An inspiring lecture by an inspiring individual.
Thursday, July 31, 2008 6:40 PM
What would you do if you were told by your oncologist that you've just got 3 to 6 months of good health after the cancer tumour has spread to your liver? And there are like 10 tumors in there.
I don't know about you, but I'll pretty much sulk in bed and literally drown in self pity. But that was not the case for the late Carnegie Mellon professor Dr. Randy Pausch. He said, "I will not be the victim of self-pity, and I don't do grim." And then he went on to deliver a Last Lecture, as part of the tradition of Carnegie Mellon University where each year notable professors from the university will deliver a Last Lecture based on the hypothesis that they are going to die and this will be the last lecture to teach the students the lessons of life. Except for Dr. Pausch, as he put it, there is an elephant in the room. His last lecture was really going to be the last lecture. The lecture which was named "Really Realising Your Childhood Dreams", not only changed the life of Carnegie Mellon's students, but also the millions who viewed the
full lecture on youtube.
A summarised version done by Dr. Pausch on Oprah
He delivered the lecture with such humility, humour, passion, and enthusiasm that it is impossible not to be moved by him. During the days of fighting cancer, he really lived up to the phrase, "live life to the fullest". Among others, he testified before the Congress, co-written a book called The Last Lecture, and appear in Star Trek following a personal invitation by JJ Abrams.
A few of the quotes from the lecture that I love.
In realising our dreams, we will often run into brick walls and Dr. Pausch said,
"The brick wall is there for a reason. it is not there to keep you out. It is there to see how much you want that thing. It is there to keep the other people out."
"Experience is what you get when you didn't get you wanted."
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."
He said it's great that so many people benefited from his lecture. But he only wrote the lecture for 3 people. His kids.
Labels: randy pausch, the last lecture.
