The Last Lecture - A thousand reasons to be happy

Dr. Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon University was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He was given 3 to 6 months to live. He was just 47, had been married for less than a decade and had three small children, aged 6 years, 3 years and 18 months. An ordinary person would die even before those six months, out of agony, frustration and sheer despair. But Professor Pausch was not an ordinary person. The computer science professor that specialized in virtual reality, was a pragmatic realist and an optimist at the same time. 

Fought the cancer with all his might while accepting that he was bound to lose the battle. But he remained buoyant and jolly to the end. For the world, for himself and, above all, for his children. Supported by an incredible woman as his wife, he carried on thriving for months before he succumbed to the cancer in 2008. He gave an amazing last lecture to a hall full of people in his university. The video of the lecture has 19 million views on YouTube. 

Then he wrote a book, titled "The Last Lecture" which became an international bestseller with more than 5 million copies sold worldwide.

Just finished reading the book and cant stop thinking about it and the man who wrote it. Must have had the will of steel to be able to maintain that level of enthusiasm, energy and positivity about life under the harshest possible circumstances. Imagine a forty seven year old father of three very small children with a promising career and family life being told "you're gonna die within 6 months". It is worse than falling over a cliff or being hit by a train. 

But for Professor Pausch, the death sentence gave time to contemplate on and control his life for whatever time he had. He left profound messages for his kids and the world in the form of his lecture and book. He gave interviews that touched millions of hearts. He realized his childhood dream of playing in college football game. He showed the world that even in darkest abyss of adversities, human spirit can find ways to persevere and thrive. His was no ordinary power of will and positivity. 

Some amazing lines from his book and lecture:

"If you can find an opening, you can probably find a way to float through it."

"When you are screwing up and nobody says nothing to you anymore, that means they've given up on you"

"The brick wall are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

"It's easy to look smart when you are parroting smart people."

"Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think." 

"Luck is indeed when preparation meets opportunity."

"Talking louder or faster does not make your idea any better."

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."

"When we are connected to others, we become better people."

"A good apology is like an antibiotic. A bad apology is like salt and pepper on the wound."

Saturday, 14 March 2020 (2076-12-01)