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BORA Consulting - Consultancy for
Entrepreneurs - Ralf Borlinghaus
contact:
ralf.borlinghaus@bora-consulting.com,
+41 44 58 66 157
Yesterday I saw Professor Randy Pausch's impressive "Last Lecture" speech on youtube, a dedication to life in front of death held at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 18, 2007. Pausch is a 47 year old Professor of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and Design. In August 2006, Pausch had been diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer. He had pursued a very aggressive cancer treatment that included major surgery and experimental chemotherapy; however, in August 2007, he had been told the cancer had metastasized to his liver and spleen, which meant it was terminal. Suddenly, the well looking, bright and successful Pausch had to accept the fact that he would have to leave behind his three young children, his wife and his profession in a couple of months already. Instead of despairing he decided to enjoy the remaining time consciously with his family and to share his "lessons learned" in a "Last Lecture" with his students and to preserve them as a video for his children. "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" was the title of his speech. This video was uploaded to Youtube immediately and has been watched by millions of people meanwhile. Here is his legacy:
- The big question of life: How can you achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others?
- Brick walls are there for one reason: they let us prove how badly we want things
- Never give up
- How to get people to help you: Tell the truth, be earnest, apologize when you screw up, focus on others, not yourself
- Brick walls let us show our dedication
- Show gratitude
- Important advice: Be good at something: it makes you valuable; work hard; find the best in everybody - no matter how long you have to wait for them to show it; be prepared - "luck" is where preparation meets opportunity
If you find those insights cryptic, listen to the Pausch's lecture > here.
"It's not the things we do in life, which we regret on our deathbed it is the things we do not."
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Dr. Randy Pausch
Strategic Self-Manager
Randy Pausch On Good Morning America, May 19, 2008
"Find your passion and follow it...you will not find that passion in things or money... that passion will be grounded in people, in the relationship you have with people and what they think of you when your time comes."