Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

This has been by far my favorite video we have had to watch so far. It amazed me at how he can talk about the fact that he does not know how long he has left to live, and be calm about it. He does not seem to let his diagnosis get him down. I can tell that Randy enjoys his job and his life. Randy is definitely a man who practices what he preaches. His lectures reflect on his life experiences.


The lecture focused on how to lead your life. His first point was on childhood dreams. Everyone has these dreams when we were young and the world seemed to be in the palm of our hands. One of his dreams was to be in the NFL. I also wanted to be in the NFL when I was a kid. I didn't realize at that time that you have to be a freak of nature to make it to the NFL. But as a child we all think we can do anything. Most of us will not fulfill our childhood dreams but Randy did, most of them any way. But this just goes to show you that dreams are a good thing and let kids dream.


His next point was about enabling childhood dreams of others. Throughout his life he has had a lot of positive effects on people. He started a class that allowed students to be creative while learning. Randy used video game technology to teach students different things. The class taught students about computer programming. When the students graduated they had companies that were ready to hire them straight out of college. By starting the program he helped open doors in students' lives.


His last point was on lessons learned. He talked of people who have helped him get where he is today. In order for someone to be successful, they need someone to encourage them. Everyone has potential in life to do great things. Living life is truly a learning experience. I have realized that not everything in life is fair. We all have to deal with experiences that we don't want to face. However, they make us stronger as a person. He also talked on being loyal and doing the right thing. That part of the lecture was very true. Finding the good and people and being honest is the best way to live your life. I really believe it will make you a happier person. The lecture was very enlightening. It made me appreciate my life. No one really knows how long they have to live, so we should live everyday to the fullest.