Like pretty much everyone else who sees it, I’m taken with the positive message in Professor Randy Pausch’s “Last Lecture”. Pausch is dying of prostate cancer, and his time is down to months. His lecture is a touching tribute to life, with a nod toward the fact that we are all dying, and what matters then is how we choose to live, no matter how much or how little time we have left.
On the offchance you don’t know what I’m talking about, the lecture is available for viewing HERE, and there’s also a book available HERE based on the professor’s life as well as his lecture.
There are a lot of great observations on the lecture, great advice, and of course there are lots of poignant moments. It will make you want to be a better child, a better parent, a better spouse, a better person. It will make you want to be more thankful for your own situation.
One quote from the doctor stuck with me because it comes to bear on the power of story:
“Don’t tell people how to live their lives, just tell stories, because they can figure out how to apply the stories to their lives.”
Randy is definatly inspirational, for those of you who are interested there are http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/ wich contains links and information where you can reach the full lecture.
Good call, Mathias.
Quick link HERE.
Thanks for the link.
Hi Steve!
Yes.. its a strong story.
This “Last Lecture” should actually be the “First Lecture” for all of us, not the last. But i suppose its all up to us now to make that happened;D
Marq! Nice to hear from you.
Yeah, it’s pretty inspirational stuff. Too bad the guy is dying. But I also wonder if his words would resonate so strongly with people if he weren’t? His extremely limited time makes his words somehow weightier. I wonder why that is.
Hi again!
Its difficult to know… I dont think his words would be so strong if he werent dying. I think that his words will fade out if he suddenly should survive the cancer(not that i want him to die, but i think his main massage will fade out quite fast)or why not.. his words could even be stronger. He survive the cancer and starts a new life and he write a new book calls “The First Lecture”.
I think that we in West have become so civilised that we have become blinded of what we now take for granted. And thats for example the “Life” itself. I we were living here in west like they are doing in Afrika… we wouldnt think like this.