The post season is always a time of reflection. I came across an article about Randy Pausch's last lecture as I was filing some "inbox" items.
The subtitle of the article was "blessings counted". Doctors diagnosed Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch with terminal pancreatic cancer. He responded with an inspirational "last lecture" to students and faculty that soared to the top of YouTube's most viewed clips. (click on "last lecture above to view the video).
5 Lessons shared by Randy Pausch:
1. THE HONEST TRUTH
He said that he wondered why millions viewed his last lecture, but context is everything. He went on to say that people wouldn't "give a damn" if he wasn't dying. "I'm a beautiful example of making lemonade from lemons." Furthermore, he had no reason to be anything but honest and tell the truth. The time for pretension is well behind.
2. BETTING SMART
"Poker is different when you put the deed to the house in the pot" Pausch states. It changes the game. The point is, you can always make a situation worse by making stupid choices. But you can make things better with intelligent choices.
3. IMPERFECT UNION
There's no such thing as easy marriages. People must work hard. People shouldn't be afraid of hard work.
4. PERSONAL STAMPS
Pausch used to ask his students, "How many of you have sent a handwritten thank-you note in the last year?" Less than 10 percent could say they had. Gratitude is everything. Somebody asked him if cancer had changed his views on life, and he said, "Not really. I've always bellieved every day is a gift, but now I'm looking for where to send the thank-you notes."
5. SENSE OF HUMOR
Pausch said the ability to laugh is one of the greatest things about our species. It's a huge part of the "Tigger vs Eeyore equation and you've guessed that I'm a tigger."
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