I’ve always been a big fan of Steve Jobs (I can almost hear you saying, “Me too!” 😊). He was a visionary, a thought leader, and an inspiration to so many. The inventor of the iPhone and a master of crafting the best product experiences, he left a mark on the world like no other. When it comes to Apple products, I’ve owned most of them—five MacBook Pros/Airs, two iPads, ten iPhones, two Magic Mice, and two Apple TVs.
Back in 2010, while experimenting with GoGuroo—a social network aimed at connecting rural students with professionals—I included Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech in my workshop called “Meet Your Nostradamus.” His quotes, like “Connecting the Dots” and “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish,” resonated deeply with me. One particular story from that speech stood out—his journey to the Himalayas. At the time, I couldn’t fully grasp why an American like Steve Jobs would come to India in search of something. What did he find in the Himalayas? What was spiritual about it?
Fast forward to 2020—amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, we were all confined to our homes, staring at each other. Thankfully, the internet and fiber networks allowed us to work from home, but I felt a subtle restlessness. What am I really doing? Then, one morning, it happened. A WhatsApp video popped up—someone named Dandapani, with his head completely shaved and wearing thiruneer (holy ash), was talking about concentration. It was such a simple yet profound message: we tell our kids to “concentrate,” but we never teach them how to concentrate.
Intrigued by his insights, I dug deeper and found out that Dandapani was a disciple of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, affectionately known as Gurudeva (you can learn more about him here: Gurudeva’s Legacy).
One of Gurudeva’s teachings hit me like a lightning bolt. He explained why people struggle to maintain consistency in their spiritual practices. I realized I had dabbled in several paths—Art of Living, Sudarshan Kriya, Utkarsh Meditation, and even tried Isha Yoga for a while—but I couldn’t stick to any of them.
The key lesson I learned from Gurudeva was this: Unless you clear the backlog of your subconscious mind and address past mistakes, your mind will not allow you to concentrate or sit still. That insight changed everything for me. I started rigorously following Gurudeva’s teachings, listening to his voice recordings, and reading many of his books from the Himalayan Academy. After six months of practice, I came to a surprising realization—Gurudeva had left his physical body in 2001. His influence on me was so profound that I even started reading articles like “How to Become a Monk.”
So, what’s the common thread between Steve Jobs and me? It’s spirituality. It’s the habit of searching for the purpose of life and the answer to the question, Who am I?
Now, what’s the common thread between you (my dear reader) and Steve Jobs? The answer is the same. It’s all about connecting the dots.
