The Last Lecture – A Jim Walberg “Must Read”!
August 17, 2009 by Jim Walberg · 1 Comment
Randy Pausch was an American professor of computer science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Randy learned that he had pancreatic cancer, a terminal illness, in September of 2006. He gave an upbeat lecture entitled “The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” on September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon, which became a popular YouTube video and led to other media appearances. He then co-authored a book called The Last Lecture on the same theme, which became a New York Times best-seller. Pausch died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008.
This week I read his book during our annual end of Summer vacation with our college kids at our family beach house near San Diego. I had bought twelve of these books earlier this year and gave them to each of the young people that I felt would gain from Randy’s story. I will now admit that I never read the book until yesterday while sitting on beach between moments of surfing. I stayed until almost sunset when I finally finished it. It truly impacted my life! I am asking that the members of the LRE Lounge consider buying the book, reading it, and passing it on. I sat on the beach at the end of reading the book and wept knowing that I had just participated in a life changing moment. Here are some of the jewels that I have kept from yesterday’s reading.
If you can dream it, you can do it. Walt Disney
Always do the right thing, even if I am in a position of strength, whether at work or in a relationship. I must play fair. Just because I’m in the driver’s seat doesn’t mean I have to run people over.
When you are screwing up and nobody says anything to you any more, that means they’ve given up on you. Self-esteem is built. Give someone something they think can’t be done, they work hard until they find they can do it, and you just keep repeating the process.
Have you run into a brick wall? The brick walls are there for a reason. They are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. And once you get over them – even if someone has practically had to throw you over – it can be helpful to others to tell them how you did it.
There is an old expression, “a Dutch uncle,” which refers to a person who gives you honest feedback in a constructive manner. Few people bother doing that nowadays, so the expression has started to feel outdated, even obscure. Find someone to adopt as their “Dutch Uncle”. Both of you will greatly benefit.
Team Player: I know you’re smart. But everyone on my team is smart. Smart isn’t enough. The kind of people I want on my team are those who will help everyone else feel happy to be here.
When you use money to fight poverty, it can be of great value, but too often, you’re working at the margins. When you’re putting people on the moon, you’re inspiring all of us to achieve the maximum of human potential, which is how our greatest problems will eventually solved.
Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won’t make us happier.
If you wait long enough, people will surprise and impress you. When you are frustrated with people, when they’ve made you angry, it just may be because you haven’t given them enough time.
Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. And, experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer. It’s a phrase worth considering at every brick wall we encounter, and at every disappointment. It’s also a reminder that a failure is not just acceptable, it’s often essential. Failures are sometimes celebrating out-of-the-box thinking and using imagination in a daring way.
A lot of people want a shortcut. I find that the best shortcut is the long way, which is basically two words: Work Hard!
Pay it forward everyday. Go out and do for others what somebody did for you. Everyone has to contribute to the common good. To not do so can be described in on word: Selfish.
There is so much more in the 200 pages of this book. Enjoy the read. It will change your life and those around you. Pass it on. Until next time…fair winds!
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Filed Under: Blog, Giving Back, Memorial Moments, News
Tagged: Carnegie Mellon University, Jim Walberg, Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
It’s a great book with wonderful insight on living. Highly recommended. And for some additional inspiration, I invite you to check out ahamoment.com. There are some great personal stories being shared by ordinary people telling of how their lives changed, often after a specific moment of clarity — an aha moment — that changed their perspective and priorities. Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks — jack@ahamoment.com