Final Reflection (The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch)
“Achieving your dreams” has always been somewhat of a hollow phrase to me. Until reading The Last Lecture, I had never really believed in this concept. Too many times I have seen people reach for the stars and end up falling short. Or they lose sight of their dreams altogether. Almost every child fantasizes about what they want to be when they grow up. I know, personally, that I dreamed of being a professional singer. It wasn’t until many years later, in late elementary school, that I realized I had absolutely no vocal talent. Most other people simply forget about what they visualized as a young kid. Their dreams become lost and abandoned.
However, Randy was a different story. This means that I can be too. If I could describe what Randy Pausch is to me in one word that word would be “inspiration”. I am extremely grateful that we were required to read his book and watch the lecture this year, because they have both impacted me greatly. I am totally inspired to make a new list of my visions right now, as a fourteen year-old. It’s better late than never. Doing so will give me goals to strive for later in life. It was incredible that Randy was still accomplishing his eight year-old list of dreams thirty years later!
I have so much respect for Randy Pausch as a person. The way he handled his own death and leaving his family is baffling to me. Even though it was emotionally rough for him, Randy chose to make the best of his situation and leave his wife in kids in the best condition possible. He relocated them so that they could be near Jai’s family for support when the time came. And he left them all with special things to remember him by, so that they could always know how much he loved them. Randy was positive throughout the entire journey- a definite “Tigger”. He looked upon things at a scientific angle, and always portrayed a fantastic attitude.
A question I now ask myself is what I plan to do before I leave this Earth. Randy did a great job of achieving his childhood dreams and leaving behind his legacy. Like I said before, his lecture and book have inspired me. I am inspired to find a way to leave behind my own advice and legacy. This could come from recording my thoughts, ideas, and advice in some type of journal. If I am not aware of my death date ahead of time, like Randy was, then people would be able to read my journal after I died and understand what would have been said, had I been able to give a Last Lecture. In addition to passing things on to the next generation, there is more that I want to do before my death. The new and improved list of dreams that I plan to create will be something that I hope to complete before I pass away. And even if not all of the goals are reached, I have learned from Randy that lessons can still be taken from the process, and experience will be gained. After all, not all of his dreams were achieved either (such as the NFL dream).
Before reading The Last Lecture, I hardly thought about death. Now I find myself contemplating it much more often. I assume that hearing Randy’s story has given me the perspective to realize that death could come at any moment. And even though Randy was unlucky to die young, I believe that he was fairly fortunate to have been able to know ahead of time. Since that might not be the case for me, I plan to make the most of my time here. I love the idea of following what Randy had to say about life. Life should be lived to the fullest (which I now fully intend to do), and it should include lots of fun. Instead of being a “sad-sack Eeyore”, I can learn to be a “fun-loving Tigger”. Time is too precious to be wasted on complaining and looking at the downside of situations. Reading the book and watching his lecture have influenced me to strive for a better attitude.
One last thing I learned from The Last Lecture is that almost anything is possible. It just depends on how much you want it. Some of Randy’s dreams seemed outrageous, like experiencing zero gravity. Nevertheless, he went to extra lengths and found a way to make it happen. This has encouraged me to dream BIG dreams (as well as specific dreams). If I desire it enough, then there is a good chance that I will be able to achieve it. It may just take some extra effort to get there.
However, Randy was a different story. This means that I can be too. If I could describe what Randy Pausch is to me in one word that word would be “inspiration”. I am extremely grateful that we were required to read his book and watch the lecture this year, because they have both impacted me greatly. I am totally inspired to make a new list of my visions right now, as a fourteen year-old. It’s better late than never. Doing so will give me goals to strive for later in life. It was incredible that Randy was still accomplishing his eight year-old list of dreams thirty years later!
I have so much respect for Randy Pausch as a person. The way he handled his own death and leaving his family is baffling to me. Even though it was emotionally rough for him, Randy chose to make the best of his situation and leave his wife in kids in the best condition possible. He relocated them so that they could be near Jai’s family for support when the time came. And he left them all with special things to remember him by, so that they could always know how much he loved them. Randy was positive throughout the entire journey- a definite “Tigger”. He looked upon things at a scientific angle, and always portrayed a fantastic attitude.
A question I now ask myself is what I plan to do before I leave this Earth. Randy did a great job of achieving his childhood dreams and leaving behind his legacy. Like I said before, his lecture and book have inspired me. I am inspired to find a way to leave behind my own advice and legacy. This could come from recording my thoughts, ideas, and advice in some type of journal. If I am not aware of my death date ahead of time, like Randy was, then people would be able to read my journal after I died and understand what would have been said, had I been able to give a Last Lecture. In addition to passing things on to the next generation, there is more that I want to do before my death. The new and improved list of dreams that I plan to create will be something that I hope to complete before I pass away. And even if not all of the goals are reached, I have learned from Randy that lessons can still be taken from the process, and experience will be gained. After all, not all of his dreams were achieved either (such as the NFL dream).
Before reading The Last Lecture, I hardly thought about death. Now I find myself contemplating it much more often. I assume that hearing Randy’s story has given me the perspective to realize that death could come at any moment. And even though Randy was unlucky to die young, I believe that he was fairly fortunate to have been able to know ahead of time. Since that might not be the case for me, I plan to make the most of my time here. I love the idea of following what Randy had to say about life. Life should be lived to the fullest (which I now fully intend to do), and it should include lots of fun. Instead of being a “sad-sack Eeyore”, I can learn to be a “fun-loving Tigger”. Time is too precious to be wasted on complaining and looking at the downside of situations. Reading the book and watching his lecture have influenced me to strive for a better attitude.
One last thing I learned from The Last Lecture is that almost anything is possible. It just depends on how much you want it. Some of Randy’s dreams seemed outrageous, like experiencing zero gravity. Nevertheless, he went to extra lengths and found a way to make it happen. This has encouraged me to dream BIG dreams (as well as specific dreams). If I desire it enough, then there is a good chance that I will be able to achieve it. It may just take some extra effort to get there.