“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” This was the slogan for Apple’s US$90-million ‘Think Different’ commercial and global advertising campaign, which debuted on September 28, 1997 featuring stark black-and-white photographs of non-conformist thinkers such as Bob Dylan; Martin Luther King, Jr; Sir Richard Branson; and John Lennon. It was iconic. It was also transitional, as the company did two things to build consumer confidence:

(1) brought back Steve Jobs as CEO after asking him to resign 10 years prior; and

(2) reduced product line of Apple products from 14 to four.

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple the company was uncompetitive, making massive fiscal losses, and worth approximately US$2.3 billion. It was alleged Apple was 90 days away from declaring bankruptcy as their major competitors, HP and Dell, were riding high with approximate market capitalisation worth about US$62 billion and US$8 billion, respectively.

As at March 15, 2021, Apple’s market capitalisation is US$2.08 trillion.

How did the company turn around and change the game in the music, film, and television industries with the iPod and iTunes while redefining the mobile phone industry with the iPhone? By making daring choices. Or, as Steve Jobs puts it, by “staying hungry and staying foolish”. He did not give up, conform, or spend his time blaming the company’s years of bad decision-making while he was not directly involved. Instead, he transitioned the world to adapt to Apple.

Overnight success takes years

Life happens fast. Faster these days than when I was young. What’s more, the world is not waiting on anyone to make up his/her mind to change; before you know it everything will pass you by.

The average person today will change careers five to seven times during his/her working years. Some 18- to 24-year-olds change jobs nearly six times during this six year period, and 91 per cent of millennials will change jobs almost every three years.

But while change is constant, there are some things that do not change, and those things are the responsibilities that come with growing up and transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. For many young people, trying to navigate this journey seems like the end of the world, especially if there is not a clear pathway or guide to help along the way. All of us have been there — those early periods in school when it feels like your heart is broken and you have no idea if it will ever come back together. They are the intense, emotionally tiring, and perpetually draining thoughts that keep you awake every night.

Invariably, what I found in those moments was they were not insurmountable. One could always get over them if they didn’t persistently blame the problem itself, but rather force themselves to ‘think differently’ about how to solve it, ever mindful that emotions don’t solve anything, it is having a plan that does.

10 lessons for the transitioning youth

1) Going to school is not only about passing exams or getting an academic degree. It’s also about making connections and friendships, while learning to have relationships knowing that, once in a while, your heart will get broken in the midst of some flirtations along the way.

2) Balancing time, budgets, responsibilities, schoolwork, and friends are difficult in the beginning and takes practice, but these essential requirements for matriculation into adulthood.

3) Choosing how to use factual data to hurdle difficult emotional experiences and navigate harsh opinions while staying on top of your studies or work will be your mainstay for maintaining peace of mind and focus. It will also prevent you from making reactive stupid decisions.

4) Spend time learning the difference between being obsessive and learning to let go of things that are toxic to your maturity and long-term aspirational goals. Then have the courage to act accordingly.

5) Allow yourself some free time to have fun. It is more than OK to feel happy and good about yourself even if it’s by yourself.

6) Ensure you consistently know and understand who you are becoming; accepting those things you love and changing the things that will not positively influence others.

7) Study hard and achieve excellence to meet your goals in life fully aware that you are competing against the world and not only your peers; and it’s a huge world out there.

8) Be patient with yourself. You are going to make mistakes, but those mistakes don’t need to be repeated over and over. Therefore, listen more, it will lead to your learning and liberation over futile habitual actions.

9) Be greedy in your self-discipline and compliant when your body tells you to rest.

10) Read avidly and diversely. This will help to define your world view and how you would like to add value to your family, your friends, your community and your world.

The courage to think differently does not come overnight; it takes time and comes with experiencing adversity, baptisms of fire, and loss. Real self-growth begins in moments when one consciously breaks the fragile protective shell of their own understanding, laying it bare in the midst of facing a fearful internal or external confrontation. Someone will get caught in an unending emotional downward spiral if during difficult moments they constantly beat up on themselves to ask: ‘Why me?’; ‘How come?’; or, worst, “Poor me, I’m so dumb.” When this happens they will not grasp the lessons and broaden their horizons.

Therefore, as a young person, you should never see these ‘breaks in your life’s transmission’ as the end of your world as you know it; rather, experience them as opportunities for your own maturity. Remember there will always be forces that may come to judge your intentions, but there are always more powerful forces that will come to give you strength and encouragement. Seek and search for the latter always.

Lastly, seize every single day and live it, taste it, experience it with passion, without fear for newer and richer experiences. Be awakened that you always have choice and you will succeed only if you dare to try. You owe that much to yourself to say: “I tried and gave it my best shot.”

So, “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” (Apple Inc 1997)

Here’s to Jamaica’s future generation of power.

Lisa Hanna is Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern, People’s National Party spokesperson on foreign affairs and foreign trade, and a former Cabinet member.