Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

When we were asked to view this lecture by Randy Pausch I was not sure how I would find more than an hour to sit and watch it, much less write something that made even a tiny bit of sense about what he had to say. I managed to find the time to watch it; twice. The first time I watched it, I really enjoyed it. However, it was so full of insight I could not retain it all.

I love that he uses humor and has fun throughout his lecture. You can't fake enthusiasm like that. It's genuine. You either love what you're talking about or you don't. He obviously had fun and enjoyed every moment of the lecture. Interestingly, hidden within his humor were some great nuggets of wisdom. The following is a brief look at a few of my favorite nuggets he shared.

• You don't have to accomplish a dream to be able to learn from it. I look at it from this point: If we don't learn from our mistakes and failures, then we won't learn even when we succeed.
• Learn all you can from all the people who know. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed.
  
• How you say something is as important as what you say.
• Don't be afraid to learn from your students.

Dr. Pausch was a master at the 'head fake'. He made you think he was talking about one subject but was really talking about something else. He took the concept of childhood dreams and turned it around to show how to succeed in all of life.

This video is one that I will go back to; I learn more each time I watch it.