Steve Jobs’ Words to Live By

“Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – Steve Jobs

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a journalist. As a writer my dream has always been to help people. Whether its to allow them a brief escape from the struggles of everyday life, or to introduce them to a new band they never heard of, it’s really always been the same goal.

After I received much animosity from an article I wrote last year I’ve been scared to write so candidly. To be shunned by the people who matter most to you is a feeling I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. Although it was impossible to imagine at the time, the good outweighed the bad in the end.

That article garnered over 300 comments from people who related and shared their own personal tales with me. It also pushed me to move to Brooklyn with Monica and Farrah, two people I can’t imagine not seeing every day. So much of my life would be different if I didn’t take that risk and follow my gut.

Over a year later, I find myself at another crossroads. I’ve been extremely introspective lately and while my career is a success by most people’s standards, I still find myself searching and questioning.

Will all my freelance checks come in on-time so I can pay my rent and college loans next month? How do I know if music journalism really is my path?

I was at church recently with all these questions when something someone said struck a chord. “God will never let you down. He designed you and knows what you can handle. He cares more about the journey than the destination, when in doubt take two more steps.”

Instead of worrying and thinking all these thoughts I just need to take two more steps and do something. Pray more. Believe. I don’t know why I’m harbored with doubts. I need to have a little more faith in God because he has clearly led me in the right direction so far. Looking backwards, all the dots are connected. I guess I just worry too much about how they’ll connect in the future.

For some more inspiration by Steve Jobs on life and death, watch a speech he gave to Stanford University’s 2005 graduation class here.