really achieving your childhood dreams
There’s a video that’s been circulating around that’s different from the norm. This one is a lecture, of all things. Randy Pausch is a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon who recently found out he doesn’t have much longer to live.
CBS News Story.
The full lecture video (1:25 hours)
My pal John told me about the lecture in a recent email.
He gives a “last lecture” in which he shares the things he has learned during his life. He is very funny and gives some good advice. He’s gotten to do some amazing things during his life, including working on virtual reality rides with Disney. He’s very focused on helping students achieve their dreams and particularly on bringing art students together with computer
programmers.
It’s inspiring! Makes you want to run out and help people do great things. Some of the highlights of the lecture for me were:
Get Feedback
“Appreciate your critics… they’re the ones who haven’t given up on you.” If they stop criticizing, they stopped caring.
Making Stuff
His moment of inspiration to pursue his career in virtual reality hit him when, at a Disney Imagineering exhibit, his thought shifted from “I want to experience this” to “I want to make this.”
Creating a Team
“I’ll take an earnest person over a hip person. Hip is short-term. Earnest is long-term.”
Working with Others
“Find the best in everyone, no matter how long you have to wait for them to show it. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everyone has a good side, just keep waiting.”
Obstacles
“Brick walls in our way are there to help us prove how badly we want something.”
This is a pretty emotional lecture, especially towards the end, but it makes it memorable. Let me know, if you watch it, what you think.
I’m having problems coming up with words to describe how watching this made me feel because it was a whirlwind of emotion. The lecture is one of those things you encounter that make you push all the unimportant clutter in your mind to a little pile way at the back, take a deep look at yourself, and assess how you are living your day-to-day life. I have to keep that unimportant clutter in check more often! Thanks for sharing this. I didn’t get to say it Friday when you sent your see ya note, but Columbus won’t be the same without you and Jen. Boston is incredibly lucky to get the two of you!
… and we’re lucky to have friends like you, MJ! Thanks for the kind words. We’ll miss you and Mark.
I’ve returned to this video a couple of times lately. Makes me miss having instructors or other mentors in my life who can give this kind of encouragement/instruction.