. “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

I was never a risk-taker. I’m someone who always plays it safe. But thinking about death – that all of us are going through that road at one point in our temporary lives – slowly gives me the courage to continue to dream. Steve goes on to say, “You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” I say Amen to that.

Do you have any favorite Steve Jobs quotes? Kindly share them in the comments and let us all be inspired. Thanks.