Blog Post 7

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture:Achieving

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

I have actually watched this video before and it is just as amazing watching it the 2^nd time as it was the first. Dr. Pausch’s attitude towards his unfortunate situation is absolutely amazing!!! It’s hard to imagine being so positive when you are literally facing death in the near future. Instead of sitting around moping about what he is going through, he does the exact opposite by setting an example to others to have a positive outlook on life, no matter what the situation.

Some methods he used to keep attention was humor. I really enjoyed some of his witty comments. My personal outlook on life is “sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying”. I think this quote is so true because being sad and miserable only makes you feel worse. I personally know this because I have been through a lot of health problems in the past year and at this point doctors still continue to do tests and haven’t found the exact cause. Dr. Pausch’s humor method teaches that even someone who has it worse off than me can still be optimistic and laugh, then so can I.

The fact the he got down in the middle of his lecture and did pushups is amazing in itself. And like he said, he is in better shape than most of the people there. That situation in itself goes to show what a great teacher Dr. Pausch truly is. Without even being there, I can sense the amazement from his audience.

He also told stories that related to real life. Things he mentioned were things that many people have or will someday face. This is another instance where he did a fantastic job of gaining attention. The story about his football coach riding him was great for me to hear. I play softball for South, and there have definitely been instances where I have been rode by my coaches pretty hard. It’s always good to remind myself that “when you’re screwing up and nobody’s saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up”. I must always remember that the ones who tell me when I am wrong are the ones who truly care. I also loved his quote, “experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you want”. This is a quote that is so important to be remembered in any and every situation that might not be “ideal”.

 “The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop people who don’t want it badly enough.” This quote was very inspirational because it too can be related to almost any situation. It goes to show that when you persevere through the tough and rough situations, you will be rewarded greatly in the end.    

I think that I could truly watch this video over and over. It is so inspirational and touching. I am a major quote-freak, so all of his “life quotes” were great to hear. I would advise anyone to watch this. Although it is long, it is definitely worth it for the lecture (and performances) you get.