YouTube – Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.

If you want a shorter “trailer” version of this professor’s lecture, you can watch it here. I recommend watching all of it. It is worth it.

I remember watching a video of this professor on Opera a while back, probably around November or December. I did not remember his name, but I remembered the guy who did push ups and told his audience that he was “in phenomenally good health right now, in fact, I’m in better shape than most of you” … with one caveat: he had cancer.

The terminal illness finally claimed Pausch this Friday as he died in his home.

Here are some quotes I got from watching that video.

We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.

I have never found anger to make a situation better.

Never lose the childlike wonder. It’s too important, it’s what drives us.

It is important to have specific dreams.

When you’re screwing up and no body is saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up.

Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.

Most of what we learn, we learn indirectly.

The brick walls are not there to keep us out. They are there to let us show how badly we want something. They are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.

Wait long enough and people will surprise and impress you. – Jon Snoddy

That is the best gift an educator can give and that is to be self reflective.

Best way to teach somebody something is to have them think they are learning something else.

I like Moses get to see the promised land, but I won’t get to set foot in it. And that’s ok because I can see it. And the vision is clear.

Loyalty is a two-way street.

When you do the right thing, good stuff has a way of happening.

Get a feedback loop and listen to it.

His lecture was pretty good. I think I would’ve definitely enjoyed being in his class. Definitely moved me to near tears at the end of the lecture. I was really touched by his love of life, how he was full of life and continued to have fun despite his predicament. More importantly is how he wanted the same for many people.

I think back to some of the great professors who taught me and I can see a little bit of that in him. They teach you more than just about books. They teach you how to lead your life.

I like learning and being in school. Pausch really re-inforces that sentiment.