Three stories. Three key messages. That’s what Steve Jobs, the founder and CEO of Apple, had to give to the graduating class of Stanford 2005 in his memorable and inspirational commencement speech. One of the most popular and motivating commencement speeches of all time, it has been circulated by e-mail countless times or published on websites around the globe. There is a certain timelessness to this speech.

For many, Steve Jobs has a reputation of being a egotistical and selfish boss, who is driven by an insatiable appetite for success. But listening to this speech gives a completely different picture of the man. Here’s a man who was given up by his unwed biological mother before he was born;, who never graduated from college; who depended on free food from a Hare Krishna temple for the ‘one good meal a week’, who is today a multi-billionaire, but probably more importantl y, the driving force of a company that changes the shape of industries with products that have truly passionate buyers. Humility has seldom been associated with Steve Jobs; but in this speech, he displays tons of that. Perhaps it is the rags to riches story, the fact that he is a truly self-made guy that touches a chord in everyone’s heart.

Nevertheless, there are three key messages that Jobs delivers in this speech.
> Connect the dots: A lot of things that happen in life are the result of conscious (and may be even not-so-conscious) choices we make. Believe that the dots will get connected in some way, keep faith. Let’s say, this is Jobs’ way of asking you to believe in the Law of Attraction.

Continue to love, even if you lose: With his own personal example of getting fired from the company he found and nurtured into a multi-billion dollar enterprise in a few years, Jobs inspires you to continue to do what you love, even if you have lost. Love is important, loss is a mere obstacle. Keep up the passion.

Death: He uses death to draw attention to the importance of focusing on what’s more important, on what you want to do instead of living somebody else’s dreams. It is a reminder to make the best possible use of time. Death is perhaps the most powerful time management tool.

Of course, there is his most powerful message in the end– one that this speech has become synonymous with. He implores the young graduating students to “Stay hungry, Stay foolish”.

An insatiable hunger is the key for continuous improvement, and continuous renewal, without which even the best brains will wither and die. And we have been shown time and time again, without ideas that were always considered outrageous and foolish ideas, our world would have been a completely different – and less exciting- place.

Read the complete transcript of Steve Jobs’ Stay hungry, Stay foolish speech.