The Last Lecture

By now most of you have probably heard about the Last Lecture delivered by professor Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon University on September 18, 2007. After almost 20 years in academia, as a computer scientist and human-computer interaction specialist, Pausch was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer shortly before his 44th birthday (in September of 2006). Eleven months later, in August of 2007, after pursuing a very aggressive cancer treatment, Pausch learned the cancer had metastasized to his liver and spleen and he was given about six months to live.

On September 18, 2007 he gave his "Last Lecture" at the University, which was filmed as a gift to his children. He wanted them to have something to remember him by, so he titled his Lecture "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams." Here was the text on the poster that advertised the Lecture:

"Almost all of us have childhood dreams; for example, being an astronaut, or making movies or video games for a living. Sadly, most people don’t achieve theirs, and I think that’s a shame. I had several specific childhood dreams, and I’ve actually achieved most of them. More importantly, I have found ways, in particular the creation (with Don Marinelli), of CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center (http://www.etc.cmu.edu) of helping many young people actually *achieve* their childhood dreams. This talk will discuss how I achieved my childhood dreams (being in zero gravity, designing theme park rides for Disney, and a few others), and will contain realistic advice on how *you* can live your life so that you can make your childhood dreams come true, too."

What started out as a gift to his children has become a worldwide phenomenon. More than 6 million people have viewed all or part of the lecture on line. He's been on numerous television programs, including Oprah Winfrey, Diane Sawyer, and Charles Gibson, he's testified before Congress, and his "Last Lecture" has just been published in book form. As for Pausch, he's still alive and kicking (albeit with great difficulty). You can keep an eye on his progress by visiting his homepage www.RandyPausch.com as well as his day-to-day update page.

If you haven't watched the Lecture yet, I encourage you to do so by visiting: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo. There's some good stuff there which can easily touch the heart.

Coaching Inquiries: What would you say in your "Last Lecture"? What is your legacy in the world? What have you learned about making dreams come true? How can you live so as to inspire others with hope? We invite you Email Us or to use our Contact Form to arrange for a complimentary coaching conversation with your own LifeTrek coach.