Blog Post #6

Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Dr. Randy Pausch's Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams was an inspirational video. It was not only informative, but it was heartfelt and touching. As I was watching, I was not only captivated by the information he was sharing, but also by the passion he had for what he was speaking on. You could tell how much he cared about his students and his profession.

Dr. Pausch begins his last lecture by informing the audience that he has ten tumors in his liver, and he has been given three to six months of good health. His attitude about this news is not what most people would expect. He states, "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." I could not agree with this statement any more. The inevitable is that everyone faces tough times in their lives at some point, but is how we deal with it that speaks to who we really are. Dr. Pausch is a professor, a husband, and a father that has received bad news, but he has decided to enjoy each minute he has left and not waste a minute.

The topic of his last lecture is "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams." Dr. Pausch begins by talking about his personal childhood dreams. Although some seemed like impossibilities, he achieved most of them, and the few that he did not, he learned a lot from. He goes on to talk about enabling the childhood dreams of others. The common factor in both is the brick walls that will come when trying to achieve any dream. He states, "Brick walls are for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things." This is such a great point. Obstacles are a part of life, but they are what push us to be great. I know that the obstacles or "brick walls" in my life have been a key driver to my success. My sentence actually stated, "She proved them all wrong." I chose this because in my life I have had many challenges and obstacles. Many people have told me what I cannot do; however, I have chosen to prove them wrong. Obstacles are not always easy, but if we will preserver, the reward will be even greater.

Dr. Pausch gives some wonderful advise such as, "help others, loyalty is a two way street, and never give up," but I think my favorite two are, "have fun and never loose the childlike wonder." What an excellent piece of advice for a teacher. If we can remember these two things, not only will our students enjoy learning, but we will enjoy learning with them as well. There was so much good advice in his lecture, but another I feel like I cannot go without mentioning is, "Don't Complain. Just work harder." When people challenge you, accept their challenge. When things seem impossible, continue to push a little harder. When people say you can't, prove them wrong. Your hard work will pay off.

Dr. Pausch concludes his speech with admitting his secret, that it is not really about achieving your dreams, it is about how you lead your life. How will you lead your life?