What would you say if you were given the opportunity to give a ‘last lecture’ on life? What would you say if this opportunity came along after you were diagnosed with a terminal illness?
If you are Randy Pausch, what you say will become an inspiration to people all over the world. The video of your lecture will circulate all over the internet, become a major YouTube hit, and you will write a book based on your final ‘official’ lecture at Carnegie Mellon University.
Randy Pausch, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon, was diagnosed in 2006 with Pancreatic cancer. His inspiring lecture and book, appropriately titled The Last Lecture, have given this amazing professor, father and husband a lasting and poignant platform for saying goodbye to his family and friends and a final, lasting gift to his small children who will have little memory of the father they will soon lose. His focus on achieving childhood dreams allows no time for pity and sorrow. Life is too short.
By the end of 2007, Pausch was given the final, grim piece of news regarding his diagnosis. It had spread, beyond hope of recovery, and palliative care was his last option. He was told he had 3 to 6 months of good health left. As of today, Randy Pausch continues to update his many friends, family members, and those he has touched with his story on his website, www.randypausch.com. Through links on these pages, you can watch the full-length YouTube video that launched his story, read excerpts from The Last Lecture, and follow his ‘scorecard of health’ (entitled “Today’s box score”) which may not seem the most tasteful but, if you know his story and you can appreciate his amazing sense of humor and lasting courage, represents the portrayal of a dying man who still has plenty of life left in him and never misses the chance to use a sports metaphor!
While ‘living on borrowed time,’ Randy Pausch serves as an inspiration to those who are suffering, are grieving for someone who has passed away or is facing a terminal illness, or for anyone who needs a little reminder of how precious life truly is. Pausch’s appreciation for life and his ability to continuously find joy in the world around him are uplifting.
For more inspiring stories about appreciation, read The Simple Truths of Appreciation.
To find out how to help someone who is grieving, read What Can I Do? Ideas to Help Those Who Have Experienced Loss. Both books, by Barbara Glanz, are available at books.php3
