Blog Post 7

In 2007, Randy Pausch gave a speech at Carnegie Mellon University. It was a lecture on achieving your childhood dreams. This became his final lecture. It is now a famous lecture that has been transformed into a book. At the beginning of his lecture, Pausch announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He had few months to live as his pancreatic cancer was quickly spreading.

Pausch did not come into this lecture gloomily. He took it as his last opportunity to really influence people. He wanted to teach people how to really live and get the most out of life. He began his lecture by remembering his childhood dreams. He talked about the obstacles that keep you from achieveing those dreams. He also discussed those who help make those dreams possible. It is not those who look past your mistakes and baby you, but those who stop you when you make mistakes and help you.

I saw a reoccurring theme of dreams. He viewed dreams as being attainable once we learn to overcome our "walls". He obviously had a deep passion for his students as he discusses his desire to help them discover their dreams, and then to fulfill them. He begins to discover his own dreams on his journey with his students. He wants them to live their lives to the fullest just as he did in his last days.

Randy Pausch's last lecture was extremely inspirational. He was not gloomy or down in his speech. HIs enthusiasm for life flowed throughout his words and manner. He wanted his students as well as his two young children that his speech was written for to live out their dreams. He lived the life in his last days that we should all strive to live everyday. He was such an inspiration and would have been a joy to have met. I feel that his last lecture will be one that will be remembered and passed down for generations to come.