iCan. iWill.

As the news of Steve Jobs' death became widespread recently, so did the reflection and subsequent comments about the impact he had on people’s lives.
Jobs changed this world as much as anybody I could think of. His products have impacted so many lives and become so prevalent in our world. It is almost mind boggling to think about how monumental his impact was.
And it made me wonder why can’t we all do that?
We’re all not going create something like the iPhone, the iPad or the iPod. His creativity, his search for something new, his knowledge and understanding of technology and his business savvy all led to his success and makes it hard for any and everybody to match the kind of success or impact he had.
But can’t we try?
Wouldn’t it be great if when any of us pass away, the world can look back on our lives and chronicle the amazing impact we each had, how we shaped and improved mankind or how we made life better for the people around us?
It is a lofty goal but one that can be achieved. A little creativity, some desire to do good, some forward thinking and a yearning for positive change can make a difference.
The problem with much of this world these days is that nobody wants to make a difference. People might want to do what is best for them. We’re very much a me-first society. Our politicians, our athletes the people in power around us are often more concerned with their own existences and protecting their own assets than doing what is best for everyone.
There's too much focus on blaming people for why things don’t happen then trying to make things happen. My belief has always been, if you don’t like life, change it. If you're unhappy, find ways to be happy. If the world around you needs help, help it. It is easier said than done. But it can still be done.
We can all do that. Sometimes it just takes little steps or small actions that can do it. But it is often too easy to do nothing.
There’s a Simpson’s episode in which Lisa is convinced she’s losing her smarts and that she’ll become more like her father or brother, who sit around and watch shows calls “When Buildings Collapse” or “Real Life Surgery Mistakes”. She subsequently discovers that while the males in her family like to sport cooking pots on their head and ram into each other head-first, the women have become doctors and business women who have done something with their lives.
In this day and age it is so easy to fall into that lowest common denominator, where minds become numb from the brainwashing of popular culture. Everyone follows everyone else because that’s what people do. People go along to get along and nothing really changes.
People like Steve Jobs don’t settle for the norm. They look at the world, use their knowledge and see what can come of it. Sure, he made millions. But he also made a difference. It doesn’t take inventive products. It takes creativity and a want to do something different. It takes us looking and finding ways we can change things and have an impact.
The Steve Jobs of the world can change things in the large scale but it can be all our jobs to make a difference in whatever we can.
Jobs legacy shouldn’t be just in words like iPod, iPad or iTunes. It should be iCan and iWill.