Steve Jobs and the 7 Rules of Success
1. Do what you love. Jobs once said, “People with passion can change the world for the better.” Asked about the advice he would offer would-be entrepreneurs, he said, “I’d get a job as a busboy or something until I figured out what I was really passionate about.” That’s how much it meant to him. Passion is everything.
See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas.
“Ich Bin Ein Berliner” episode on Pan Am. and my lifelong mantra.
sobriety requires cutting back and moving forward.
Amidst an unremarkable job hunt and a discouraging self-score on a GRE practice test, I searched for editorial encouragement in my past writings, my pieces submitted as final projects in college. The ones covered in positive comments from my professors and stamped with the first letter of the alphabet on the last page of the draft.
And either teachers are taught how to lie through their teeth or they’re just naturally the nicest people on the planet, because I just reread my final article for my media writing workshop—all twenty pages of it—and it’s a load of crap. My eyes hurt from reading over so many cliche phrases (and rolling in reaction to them too), my ears sting from listening to an all-too-familiar “holier-than-thou” tone, my jaw hurts from dropping every time I thought I knew how to properly use an em dash. I can’t believe I thought I was ready back then…and I can’t believe how far I haven’t come since I proudly turned in that paper.
The way I read Ernest Hemingway’s words “Write drunk; edit sober” is both literally and metaphorically: spill absolutely everything you have in you on the page as if you’re completely wasted in a bar and talking your friend’s ear off with deep-rooted confessions and threads of your imagination. Then, after stepping away from it with a good night’s rest, a nutritious meal and a strong swallow of electrolytes, come back and edit with fresh eyes, usually accompanied with a heart of regret from revealing so much and shoulders that feel lighter because, against your normal judgment and due to your inebriated state of mind, you did so.
And I feel as if I’ve been drunk for so many years now, telling everyone I know about how I want to be a writer and tell the stories of those who cannot share them themselves. But I haven’t even been able to tell mine properly; I know how to spot AP style mistakes and I can edit essays with ease, but it’s the actual act of coming back to a piece for a second that’s my trouble. The decision to reinvest time and effort into my own piece of unfinished work is the brick wall I could not—or cannot—break past.
Because to do so might take more work than I’m ready for, more time than I anticipated, more money than I’ll ever see in a lifetime, with no guarantee that the end result is worth national publication or any kind of paycheck. Is it worth it, then? Is it worth the endless loan payments and the possibility of joining the 99%?
I don’t know, I won’t know until it’s over if it was worth it, but it’s up to me to get there and make it so, instead of letting fear and laziness stop me from trying. Here’s to hoping that it all works out in the end, whether on a masthead, in a cubicle or in front of a classroom…as long as I’m not indefinitely on the fence.
And as for that article, it’s a load of crap because its ending is inauthentic, sloppily slapped together minutes before its deadline. I’ll write up the rest of it once I’m done playing out this plot line; I guess it isn’t over just yet.
career karma: can you change your fate?
rank the following by level of satisfaction:
a) reaching goals completely on your own.
b) reaching goals with the help of others.
c) watching others reach their goals, with your help.
tangent, but actually completely related to this topic: the one thing I like about watching sports is how the players restrict the competition to the field: they work hard to win until the buzzer hits, and then they sincerely shake hands and congratulate the other for their respectable efforts. they are on opposing teams who fight side-by-side to achieve the same goal, but they are not enemies. no one takes it personally or brings it beyond the boundaries of the game.
that’s how it should be in the real world, in the rat race, in the ring we’re all thrown into after graduation. sure, we’re each other’s competition for the same stock of jobs, but wouldn’t we have more success stories circulating among us if we just stopped looking down at our own career plans for a moment and helped each other out? how many times have you asked for help only to find yourself still lost and rejected? better yet, how many times have you asked for help, received it, and then refused to help someone else—behind you, next to you or ahead of you?
career karma is real, people, and it’s called networking. so pay it forward not solely so you can get some back someday, but because it’s the right thing to do; it feels good, it’s beyond yourself, it’s what you wish someone had done for you. besides, a little bit of potential hiring help from the universe in the future is an offer that even the most egotistical of overachievers can’t refuse.
btw, i ranked until recently. now, a=b=c.
the most passionate love affair of my life.
i love you. i mean it, i really do. and i want to be with you forever.
i never imagined that i would meet my true love so early in life. so many have tried to get to know you, to own you and truly call you their own; i never thought that such could ever be me. who was i but an admirer from afar?
we are so similar, you and me. we’re both stubborn, we won’t come out of our shell to let others get to know us unless we’re absolutely ready, we’re completely overwhelming and destructive when in the wrong hands. we’re troublesome, frustrating to deal with and often misunderstood, mostly because we pride ourselves on our deliberate incomprehensibility. yet when we are solved by kind eyes and open minds, we can be so inspiring and collaborative, and truly do great things. we can. we will.
despite the parallels, there still remains this innate curiosity that, when pacified, still leaves me completely mesmerized, stunned by your uncontainable beauty and power and truth. and no matter how hard i always tried to deny it, you just kept creeping back into my life with persistence and potential - could it be? could you be the one who actually pursued me?
either way, you stayed, changing me for the better in ways that i never imagined possible. you see, it was you who helped me realize who i am, who gave me an outlet for personal expression and artistic experiments and emotional breakdowns that other lovers had categorized as the root of my ruin. it was you who helped me make sense of this world and somehow find a place in it too. i don’t know what i would’ve done without you.
but now it’s my turn to cultivate you, to take care of you and invest in your potential, and against all odds and discouraging whispers – most passionate relationships don’t last very long, after all – i won’t let you down. i won’t waste this: all you’ve done for me, all we’ve achieved together so far, all the good that we really can accomplish in the future. we can. we will.
people ask me what love is, and they spend their entire lives looking for it. and some never discover that passion for themselves – the kind that they always hear about and see in the movies. i’m so lucky that you found me, and now that i have the confidence to truly call you mine, i’m never going to let you go. because to me, being completely yours for the rest of my life, without tangent or distraction, is the only thing that makes absolutely perfect sense.
What I’ve learned is simple: if you nurture it, it will expand, and it will nurture you in return. I have also learned that it is a kind of salvation. Sometimes it’s more than enough and sometimes it’s not enough—by that I mean one’s own creativity. If you can truly tap in to the creative process, you know it’s there all the time, and then you probably don’t need saving.
KIM ADDONIZIO, writer.
i find myself wanting to screen cap too many scenes while streaming episodes of mad men. too many good quotes, too many gorgeous outfits, too much jon hamm.
…haha, as if there were such a thing.
a few weeks ago, i received a phone call. “944 is closed,” my editor said.
i sat there in shock. the seminational luxury publication - and the magazine that thankfully started my editorial career - would soon to cease to exist. despite the economy’s struggles and the industry’s tendency to fold, i never thought the day would come when those black metal mag stands would stand empty for good.
944, thank you so much for everything…and i mean everything. because of you, i was forced to learn the neighborhoods and freeways of San Diego when delivering hundreds of magazines to clients all over the city, and only managed to get one parking ticket. i’ve lost my car in the Horton Plaza parking lot - while in a tight skirt and high heels - and stuffed more gift bags than i’ll ever care to collect for the rest of my life. i’ve repeatedly emptied my wallet at coffee shops and parking meters, skipped class to set up for nightlife events and gained weight from all those McDonald’s meals i bought when running late to and from the office. thank you so much.
hey, i’m not done thanking you yet. thanks to you, i’ve shared the stories of inspiring entrepreneurs, and had the pleasure of working with an amazing team of talent, especially the editor and publisher. i’ve seen the looks on the faces of fashion designers, musicians and restaurateurs when they see pictures and paragraphs promoting their businesses in print. i’ve open the covers to find my very first print magazine byline and now, a ten-page feature…and my face! thank you, 944, so much for everything. though only in print for almost ten years of good times, your gifts and positive impact will stay with me forever.
celebrate the end of a roller coaster ride by flipping through the last issue online! and thank you to everyone who supported the magazine.
“I’m constantly pushed up against the wall of what I’m capable of doing, and that can be an excruciating place to confront yourself. But I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that work gives you a good feeling about yourself. My work has seen me through a lot of situations, and if not for work, I could have stayed stuck in the experience. I’ve had something outside of myself to attend to, and it’s carried me through.”
- Michelle Williams, Marie Claire February 2011
this is dedicated to all the twenty-somethings who slaved to build their GPAs, barked at customers while working part-time jobs, and now anticipate walking the plank graduation ceremonies sometime soon.
i’m so. ridiculously. excited.
…excuse me ma’am, where do you think you’re going?
everything in america is about “direction”: aggressively climbing up the social ladder, moving into the posh penthouse, growing paychecks to buy more things at inflated prices and turning up the settings on tanning beds to get the top-notch, hollywood sun kiss from head to toe. explorers and immigrants left one place with every intention to move to another, some of them bringing nothing with them - they left all their personal baggage and cultural ideologies to get a taste of the melting pot that they heard was so delicious.
sometimes, we all just look like we’re just running around with our heads cut off, with our expanding pant sizes and our extensive debt collection, our oversized designer purses that carry our shrinking wallets. some of us have no idea where we’re going because we invested in misprinted maps and cracked compasses; we’re too busy refreshing our news feeds to see where to go next and who is whining most about how lost we are.
and then there are other countries who idealize a cyclical motion, a mainstream routine. putting down the pendulum and prizing predictability over spontaneous excitement. where the best place to live in is the one you share with your parents, grandparents, cousins and children; where doing the same thing every single day for the rest of your life is not only a good thing - it’s a goal.
what do you want out of this life?
where do you want to go, who do you want to be?
does it even matter, relative to the rest of the world?
it seems that maybe contentment comes easier in places where prices aren’t the only place markers of a society.
i haven’t been bitten by the travel bug - my lack of time and money acts as a permanent repellent to the species. but as i come to the end of my spear here in college, i’m terrified that everything i’ve been aiming for will turn up as an empty target. and maybe all the people i ever criticized for studying abroad or traveling post-grad to teach english in foreign countries are much more sensible than me after all. they are upon return, that’s for sure.
really though,
i’ve been putting off sending out my writing samples, resumes and cover letters.
i’m so terrified of what those powerful strangers across the country will think of me.
on paper.
(…onscreen? let’s be real, applications are digital now, thank goodness!)
![Against All Odds: An SD Couple Triumphs Over Grave Matters of the Heart
Heart disease. It’s the single largest killer of women in the world, taking more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined — including breast cancer. Leslie Giesemann knows this grim reality well. She was diagnosed with heart disease and underwent surgery at only age 24. Against all odds, she is not only alive, but also a trauma care surgeon, a wife to husband Michael Giesemann and a mother. In partnership with the American Heart Association and the Go Red for Women movement this month, 944 shares her touching story in celebration of our Wedding Issue.944: How did you know you had heart disease?LESLIE GIESEMANN: I had just finished learning about the heart in medical school. I got up one morning with crushing chest pain. The doctor said it was probably just indigestion! I had to convince him for 45 minutes to finally do electrocardiography — my arteries were occluded and I later had bypass surgery.944: Meeting Leslie years after the surgery, how did you react to her medical history?MICHAEL GIESEMANN: I gained a new respect for her. I’ll never know it to the extent that she’s lived it, and I’ll never grow tired of hearing the story. She’s now talking to other young adults. One high school girl who has [heart disease] was asking her mom, “Will I be able to get married and have kids?” And I’m thinking, “Yes!”944: How did having your surgery at a young age affect you and your relationships?LG: I thought that as a young woman, this sucks to have this huge scar. But after surgery, this old man who had cardiac surgery told me, “Don’t worry; any man who loves you will love your scar.” It’s a big part of you that you have to share early on with someone, and my husband never made a big deal out of it — it’s refreshing to find someone who really loves you for you.944: Did you ever have doubts about starting a family together?MG: Our cardiologist seemed so nervous that Leslie had open heart surgery and was now pregnant. One of the first things he said left both our mouths gaping: “Have you discussed termination?” We didn’t think that was a necessary option, and now we have our son, Benjamin.944: How can couples help each other with health issues?LG: Michael listens to me. I’ve heard stories where women have chest pains and men say, “You’re just complaining, you’re fine.” From a woman’s perspective, if your significant other listens and respects your feelings with encouragement and belief — whether emotional or regarding health — that’s a huge thing. That’s the reason I got involved in the Go Red campaign, because of the reaction I first got. People look at someone and they’re thinking, “You don’t look like you have heart disease, so why should I give you credit for what you’re telling me?” We women are always being told that we’re being frivolous, we’re not showing classic symptoms, we’re just complaining. And I could have died, but I didn’t.MG: Respect it and believe it — she’s gonna know how she feels. Be supportive. Find the bond between you and your wife and don’t discount it just because she has a heart disease. I was an avid hiker and mountain climber — that’s not something Leslie can do, but she loves the outdoors for photography. We both respect nature in different ways, with different intensities. I never think of anything as sacrificing for her — I wouldn’t have married her if I didn’t want to be doing what I’m doing. Just being able to spend some time with her is fine, so still encourage the interests you share. Still participate in life.Show your support of the fight against heart disease on National Wear Red Day on February 4, and check out goredforwomen.org.
—-
finally writing full-page profiles that feature stories like those of the Giesemann’s: interviewing them side by side, along with an appearance by their son, Benjamin, was like watching true love sit on couches in Solana Beach. thumb through 944’s first wedding issue online, full of progressive, unconventional editorial unlike any other wedding magazine. here are a few links of things i’ve been working on instead of blogging these days:
944 MagazinePoint of View: Zooming In on Wedding Photographer Tim KingWhat’s New: Couture Events
College CandySpring Break Prep 101 - Know Before You Go!
…again, i’m so sorry i haven’t been tumbling, will be back soon! and i just recruited two friends to build me an online portfolio, so i can stop posting entire pieces on tumblr and can direct potential employers to an actual domain. yesssss.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg41omRU8f1qzj67ho1_r1_1280.jpg)
Against All Odds: An SD Couple Triumphs Over Grave Matters of the Heart
Heart disease. It’s the single largest killer of women in the world, taking more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined — including breast cancer. Leslie Giesemann knows this grim reality well. She was diagnosed with heart disease and underwent surgery at only age 24. Against all odds, she is not only alive, but also a trauma care surgeon, a wife to husband Michael Giesemann and a mother. In partnership with the American Heart Association and the Go Red for Women movement this month, 944 shares her touching story in celebration of our Wedding Issue.
944: How did you know you had heart disease?
LESLIE GIESEMANN: I had just finished learning about the heart in medical school. I got up one morning with crushing chest pain. The doctor said it was probably just indigestion! I had to convince him for 45 minutes to finally do electrocardiography — my arteries were occluded and I later had bypass surgery.
944: Meeting Leslie years after the surgery, how did you react to her medical history?
MICHAEL GIESEMANN: I gained a new respect for her. I’ll never know it to the extent that she’s lived it, and I’ll never grow tired of hearing the story. She’s now talking to other young adults. One high school girl who has [heart disease] was asking her mom, “Will I be able to get married and have kids?” And I’m thinking, “Yes!”
944: How did having your surgery at a young age affect you and your relationships?
LG: I thought that as a young woman, this sucks to have this huge scar. But after surgery, this old man who had cardiac surgery told me, “Don’t worry; any man who loves you will love your scar.” It’s a big part of you that you have to share early on with someone, and my husband never made a big deal out of it — it’s refreshing to find someone who really loves you for you.
944: Did you ever have doubts about starting a family together?
MG: Our cardiologist seemed so nervous that Leslie had open heart surgery and was now pregnant. One of the first things he said left both our mouths gaping: “Have you discussed termination?” We didn’t think that was a necessary option, and now we have our son, Benjamin.
944: How can couples help each other with health issues?
LG: Michael listens to me. I’ve heard stories where women have chest pains and men say, “You’re just complaining, you’re fine.” From a woman’s perspective, if your significant other listens and respects your feelings with encouragement and belief — whether emotional or regarding health — that’s a huge thing. That’s the reason I got involved in the Go Red campaign, because of the reaction I first got. People look at someone and they’re thinking, “You don’t look like you have heart disease, so why should I give you credit for what you’re telling me?” We women are always being told that we’re being frivolous, we’re not showing classic symptoms, we’re just complaining. And I could have died, but I didn’t.
MG: Respect it and believe it — she’s gonna know how she feels. Be supportive. Find the bond between you and your wife and don’t discount it just because she has a heart disease. I was an avid hiker and mountain climber — that’s not something Leslie can do, but she loves the outdoors for photography. We both respect nature in different ways, with different intensities. I never think of anything as sacrificing for her — I wouldn’t have married her if I didn’t want to be doing what I’m doing. Just being able to spend some time with her is fine, so still encourage the interests you share. Still participate in life.
Show your support of the fight against heart disease on National Wear Red Day on February 4, and check out goredforwomen.org.
—-
finally writing full-page profiles that feature stories like those of the Giesemann’s: interviewing them side by side, along with an appearance by their son, Benjamin, was like watching true love sit on couches in Solana Beach. thumb through 944’s first wedding issue online, full of progressive, unconventional editorial unlike any other wedding magazine. here are a few links of things i’ve been working on instead of blogging these days:
944 Magazine
Point of View: Zooming In on Wedding Photographer Tim King
What’s New: Couture Events
College Candy
Spring Break Prep 101 - Know Before You Go!
…again, i’m so sorry i haven’t been tumbling, will be back soon! and i just recruited two friends to build me an online portfolio, so i can stop posting entire pieces on tumblr and can direct potential employers to an actual domain. yesssss.
a creative writer typing from LA & SD.
