The "Last Lecture"
"Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think." - Randy Pausch
On August 2007, Randy Pausch was told he had 6 months to live.
Even the world’s best doctors couldn’t buy him more time.
He had an aggressive pancreatic cancer that spread to his liver.
There was no way around it - Randy was going to die.
Suddenly, he found his life upended.
He was faced with the harsh reality that he would not have much time to spend with his beloved wife and children.
It meant he would have to teach his kids everything he thought he’d have the next 10 years to tell them, in just a few months.
All he could do is get his affairs in order and say his goodbyes.
As a widely respected professor at Carnegie Mellon, Randy had a love for the classroom and his students.
In true Randy fashion, he figured the best goodbye would be through a lecture, which he dubbed the “Last Lecture.”
On Sept. 18, 2007, just a month after his diagnosis, Randy delivered his lecture to a packed auditorium of students and faculty at Carnegie Mellon.
The topic of the lecture was "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams."
The emotional and captivating talk recounted his efforts to achieve his childhood dreams of becoming a professional football player, experiencing zero gravity, and becoming a Disney Imagineer.
In the process, he also shared his insights on finding the good in other people, working hard to overcome obstacles, and living generously.
Although none of his childhood dreams materialized the way he had hoped, they inspired him to keep evolving and pushing past his limits, something he believed we should all strive to do in our daily lives.
The lecture has been viewed by millions of people around the world. Shortly after it was published, Randy appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC's Good Morning America, and CBS Evening News.
Randy states in his lecture:?“The best gift an educator can give is to get someone to become self-reflective."
This Monday morning, I invite you to watch Randy’s lecture and self-reflect on your goals and how you’re spending your time.
Watch Randy Pausch’s “Last Lecture”
My Favorite Quotes from the Lecture:
Quote #1:?"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”
Quote #2:?"No one is pure evil. Find the best in everybody."
Quote #3:?“Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."
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Quote #4:?"The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."
Quote #5:?"Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other."
Weekly Challenge - Time Logging
At one point during his lecture, Randy emphasizes the importance of time management and making the most out of the limited time we have.
In Randy’s case, his time was cut drastically, which forced him to prioritize every minute he had left.
Unlike Randy, most of us don’t know when we’re going to die but we should still aim to use our limited time wisely so we can enjoy a balanced and meaningful life.
An effective exercise to track and analyze how you're spending your time each day is called "time logging.” Here's how to do it:
5. Based on your analysis, set goals and create a plan to optimize your time usage.?This might involve adjusting your daily routine, eliminating distractions, setting specific work hours, or incorporating time for self-care and personal development.
Continuously tracking your time for a few weeks can help you make adjustments and develop habits that lead to better time management.
Twitter Highlights
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