It's not about how to achieve your dreams,
it's about how to lead your life,
... If you lead your life the right way,
the karma will take care of itself,
the dreams will come to you.”
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
Dr. Randy Pausch was a professor of computer science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pausch learned that he had pancreatic cancer in September 2006, and in August 2007 he was given a terminal diagnosis: "3 to 6 months of good health left". After resigning his position, he gave one final farewell lecture titled "The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" on September 18, 2007, at Carnegie Mellon to a packed auditorium, which became a popular YouTube video and led to other media appearances. His popular lecture was published into a book called The Last Lecture , which became a New York Times best-seller. Pausch died of complications from pancreatic cancer 10 months later on July 25, 2008.
1) Watch Randy Pausch's final lecture at Carnegie Mellon
Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture"
2) I've started this blog with my favorite quote from his lecture. Share with us your favorite thought or part of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture.
3) If you were diagnosed with a terminal illness and were given one last chance to leave some words of wisdom or advice to your loved ones, what would your "last lecture" be?
“The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough, they’re there to stop the OTHER PEOPLE”. I really liked this video on Randy Pausch. It was such a meaningful presentation on his life and goals he had for it. I think this quote he said was such a true statement, and I think it’s an encouragement to someone who has things they want to achieve in life, but are too afraid to take a chance on it. So this gives positive motivation towards working on it. I if was ill and had short of life left I would be so hurt knowing that at this moment I still have many things in my life I want to accomplish. Also being a father, I have lots of things I want to share with my son and teach him to pass onto his children. And want to see him accomplish his dreams as well as seeing his children’s dreams be accomplished. I would give an amazing, meaningful, and most of all POWERFUL speech to him and all my friends and family. It would contain on how they should never say never in life no matter what has a hold of them in the moment or what they think someone might say about their actions. I’d tell them to just do what you love, do what you feel, and always aim for the highest point on every task because I know they are and will always be special in every way in life. To not waste any special moment with loved ones, as well as any moment succeeding in the life given to them from the almighty above.
ReplyDelete“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” I feel like this quote pretty much sums up Randy Pausch's lecture. Life is going to deal us many cards, both good and bad, and for the most part we have no control over what cards we get. All we can do is decide how we are going to react to the situations we find ourselves in. If I were diagnosed with a terminal illness, I would take the time to tell each of my friends that just because you didn't get to do everything that you wanted to in life doesn't mean that you didn't live a good life. So many people spend so much time reaching for the next step up that they forget to appreciate the things that they have already been blessed with. I think that a lot of people are dissatisfied with their lives because they look around and see someone that has something that they don't, and they conclude that they are a failure if they aren't able to get to that same point. But happiness is all relative, and how content a person is depends on how people view themselves and how they view the people around them.
ReplyDeleteThe book The last lecture is actually my favorite book. i seriusly have read it only aa hand full of times, i swer it makes me cry evrytime even though i knoew he is going to die i just cant help but to feel his presence and him as if he dies evrytime again. Randy was a smart and srtong man and i truly admire him in so many ways. he through this book has thought me the importance of someday being a parent. he did all of this for his child and videoed himself talking to her all the important steps of her life. her wedding day, graduate, the day she too becomes a parent. she was a miracle to him and his wife. and he wanted her to never know a life where her father was not caring aout her in heavan. "Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people." Randy is expressing the God gives us obstacles and never one we can not handle. he uses this to gain stengh and perspective. he dreads the day he has to leave the life God gave him to anpther brick in that wall but he knows life is full of them and he continues to live. and he was so badly to still live and he found a way to do so through his daughter and wife. to me its important to matter to the oness who matter most to you. he did that and touched so many others allowing us all to see just how strong he is and just how vulerable he was too. another quote that touched me is when he says "If there’s anything I want to do so badly, I should have already done it." he means if it was something ttruly worth doing and dreaming of he would have tried and achieved doing them, i take this as no one wants to live a life of regrets and that day at the purrily gates be asking for one more time. but you should live this world knowing that you accomplised the important thigs in your life. thaat can be anything it is different for every person. but for randy he was a well known intelligent profeesor and well respected he had plenty he taught his students and he taught me i feel as if i was another student of his while reading this novel he allows the reader in to his life na d thoughts of life. he gave me another perspective and a intralight on just how if i ever had to face anothing like he did and to me it would be extremely difficult getiing cacer especailly a terminal cancer and getting the death sentance would literally jus tkilll me inside. i dont know if i could fell as he did and even go living and so strong and leave a mark on the one i love like he did, i want to be missed i want people to leave out all the rest and just say and re,member the best and the good about me. "We can’t change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand. If I’m not as depressed as you think I should be, I’m sorry to disappoint you." my last lecture would be mostly on the the concept that "it is better to have loved and lost than not at all" tennyson because i truly believe that a life without loved ones and making that time with them count for something is just not worth it. i kow my lecture would be know ehere near his but i would just want to leave my loved one knowign that the were loved and that i truly apprecaited the.
ReplyDeleteExperience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted.
ReplyDeleteI think I am pretty dark because I talk to my son sometimes as if I know I will die soon. I don’t make it morbid but I do know that in a blink of an eye I can be gone and I want my son to be prepared if such an event was to happen prematurely. I tell him what I expect of him, what I want him to accomplish in life and how to do it and what contingency plans he should have if his initial plans were to not pan out. I tell him to always be an optimist. He will go through some hard and bad times in life but to realize that those days do not last forever. Every bad time in life goes away and will be an experience for him that will make him stronger and wiser. I tell him that the moments of happiness he really needs to soak it in and appreciate it. The smallest things in life are usually the most underappreciated but that he will eventually be able to notice what is more useful and valuable for him. I remind him of the old cliché that it doesn’t matter how many times he falls, what matters is that every time he picks himself up. I remind him that women are precious and a gift from God. That he always will respect them and treat them the right way. I end every conversation like this that he needs to remember always how I have raised him. That I am his best friend and confidant. That I spoil him tremendously but I also am strict. I remind him that he needs to raise his children in the way he believes is right but to never forget that his children always will come first.
I would have to say I agree with his quote, "we can't change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." I agree with quote do to the things that I have gone through in my life. I feel that at times I am put to the test and that its not how hard you get hit but if you get back up and the best revenge you can have on any person that tries to knock you down is show them and yourself that you can accomplish more and excel any issue that comes your way. Life doesn't always give you a fair deal but as my mother use to say, "God will never give you more than you can handle." I stated in one of my previous blogs that I live by the words, "Live, Laugh, and Love" and although they may sound cliché to you I take them to heart because I have learned that today can be your last and you never know what tomorrow awaits and this is how come you always want to live you life as if it's your last day on earth, laugh everyday and so hard that milk comes out your nose, and love like you ain't afraid of getting hurt.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quote that he said in this lecture was "experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted". I think that is completely and utterly true! No matter how we go through life trying to "avoid" bad things happening to us at the moment we say "wow this is so unfair why is this happening to me" because I know I've definitely said things like that. In life you really do need experience with all kinds of different situations so that later you are wiser and know how to deal with similar situations more carefully. I think that quote "we can't change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand" summarizes his speech most definitely. I just thought it was so amazing and inspiring the type of great attitude he had how positive he was being. He is told about such an unfortunate thing which he cannot change, the only thing he can do is decide how to live his life for the better in the most positive way that he can. I think he definitely did show that through this lecture and it really makes you think because so many people are blessed with such a great life and great people that they forget to realize it. We're so caught up in the moment of "ok what do I have to do next let's rush through and get it over with". I think I have DEFINITELY been guilty of doing this especially with my early teenage years. I was never a positive person and would honestly take for granted the things that I had, the life I was blessed with I would be so focused on all the negative things I never took the time to live in the moment and be thankful for what I had. Hearing this and looking back I am definitely disappointed in my self and wish I hadn't done that because time goes by so fast you're never going to get those years back. I'm only 19 years old so i'm still very young and I do NOT want to live like that anymore. I am starting to realize that I have so many things other don't have, I used to get so caught up in taking it for granted and thinking "hey well she has a better life than me, she's got this, she's got that" and it would make me feel bad about myself but I have definitely learned to quit doing that..My other favorite part was when he said he believes in karma and the reasons why he said that. He said he believes in order to get people to help you you need to tell the truth, apologize when you screw up and all of that. I completely agree! cause I am a strong believer in karma as well. you treat someone wrong, you betray them, you deceive somebody it WILL come back to get you. No matter how slick you think you are one day you will see it. There's a reason good people do good things and get great rewards in the end.
ReplyDeleteIf I was diagnosed with an illness I would tell them everything I said above! I would tell them please DO NOT take anything for granted. You only realize this when it's too late most of the time and i'm lucky i'm coming to realization now and still being so young! It's not good to be a negative person and I have learned this the hard way. I have struggled myself trying to just be happy with my life and live it in a positive way..I have learned this from my parents and some friends as well that living life to the fullest achieving great things is the best thing to do. I would tell them that never give up on anything and if someone tells you you can't do something the best revenge is to prove it that you can. I definitely would tell them that try to see the bright side of things no matter how dark it is no matter how many times you ask yourself WHY AM I IN THIS SITUATION no matter how much you hate it or yourself, you will get through it.
I was very surprised to see in the beginning of the video when Mr. Pausch made it clear how he didn’t want his lecture to be some sad pity party. He shows so much strength and character that few people in the world have, but it’s so admirable to me to know that if he chooses to remain strong and positive even in the face of death, why shouldn’t we all try to take his mentality and apply it to our lives as well? I felt sad while watching the video but after thinking about it, I know that if he chose to be upset or in denial it would not have made the situation any better (“we can’t change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand”). Although it might be hard to come to terms with, I know it really is true. Time will never stop for anybody. In the end I feel that it’s much better to say that you took what you had, made the most of it, and didn’t take anything for granted, as opposed to not doing anything because you didn’t see the point because your life was ending anyways. I know that it’s easier said than done, but I really do admire people who have the strength to push on, much like yourself Ms Wilking because you went through many obstacles to get where you are but you still choose not to let it make you bitter. I hope that one day I can fully live by this mentality and learn to embrace this life, and not let the little details along the way get me down.
ReplyDeleteTina,
DeleteWe can't read the label when we're inside the jar, so I'm gonna read your label for you- Tina is an incredibly talented, intelligent, thoughtful and caring person, handle with care. As you go through life, I hope you'll be able to see what we all see in you. Thanks for sharing yourself with us this past 3 weeks!
I enjoyed this professor’s lecture very much. He shared a few very exciting experiences. My favorite part from the lecture was when he talked about his class where he assigned a project for groups to design and present in class in two weeks. He didn’t know what to do or what to assign next because he was so blown away by his students’ work. He asked his mentor what to do and he replied “Look em in the eye and say guys, that was pretty good but I know you can do better.” The audience thought it was funny and so did I, until I gave it some thought. His mentor’s advice was very good. A professor can be blown away, possibly by half a student’s effort. A student might not know what he or she is capable of. They also could always improve. I think of it this way, if I were to die soon from a terminal illness I would tell everybody to never settle for what they are. They should always strive for something great. As human beings, from the day we are born until the day we are going to die, we are always in the process of becoming. We will always be able to learn something new and improve ourselves.
ReplyDelete"Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people."
ReplyDelete“Never lose the child like wonder. It’s just too important. It’s what drives us. Help others.”
These two quotes really stood out and resonated towards me because I do agree that the obstacles or “brick walls” that are put in our lives are there for a reason, and we can either choose to try to persevere or not do anything about it. You know I’m not that experienced in life; I’ve lived a very sheltered life, and am slowly running into new experiences. What I do at the beginning of the year is write down on one sheet of paper what my short, long, and life term goals are. I jot it all down, and also create a dream board of the things I want to achieve or succeed in my life at the time, and just let it be. You go on with life, and sometimes it could be a witch (with a B). For example, during my junior year in high school I was always sick, I contracted mono, had strep throat three times, the flu, impetigo, and went into anaphylactic shock during P.E. I know others have been through harder obstacles in life, but that year was a tough one for me. On top of always being out sick, I had to keep up academically, especially, since the people were extremely competitive in that school. I could have made being out sick all the time an excuse, but instead I used it as a time to focus and learn on my own. I worked my butt off communicating back and forth with the teachers who were gracious enough to send me there PowerPoint, handouts, and worksheets, and I ended up scoring all A’s that year, which was a relief. This is why I love my parents because they have taught me to push my self harder, and harder even when I have boogers and sweat dripping down my face. If you really want something in life you have to keep going even when there are obstacles pushing you back.
The other quote that really stood out to me, “Never loose your child-like wonder. It’s just too important. It is what drives us.” I believe it is important because once you grow and become an adult many things can hinder you from enjoying the carelessness and whimsical nature and perceptive that you had when you were a child. Whoever told you that you couldn’t build your own rocket ship and fly to the moon, or that you cannot change the world and make even a little difference, it’s bull crap. Our child hood dreams are possible, and if we stick with that and do not loose site of what we want then we can achieve it. Negativity is only good for one thing which is to push you harder, and prove it wrong. If we still maintain a curiosity throughout adulthood, I believe that it will lead us to have our cake and eat it too. I know that in what field I want to get into, film and animation, having a child like wonder is important because you have to think about a creative idea that will intrigue children while integrating lessons about life.
My last lecture would be about living a life of love. I’m still learning how to do that myself, but sometimes you have to learn how to let things go and not let it consume you. Don’t let the negativity in your life get you down, instead let it fuel you and learn from it.
P.S. I know this is pretty long, but I want to, Thank You Mrs. Wilking for sharing your story with us today. I admire that you have over come many brick walls. This has honestly been the best class I’ve taken in my many years of life. Haha☺
My favorite part was the end. I like the comment that brick walls are determination. And don’t complain it was in Jackie Robinson contract not to complain even though he was spit on. I have a lot of issues but I don’t think complaining will solve them. Things get better with time and perseverance. I love the brick wall comment as well. I never looked at brick walls in such a positive manner. Looking at a wall as a obstacle to be achieved with determination is a great way of dealing with life. It leaves less room for complaints because if you believe you can over any obstacle with determination then you have nothing to complain about. What would my last lecture be? This is hard question to answer. I think I would want everyone to know I have had great perseverance through life. I am thankful for all the support because without it I wouldn’t have made it thus far .I would give special thanks to my mom for giving me life tools such as confidence, church background, knowing right from wrong, and believing in me.
ReplyDelete“You just have to decided if you’re a Tigger or an Eeyore.”
ReplyDeleteThis last lecture is so completely rich of inspirational quotes and thoughts on how to live a fulfilled life, but this is the one that jumped out at me the most. Maybe it’s because it has to do with Disney, but honestly I think I took the most out of it because I tend to be an “Eeyore” when I look at life. I look at things, things that happen around me, my relationships with other people and especially myself, in a negative way most of the time when I really don’t have any reason to at all. Randy Pausch knew he had a limited number of days and he was still very much a “Tigger” and I think this “decision” between a positive or negative outlook on life is just something I need to constantly keep in the back of my mind. As for what advice I would leave to my loved ones as my “last lecture”, I would have to say it would be to treasure what you have. I know it’s cliche, but I have been extremely blessed in my life and often times that’s something I take for granted and then I get reminded of what I have forgotten so many times and it just hits me hard in the gut and reminds me how lucky I am all over again.
First off, I want to say that I've seen this lecture before, but I just can't remember where and it's driving. Me. Crazy. However, I kind of feel like that makes this much more special. I can't remember what he says exactly, but the moment he says something, it feels like I'm getting advice from long ago.
ReplyDelete"It's all about fundamentals. Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. You've got to get the fundamentals down, because otherwise the fancy stuff isn't going to work."
Everything the man said is amazing, don't get me wrong, but the reason I choose an otherwise boring quote is because this is something I've been told since practically the day I was born. I've been involved with music since I was very young, and no matter what instrument you play, there's no way you're going to be playing Moonlight Sonata right off the bat. It's the most frustrating thing in the world, to be doing basics time after time, but you just have to grit your teeth and do it. And, the thing is, once you get passed that hump, the world is literally at your fingertips.
I honestly have no idea what I would want to say. There's not much I've done with my life so far (or at least not anything worth leaving behind as precious pearls of wisdom), but I think I would like to advise people to give more to others. A few hours down at the shelter, for example, which doesn't seem like much, can help change a person's life- and what's a better legacy to leave behind than that? If I were diagnosed with something like cancer, that's what I want to do; my life may be ending, but I can help continue someone else's.
In Eastern religions, young people seek the path to Enlightenment through the sage advice of gurus. I think Dr. Pausch found his own path, benefiting from the wisdom of people he respected. When he recalled his experiences as a young football player, I inwardly smiled in agreement with life lessons that he learned. For example, after a particularly difficult practice, when the coach pushed him more than usual, his friend pointed out that he was lucky because it showed that the coach cared about him. If the coach hadn’t cared, he would have ignored him and not expected anything from him. I’ve tried to communicate this message to my children: they should start to worry if I stop expecting more and more from them.
ReplyDeleteIf I had only a short time to leave, I would continue to tell my family to live life with as few regrets as possible about inappropriate words or actions that would cause harm to others or destroy otherwise healthy relationships. We have to be careful not to burn bridges that connect us with our loved ones. Sometimes, what’s on the other side of the bridge is not nice, but what if we can’t turn back? Even if we never look back, who will follow us? Who would benefit from our wisdom? Besides, who wants to have that added burden on his or her deathbed? While we don’t know whether or not karma will follow us into the next life, it could make the last days of this one more bearable.
"Loyalty is a two way street"
ReplyDeleteMost people think that if one person is loyal to an other person it'll all work out, but it won't do anything if the other isn't loyal as well. A friend of mine was in a relationship with her girlfriend of 5 years, she had found out that her partner had many one night stands during their relationship, when she broke it off her sister kept saying 'how could she?! you were so loyal!' At first I too thought that id one was loyal and adoring enough it'd be able to prevent problems like that and if it didn't you weren't trying hard enough, but i've learned differently. Both people in any relationship wether romantic or platonic have to be dependable otherwise the connection will deteriorate leaving one or both parties in a unsatisfied mood.
“Find the best in everybody. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side, just keep waiting, it will come out.”
ReplyDeleteI find that, increasingly so, our society has become self-centered and egocentric. We often display a false sensation of superiority toward others and dismiss a person’s capabilities, knowledge, and experiences without making an effort to understand an individual’s character. As a result, we miss out on connecting and learning from people that have a lot to teach. It is the erroneous implementation of dismissive behavior toward others that hinders the development of character and experience in other people’s lives. We fail to give credit where credit is due and affect other people through our words and actions; needless to say, we become brick walls in other people’s lives, of which Dean “Wormer” serves as a prime example.
Randy describes his childhood as what is perhaps a springboard to the rest of his life. He developed character and perseverance through people’s positive energy, primarily his parents and his coach. The amount of support and criticism he received from these people influenced him to aim for high challenges. However, it was the Dean’s dismissive behavior that halted his progress; had the President of the University not listened more carefully to his proposal, Randy would have not achieved the level of success he obtained, or, at the very least, many opportunities may have been lost as a result of denial. The fact that the President displayed minimum interest and belief in Randy’s capabilities enabled him to achieve greater things and gain more experience. The effect words have on a person’s life is tremendous. As mentioned in the Last Lecture, “people are more important than things,” hence, we must ensure that we speak words of approval unto others and demonstrate belief in people’s abilities to do great things, as people leave a longer-lasting legacy, as opposed to achievements and possessions.
Should I die soon and unexpectedly, I would be more comfortable knowing that my legacy relies on my actions rather than my words. A person’s character is defined by the effect he/she has on other people’s lives. Simple words lack the ability to sum-up an entire life. Ultimately, your actions and its consequences will mark your existence more accurately than eloquence and proper rhetoric after death.
I believe his quotes are all really good. One that really stood out to me was, "We can’t change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hands." This being because i think it relates to the type of situation he was in. It all depends on what situation you are taken into, given to and how you choose to deal with it all depends on you. For example, saying that someone is in a tough situation. You can choose to be unhappy, and pity yourself or you can choose to be happy and make the best of it . Just like what he was doing. He really is an amazing man and by him knowing that he only had months to live, he didn't make pity parties for himself or be sad like what most people would do but seemed like a really happy man and did much with his life. Whatever situation you are put it and if you have no control over it you just have to make the best of it.
ReplyDeleteThis quote also reminds me somewhat about the situation you went through Mrs. Wilking, you were in a tough situation when you were younger but you still achieved and reached all of your goals. You also didn't take the wrong turn and say you did nothing with your life because you didn't have your parents, which a lot of people I have known say these types of things. Some do not even go through tough situations and still manage to take the wrong turn, but I believe anyone can reach their goals and dreams by just believing in themselves. "Whatever you believe you can achieve." (:
Crystal, I'm so glad that you chose to blog with us! Your insights and comments showed so much introspection. You have much to share others, including the fact that you got the highest score in the class on the final test!!!! Congrats on your 47/50 :)
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