“Most people never pick up the phone, most people never ask. And that’s what separates, sometimes, the people that do things from the people that just dream about them. You gotta act. And you gotta be willing to fail… if you’re afraid of failing, you won’t get very far.”
This 1995 Steve Jobs interview by the Santa Clara Valley Historical Association, was shown on a recent PBS documentary.
What do you think?
Would Bill Hewlett answer the phone and give the parts to a twelve year old high school student today? Would his phone be listed in the first place?
While social networks and privacy and the cloud have made some more accessible and open, they have also created walls and barriers. Negativity and suspicion is part of reality – yet a sense of “giving” and “sharing” in some circles is stronger than ever. In the era of Occupy Wall Street, the 99 percent mindset and the moneygeddon jolly bad times, what is your experience? Have you asked and got rejected? And then what? Did you ask again someone else? And did you take the risk and failed – and failed again – until you finally made it? What did you learn? What did you do differently next time and how did this make the difference – did it?
And is simply asking the questions and watching and reading about failure and success enough, unless you really take the plunge and simply go ahead and ask or do…
PS: Grateful to Maria Popova for her inspired curious mind and her links to some of Steve Jobs interviews.
What interests me is helping sharp, intelligently curious people overcome barriers that may be keeping them from achieving more. Passion and boldness can make the art and science of leading easier to navigate. So, have fire; feel with your brain; don't be afraid.
