When I was in 7th grade I was assigned to read and present a non-fiction book of my choice. My parents encouraged me to read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch – and I have held each word close to my heart since then. Randy Pausch, then a professor at Carnegie Mellon, was diagnosed at age 45 with pancreatic cancer. Pausch was married and had three young children – but his prognosis was fatal. Rather than allowing cancer to consume his life, Pausch set out to create things for his children to remember him by – so that he might continue to guide their lives in the years that followed. As a professor, Pausch took to the Carnegie Mellon stage to give his famous last lecture – “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” – which was adapted into the book The Last Lecture. Pausch discusses life, love, and the importance of believing in yourself to accomplish your dreams. While the book was written to give his children life advice after he passed, The Last Lecture has touched much more than just his family – and I am one of those people.
I have set my dreams high – I want to work at Pixar. But, between me and those Pixar studio doors lie many brick walls, as Pausch would call them. This holds true for any dream, as there are always challenges we must overcome to be successful. With finals week upon us, and the future full-speed-ahead, here are 15 quotes from The Last Lecture to help you keep fighting:
1. "Luck is where preparation meets opportunity."
2. "Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other."
3. "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. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people."
4. "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer."
5. "It's not how hard you hit. It's how hard you get hit...and keep moving forward."
6. "The key question to keep asking is, are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have."
7. "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."
8. "Loyalty is a two-way street."
9. "Are you a Tigger or an Eeyore?"
10. "You can always change your plan, but only if you have one."
11. "The questions are always more important than the answers."
12. "Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun."
13. "No job is beneath you. You ought to be thrilled you got a job in the mailroom. And, when you get there, here’s what you should do: Be really great at sorting mail."
14. "When there’s an elephant in the room, introduce him."
15. "One thing that makes it possible to be an optimist is having a contingency plan for when all hell breaks loose."
Pausch will be remembered as a person who changed lives for the better. His last lecture has been viewed on YouTube over 18 million times. Unfortunately, Pausch passed away at age 47. His book and lecture have played a key role in my life since I first read it all those years ago – and I will forever be grateful for the impact it has made on my mindset. I hope everyone has a chance to read and enjoy this book the way I did. Thank you, Randy Pausch, for teaching me what it means to live.
