The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch

This book may change the way you view life. The author, a popular professor at Carnegie Mellon University, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He was asked to deliver a "last lecture," a speech where professors are asked to deliver their most important wisdom. They're to give the speech as if they were dying. In Pausch's case, he actually was dying.

Throughout the book, he is surprisingly upbeat, yet realistic, about his diagnosis. The most important subject of his lecture was following childhood dreams. Pausch describes a list he wrote as a third grader in which he includes: flying in zero gravity, working for Disney as an Imagineer, and playing for the NFL. Through a NASA experiment and serious persistence, he was able to accomplish the first two, while realizing early that he could not be apart of the NFL for his strength, stature, and athletic prowess (or lack thereof). Through these anecdotes, he exhorts his audience to go after their dreams instead of wasting time being unhappy. At least, that's what I got out of it.

Since one can't help but analyze one's self when reading such a book, I realized that my life is too short to be occupied with small details. As a task-oriented person, often my sense of satisfaction comes only when my to-do list is all crossed out. After reading this book, I think I can take more time to appreciate the process of completing my to-do list. I can take the time to get to know people I work with, rather than just bustling around the office in my own fury. I can enjoy interruptions when I work on something challenging.

I wouldn't want to create a list of things to do before I die, a veritable "bucket list." Instead of accomplishing assigned goals, my goal is to just be pleased with life as it comes. That doesn't mean I won't plan for the future, but that I will not be so dissatisfied when things don't go my way.