Steve Jobs VS. Eckhart Tolle

Dear friends,

It's another rainy day in Columbia Heights. So I have used the weather as an excuse to stay inside (all day!) and soak-up inspiration. I have spent most of the day watching movies about Steve Jobs (creator of Apple Inc.) on Netflix, and watching clips of Eckhart Tolle (author of The Power of Now) on YouTube.

I also did two loads of laundry and made a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch (learn from my mistake, friends, and only use one slice of American cheese on your grilled cheese, as two slices makes it overwhelmingly and un-enjoyably cheesy).

But back to the lessons from Jobs and Tolle. These are two very different men, with polar opposite life philosophies. And I don't know which philosophy I should follow at this point in my life.

If I've learned anything from Steve Jobs, it's that anything is possible and that everything around me was built by people who are no smarter than me. The Jobs philosophy is to be single-mindedly determined to create and innovate. Make something that has never been made before! Create an entirely new way of doing something! Think different. And never give-up. The man never gave-up. Not even when he was fired from the very company that he created.

You don't need me to tell you why and how Steve Jobs changed the world. Watch the movie JOBS, starring Ashton Kutcher. It's currently streaming on Netflix. If you don't know a lot about Jobs or the history of Apple Inc., it's a great introduction to this man and his impact on the world. Or watch the commencement speech that Jobs gave to the 2005 graduating class at Stanford University. No, really, watch it right now! (The irony, of course, is that, if you're reading my blog on an iPhone or iPad, you can't watch this YouTube video, something about Flash or something. So go home and read my blog on your laptop. And watch this video.)

My favorite quote from this speech is, "...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."

Jobs ends the speech by telling the graduates, "Stay hungry. Stay foolish."

Inspiring. Beautiful. Life-affirming. It's like Steve Jobs, himself, has personally granted me permission to quit my job, say good-bye to the office life once and for all, and charge forward with my dreams of writing and performing. My family may disapprove of my current life choices, but Steve Jobs approves, 100%!

That's one philosophy. One idea of what one should do with the life they are given. Then there is another, opposite philosophy.

Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and the author of The Power of Now and A New Earth. Tolle believes that we can be completely free of suffering by simply living in the present moment and completely accepting reality as it is. In his books, Tolle tells us to be conscious of the present moment, to be aware of our feelings and emotions, but to not be overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions. He says that we are not our thoughts and we are not our emotions. We are simply the eternal consciousness that is aware of the thoughts an emotions.

Tolle believes that the ego is the source of all suffering. The ego has certain expectations. The ego wants this or the ego wants that. But the ego is never at peace with what is. The ego is either looking to past for resentment or looking to the future for salvation. But the ego is never at peace with the present moment. So, by being completely present and conscious and focused on the now, we can diminish our ego, and therefore, diminish our suffering.

I will let Eckhart speak for himself. Below is a 10-minute YouTube video entitled "Eckhart Tolle TV: How can I find work that will give me joy."

If you're unable to watch this clip, Tolle is answering an audience question about working a mundane office job, and how can someone find a job that they truly enjoy. While Steve Jobs would tell the audience member to find their passion and only do what they love, Eckhart Tolle tells the person that they need to be completely accepting of the present moment and what is. He tells the audience member to be more conscious with every task and every phone call, and to take deep breaths that bring him back to the present moment. He says, "Your work is an excuse for practising presence."

But he's not telling the audience member to give up on the idea of ever being happy at work. Tolle concludes with, "Change comes into your life when you align with the present moment, instead of trying to get away from it."

Steve Jobs and Eckhart Tolle. Two very brilliant, but very different men. Who's advice should I take? Should I stay hungry and foolish, like Jobs tells me to? Or should I be still, be quiet, and surrender to the present moment, like Tolle tells me to?

To be perfectly frank, I am neither Steve Jobs nor Eckhart Tolle. I will never have the ambition of Steve Jobs. And I will never have the spiritual clarity of Eckhart Tolle. But maybe I can have a little bit of both. I would like to follow my dreams, like Jobs recommends, and be a successful writer. But I also want to live in the present moment and appreciate the stillness and silence that Tolle advices.

I am not Steve Jobs nor Eckhart Tolle. I am Leila Hernandez. And I would like to write amusing and entertaining stories. And I would also like a peaceful life with blessed moments of stillness, silence, and beautiful consciousness. That's not asking for too much. Is it?

Peace and love to all of you,

~Leila

P.S. When it's cold and rainy outside, why not stay inside, cuddled up under a blanket, and binge-watch all 10 episodes of the Sherman House Webisodes at www.shwebisodes.com?