The North Star has always been the same, which for us, is about making insanely great products that really change the world in some way - enrich people's lives.
Tim CookRead
Work takes on new meaning when you feel you are pointed in the right direction. Otherwise, it's just a job, and life is too short for that.
Interpretation
Finding purpose in your work transforms it from a mere job into a meaningful pursuit.
This quote by Tim Cook emphasizes the importance of having a sense of direction and purpose in your work. When you feel aligned with your values and goals, work becomes more fulfilling, whereas without that direction, it can feel empty and like just a means to an end. Life is too short to spend it on activities that don't resonate with your deeper aspirations.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a corporate event, you could emphasize the importance of finding purpose in work using this quote.
The North Star has always been the same, which for us, is about making insanely great products that really change the world in some way - enrich people's lives.
There have been people that suggest that we should have a back door. But the reality is if you put a back door in, that back door's for everybody - for good guys and bad guys.
I don't subscribe to the view some people have in the industry that you should purposefully design products that do not last that long. I don't think it is good for anyone.
When technological advancement can go up so exponentially, I do think there's a risk of losing sight of the fact that tech should serve humanity, not the other way around.
That has always been the objective of Apple: to do things that really enrich people's lives. That you look back on and you wonder, 'How did I live without this?'
I think each person, if you're a CEO, the most important thing is to have - to me, is to pick people around you that aren't like you, that complement you. Because you want to build a puzzle; you don't want to stack Chiclets up and have everyone be the same. And so I believe in diversity with a capital D.
There is always someone better than you. Whatever it is that you do for a living, chances are, you will run into a situation in which you are not as talented as the person next to you. That's when being a competitor can make a difference in your fortunes.
The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That's what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they'll go through the pain no matter what happens.
Fortune favours the audacious.
Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley.
There will always be somebody more successful, more beautiful, more talented. You have to realize, you're not running their race. You're running your race.
It's only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you're not expressing the utmost of your human experience.
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