Sometimes the best thinking happens away from the noise.
I was sitting near the water recently, listening to the waves, and jotting down some notes (yes, on occasion I still use that prehistoric thing called “paper”).
There was something about looking out at the endless horizon that made me think about how many possibilities still exist in life — paths to be walked, ideas not yet discovered.
For some reason, my mind wandered to Steve Jobs and the way he saw the world. Jobs was an innovator. Some called him a disruptor. Others saw him as a dreamer.
Whatever label you use, he viewed the world differently — and encouraged the people around him to do the same.
His quotes have become part of our culture because they touch something deeper than business or technology. They speak to something universal.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
That one resonates more as we get older.
At some point, many of us realize how easy it is to drift into expectations that were never really ours. We follow paths because they seem practical, or someone else expects us to. We say yes when our heart says no. We worry too much about fitting in, or avoiding mistakes.
And before we know it, years pass.
Along those lines, Jobs said:
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
That’s hard. You don’t need me to tell you the world is loud. One glance at your computer or phone will do the trick — opinions are endless, and everyone has an idea of who we should be.
But deep down, most of us already know what matters. We know the kind of life we want. We know which relationships matter most. And we know about the dreams we set aside years ago — the ones still tucked away in the back corners of our minds.
The hard part is trusting ourselves enough to follow those dreams.
That point was driven home to me recently at Vertex League Live in South Carolina. It was one of those legal events that leaves you energized — a few days spent learning, connecting, and keeping up with the ever-changing world of estate planning and elder law.
Somewhere during the conference, Steve Jobs’ powerful “crazy ones” quote came up.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. . . ”
The quote goes on to celebrate people who challenge the usual way of doing things — people who are “crazy enough to think they can change the world.”
What I love about that quote is that it isn’t really about fame or genius. It’s about courage.
The courage to be different, to create something.
Most meaningful change in life starts with someone willing to step outside the expected path.
A few years after Steve Jobs passed away, I was watching the movie La La Land. Near the end of the film, the main character gets one final audition — one last chance to pursue the dream she almost gave up on. During that scene, she sings The Fools Who Dream.
When I heard it, Jobs’ “crazy ones” quote popped into my mind, because this scene captures the idea beautifully — the dreamers, the risk takers, the people willing to chase something uncertain because something inside them says they must.
If you’ve never seen it, it’s worth a couple minutes: La La Land – The Fools Who Dream
Here’s to the ones who dream,
Foolish as they may seem,
Here’s to the hearts that ache,
Here’s to the mess we make.
When we look back, life moves faster than we think.
And in the end, the people who leave the deepest mark are rarely the ones who played it safe. More often, they are the ones who listened to that inner voice and chose to follow that voice despite the noise coming from inside and outside.
Because sometimes the “crazy ones” are simply the people willing to become who they were meant to be.
Some change the world in big ways that millions can see. Others change it in deeply personal ways through how they live, create, love, or show up for the people around them.
No matter how we leave our mark, the real challenge is the same: to move through life without becoming strangers to ourselves along the way.
Maybe that’s why these words from La La Land feel so true:
A bit of madness is key,
To give us new colors to see,
Who knows where it will lead us?
And that’s why they need us.
Haven’t watched it yet? Click here to watch La La Land – The Fools Who Dream
