Blog Post 7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Dr. Randy Pausch led an incredible life. His “Last Lecture” series about achieving your childhood dreams is one of his many great accomplishments. “The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” is a lecture that includes great personal stories and many different life lessons. Dr. Pausch was and continues to be an inspiration to many.

At the beginning of the lecture, Dr. Pausch states that even though he has cancer and knows that he will soon pass away, that fact is not important in the lecture. By “introducing the elephant in the room” Dr. Pausch catches and holds the audience’s attention. After this, Pausch goes on to discuss his own childhood dreams. His list includes being in zero gravity, playing in the National Football League, authoring an article in the World Book Dictionary, being Captain Kirk, being a guy that won big stuffed animals in the amusement park, and being an imagineer with Disney. What is truly awesome is that Dr. Pausch accomplished almost all of these goals.

Next in the lecture, Pausch goes on to explain how either he accomplished these goals or how they changed. Starting with being in zero gravity, Pausch figured out that NASA had a contest where students can submit proposals as a team to ride the “vomit comet.” Well, Pausch had put together a team of students and went as a reporter and accomplished his goal of being in zero gravity. Pausch never did play in the National Football League, but stated that he learned more from that goal than any other. Football taught him enthusiasm, discipline, and how to handle criticism. Dr. Pausch did get to author an article in the World Book Dictionary because of his work with Virtual Reality. Pausch edited his being like Captain Kirk goal to simply “meeting Captain Kirk.” William Shatner happened to write a book with a co-author about the actual physics and science of Star Trek and Pausch helped create a virtual world for their cause. You can tell from how fondly he remembered that moment that meeting Shatner was a great experience for Pausch. Pausch admits that his goal of winning giant stuffed animals was a little “mundane,” but he seemed proud that he accomplished it. What Pausch seemed most proud about was the fact that he became an imagineer. This goal took the longest time and Pausch even says that he thought this was the most difficult to accomplish. Pausch used his success as a Virtual Reality specialist to become an imagineer and he helped design such things as the Aladdin and Pirates of the Caribbean rides.

Pausch talked a lot about his own personal goals and how he achieved them. But what he was really talking about was the way you live your life. Pausch accomplished great goals and has a great story. But what is most impressive is not that he accomplished most everything he set out to do, but that every person who talked about him had nice things to say. That feedback from others is proof to Pausch’s statement that it’s not about goals, it’s about the way you live your life. Pausch led his life the right way, and had a great life that is an inspiration to many.