Steve Jobs, the multimillionaire who founded Apple Inc., has experienced hardships in his life that inspire the common man. 

This Sunday, he gave a speech at Standford University, sharing three stories, all of which detail things all people will likely go through in their lives. In his own words, these stories were about connecting the dots, love and loss, and death.  

Jobs had dropped out of college in the first 6 months of enrollment, explaining that he could finally stop attending required classes he didn’t find interesting, and drop in on the ones he found more intriguing.  

Scraping for every cent he could find by returning Coke bottles, he was able to buy food and stay on the floor of friends dorm rooms while he continued to drop in on classes.  

In his speech, he stated “I loved it. And so much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.” He then goes on to explain how the calligraphy classes he would never been able to take if he hadn’t dropped out went on to be crucial in the design of the Macintosh’s typography.  

This supports the belief that everything happens for a reason. By making the decision some would consider to be irrational, and dropping out of college, he was able to ensure the Macintosh was the first personal computer in the world to have beautiful typography.  

Continuing in his speech, Jobs then explains his battles with love and loss he has faced in his life.  Starting his company in his parent’s garage with his friend and partner, “Woz”, it took him 10 years to turn his company into a $2 billion company. 

Stephen Wozniak, 55, is an engineer that worked with Jobs to help found Apple Inc. His work and insight was crucial in turning the company into what it is today.  

As the company grew, however, Jobs began to grow out of it. He explains how at the age of 30, he was out of the company, being fired by John Sculley.  

Having sold more than 50 percent of the company, he was at the mercy of his stockholders, and was fired. “What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone. And it was devastating.” 

Although he was devastated, he never gave up on his goals. He spoke about how being fired freed him, giving him the ability to engage in the most creative period of his life, putting him into a work fever. This again comes back to the “everything happens for a reason” mentality.   

The final story Jobs shared with the people was one about death, and how close he came to it when he was diagnosed with cancer a year ago.  

Being told the cancer was incurable and he was destined to die. Although this proved to be false, he was inevitably shaken, but given a new perspective on life. He stated “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” 

Steve Jobs taught us all during this speech the importance of life, and how everything happens for a reason. In the years to come, we will surely see the fruits of his labor in his company, and because of his hard work.