This one is called The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, and was pretty close to making me cry. Either I am getting increasingly sappy or I am just pmsing.
Anyways, this book is about Randy, who after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, decides to give a "last lecture" at the University where he taught. The book is a combination of his actual last lecture (which was all slides containing pictures chronicling his life) and other stories and life lessons he has collected.
What really drew me to this book was the fact that it is a true story, and that his main motivation for giving the lecture was so that his kids could have a way of remembering him. At the time of his lecture he had three children: 6, 3, and 1 1/2. Two boys, and a girl. Every story sounded like a lesson/lecture he would give to his children throughout their lives.
He also greatly inspired me to take a hold of my life and enjoy every minute of it regardless of how down and out I might be feeling. This was a man who had 10 tumours on his liver, who made every effort to ensure he spent quality time with his wife and kids. Yes, there were stories of when him and his wife would cry in each other's arms as they fell asleep, but the majority of the stories were about all the things he did to take advantage of every opportunity he could.
One other critical theme, and the basis of his lecture, was all about following your childhood dreams. To him, these dreams are what keep us grounded, and often what keep us the most happy.
So what are your childhood dreams? Have you actively been pursuing them?
To share a few of mine:
- Write a novel
- Own a florist shop
- Travel to Spain
To read more about Randy, and to view his Last Lecture, visit: The Last Lecture
1 comment:
my childhood goals:
Be a cop
and design and own my own mini-putt course.
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