IF THIS DOESN'T MOTIVATE YOU, NOTHING WILL.

Today I want to share with you three stories from my life. The first story is about the importance of connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College as soon as I got there, but stayed for another 18 months before officially leaving. The reasons for my deportation began before I was born.

My biological mother, a young, single graduate student, decided to adopt me. She wanted me to be adopted by college graduates, and at birth everything was arranged for a lawyer and his wife to adopt me. But when I was born they changed their minds and wanted a girl.

Luckily, parents on the waiting list got a surprise phone call asking if they wanted to have a son. They said yes. Eventually, her biological mother learned that her adoptive mother had not graduated from college and her adoptive father had not graduated from high school. She refused to sign the adoption papers.

A few months later, my parents promised me that I would go to college and lay the foundation for my future. When the time came, I chose a college that had tuition as high as Stanford and drained all of my parents' savings.

After six months, I realized that there was no point in going to college. I left school believing everything would be okay. Despite the fear I felt at the time, it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

By dropping out, I was able to freely take classes of interest without being restricted by required courses. Because we didn't have a dorm room, we slept on the floors of friends' houses, traded Coke bottles for food, and walked seven miles every Sunday to have lunch at the Hari Krishna Temple. Despite the challenges, following my curiosity and intuition has led to valuable experiences.

One example of this was when I took a calligraphy class at Reed College. The campus was renowned for its excellent calligraphy education.

We learned about different fonts, spacing, and what makes great typography. Although this seemed impractical at the time, this knowledge became invaluable ten years later when we were designing the first Macintosh computer.The Macintosh was the first computer to feature beautiful typography, which eventually influenced the design of all personal computers.

If I had never taken that calligraphy course, personal computers would not have the awesome typography they do today. Looking back, it is clear that all perspectives are connected, even if it was not obvious at the time.

The second story is about love and loss. I feel lucky to have discovered my passion at a young age.

I started Apple in my parents' garage when I was 20 years old.In just 10 years, Apple has grown from a small garage startup to a $2 billion company with thousands of employees. However, despite participating in the founding of the company, he was eventually fired due to disagreements with his co-founder. This was a huge blow to me, but it ultimately led to a new beginning. I still loved what I was doing and decided to start over.

Over the next five years, I founded two new companies, Next and Pixar, and found a wife and love. Pixar went on to create the world's first computer-animated feature film, Toy Story, and Apple eventually acquired Next, leading to my return to the company. The technology we developed at Next helped drive Apple's current success.

Getting fired from Apple turned out to be the best thing that happened to me. It allowed me to shed the weight of success and embrace being a beginner again. This newfound freedom led to one of the most creative periods of my life.

The lesson I learned was that sometimes life takes a toll, but you shouldn't lose faith. I believe the key to success is finding what you love and doing great work. Your work should be a passion that takes up a significant portion of your life. If you haven't found it yet, keep searching and don't stop.

The third story is about death. For the past 33 years, I have asked myself every morning if today were my last day, would I be satisfied with what I am about to do? This has helped me make important life choices.

Remembering that life is finite allows you to focus on what truly matters and avoid being trapped by external expectations or fears. Death is an inevitable part of life, and accepting this fact can liberate you to follow your heart and intuition.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life or conforming to societal norms. Have the courage to pursue your desires and aspirations.

In conclusion, my journey at Apple has taught me the importance of embracing change, finding what you love, and living a life of purpose. Stay hungry for new experiences and remain foolish in your pursuit of greatness.