Steve Jobs and Sylvia Winter on Life Unfolding
The yearning for an orderly life, pursued in stages and unfolding in a progression of well-plotted educational milestones and professional achievements dies hard. Before our identity is clear, before we're even half formed, we want to know where we are going; who we will be.
To reassure colleagues and clients that a disorderly life (or at least a non-linear life) is not a terrible fate, I often recommend Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford commencement speech, in which he told three short stories to illuminate life as an often mysterious collection of experiences that, seemingly random in their unfolding, acquire the connective tissue of a coherent life when seen through the wisdom of time and distance.
Now I recommend Sylvia Winter’s most recent When Women Fly podcast, Learning to Love the Turbulence, to provide more evidence that the experiences we accumulate for their own sake (to explore passions, learn new skills, investigate curiosities, test out capacities) are essential to the crafting of a meaningful life.
In this episode Sylvia introduces us to Amelia Rose Earhart, a pilot and relative by spirit not biology, of the Amelia Earhart who vanished in 1937, somewhere over the Pacific on a quest to circle the globe. I give away nothing of the excitement of this podcast by stating that Winter showcases the 21st century Amelia to be as complex, interesting, and daring; possibly more self-aware, than 20th century Amelia. 21st Century Amelia Rose’s story might make a parent shudder; but it just might inspire the NEXT Amelia (or Abel) to launch adventures of their own.
That said, what I love about this podcast is that Sylvia does more than showcase her guests. She shows how to listen for the quiet threads of each person’s story—even as the so-called BIG story unfolds. She gives guests time to develop a full narrative, showing the value of the patient listener as a true ingredient of effective story-telling.
The HCS website is emblematic of a family whose culture embraces learning and discovery. In addition to being a library of education resources, it's a platform on which to highlight the good work and adventures of the multi-talented and diverse HCS family.
In the coming months we’ll feature experiences and stories that embody the learning ethic of a family that includes five generations of learners. Let me know if you have—or know about—a learning story that highlights the strengths and possibilities of the family—and/or offers tools to nurture readiness for the future. In the meantime, subscribe to When Women Fly podcast, to hear inspiring stories of people living anything BUT a linear life.
