My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Synopsis:
Randy Pausch, a college professor, is asked to participate in a "Last Lecture" series at the college he used to teach at. It becomes an absolute need for Randy to participate, because he ended up being diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly before this event was taking place. He shares his points on how to really achieve your childhood dreams as his theme of the lecture, but ends up contributing much more through stories and advice he as accumulated over the years.
Review:
I adore inspiring stories - especially of the non-fiction nature. Mainly because when I know that there are people out there bringing light to the world...giving us some positive vibes to feed off of....I can be more confident about my own approach to life. I won't lie - I can be down. Depressed. Negative. Bitchy. Snooty. Mean. Poopy pants. It's certainly not something I am proud of. I have always wished I could have been born that peppy chick -- that I could have been naturally happy and smiley and down-to-earth awesome. Some days I am. But other days I need inspiration to be more than a bump on a log. Books like this are perfect for that. Randy Pausch is all that I wish I could be. Even with pancreatic cancer!
Randy had a lucky life. He even says so himself. He has AMAZING parents (made up of the stuff most parents really should be and just aren't). He had a drive to get where he wanted to go and not stop. He had a super smart brain that made the sciencey part of the world up for grabs. He also learned some enlightening and awe-inspiring shit throughout his life. I am so stoked he shared it with the world before he passed away.
"The instinct in our house was never to sit around like slobs and wonder. We knew a better way: Open the encyclopedia. Open the dictionary. Open your mind."
"There's a lot of talk these days about giving children self-esteem. It's not something you can give; it's something they have to build. Coach Graham worked in a no-coddling zone. Self-esteem? He knew there was really only one way to teach kids how to develop it: You give them something they can't do, they work hard until they find they can do it, and you just keep repeating the process."
"Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something."
"Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier."
"Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other."
"If I could only give three words of advice, they would be 'tell the truth.' If I got three more words, I'd add: 'All the time.' My parents taught me that 'you're only as good as your word,' and there's no better way to say it."
"You ought to be thrilled you got a job in the mail room. And when you get there, here's what you do: Be really great at sorting mail. No one wants to hear someone say: 'I'm not good at sorting mail because the job is beneath me.' No job should be beneath us. And if you can't (or won't) sort mail, where is the proof that you can do anything?"
"My dad gave me the tongue-lashing of a lifetime. He believed manual labor was beneath no one. He said he'd prefer that I worked hard and became the best ditch-digger in the world rather than coasting along as a self-impressed elitist behind a desk."
If you need a nudge in the positive direction - pick this bad boy up. It's an easy 206 pages - and it's full of the good things in life, and how to appreciate and love them despite the dark and painful times.
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