The Last Lecture.

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

—Randy Pausch

The book titled The Last Lecture is written by Randy Pausch based on an upbeat lecture titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" giving by himself on September 18, 2007, at Carnegie Mellon. Now why it was his last lecture? Only because Randy was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer and that his stay with his beloved wife and three children in this world was numbered few months. Indeed I have read this book last year so my low capacity hard disk in the mean time became corrupt and forgot almost everything except the fact that the book is encouraging for we youngsters to seek our dream, when he writes “An injured Lion still wants to Roar.”

Author Randy.

When Pausch,  a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon was asked to give one such Lectures, it was not about dying though he was fighting with deadly cancer. Rather he recollected all his memoirs and presented in such a way that he could leave the message to his children the advices, which he would give after some twenty years. But for the father who cant wait any longer to give such an advice, he took that platform as a privilege to leave his message. through out his lecture he shares how he lived his life, what situations inspired him to do what? Where he learnt what lessons? et al.., therefore the  lecture was more about the Art of Living.

Literally speaking his first chapter titled An Injured Lion still wants to Roar doesnot deal about how we have to deal the situations in achieving our dreams but he writes how he managed to prepare the presentation slides for his last lecture though his health was really deteriorating. This particular title itself is an inspiration for me to strive towards achieving our dreams despite the adversities.

Randys source of inspiration to dream big as I judge: “Man first walked on the moon during the summer of 1969, when i was just eight years old. I knew then that pretty much anything was possible. It was as if all of us, all over the world, had been given permission to dream big dreams.” 

If you wait long enough, people will surprise and impress you.” Randy was reminded by a friend of how we should look for the best in everybody. We do believe that first impression is the best impression but not in all the instances. In certain situations, as laid down by Randy, I feel that we have to wait long enough to discover the good side of the people next to us. After all every stern leader possess an empathetic nature as well.

The Book.

After learning that his video was watched by millions worldwide on YouTube, he made the following remark; “I am flattered and embarrassed by all the recent attention to my "Last Lecture." I am told that, including abridged versions, over six million people have viewed the lecture online. The lecture really was for my kids, but if others are finding value in it, that is wonderful. But rest assured; I'm hardly unique. Send your kids to Carnegie Mellon and the other professors here will teach them valuable life lessons long after I'm gone.”   

Besides his book, was labeled Number One Best Seller on New York Times. Combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence, Pausch, in this book has made his his lecture such a phenomenon. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

Pausch died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008 at the age of 47.