I am an ardent admirer of Steve Jobs. Despite the numerous stories of his love for secrecy, his tyrant behaviour – I have to say this – he excelled and how! Simply put, his life was his signature and he was ruthlessly unapologetic about how he dared to live it. While many argue that his coercive ambition was inhuman, I wonder how many of us would dare to look at death in the face every day, for nine long years and then have the drive to create something extraordinary, when maybe just putting your feet up, and letting life pass by seems so much easier.
I am no inventor or tech geek (well, not yet!), but I do believe that a majority of us chase external validation at the cost of our own health and happiness.
I recently read a lovely line somewhere “If your life was a work of art, how would you live it?”
Would you be the author, the creator of your own life or would you like to realise someday that it has been a shadow play of expectations and praise – often sought and given grudgingly?
Your actions are your signature – I see many people at workplaces – unhappy, bored and spending far too much time on negating their work and ambition rather than choosing to collaborate and learn from peers and colleagues. Your actions are your signature – a shoddy excel update shared with your boss is reflective of your lack of motivation and skills rather than your boss’s ineffective management. Your standards reflect you. So raise that bar. The right people will notice yours skills.