Blog Post #6

Who would think one man could inspire millions? I know it is possible and has also been done before, but not so much in the way Dr. Randy Pausch has. “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand”. I can’t explain what that simple quote by Dr. Pausch did to me. So many emotions are drawn from this one lecture that makes me want more and more of his inspirational speaking and mentoring. The Last Lecture was filled with multiple teaching techniques that can and will be used in my future classrooms. This lecture was specifically based on the following key points: my childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons learned: how you can achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others.

Every child has a dream while growing up. There are the impossible dreams in which are created through our imaginations and the possible dreams which seem impossible, but can come true. In the lecture Dr. Pausch explained why the metaphorical brick walls are put up. “The reason is not to keep us away, but to give us a chance to show how badly we want something”, said by Dr. Pausch. There’s much truth in that statement; how else are we going to be able to tell the amount dedication a person has, if they don’t fight for what they want. What are we without our dreams? Dreams create those paths we must travel to reach the opportunities we long for, and I learned that from watching this video of The Last Lecture.

It’s always good to have examples to base the realities of things off of. Dr. Randy Pausch was a great example. He could’ve chosen any of his colleagues or students of the past, which have also gone on similar paths, but instead he allowed us to hear the testimonials about himself. I know that I love to hear people tell the stories of how they reached success, and the key things they did to achieve it. I’m also sure that the millions of people that have watched or read the book have also enjoyed the learning experience.

I plan to teach my students to have the same drive that Dr. Pausch had and I will try to the best of my abilities to reveal it in myself. I’ve learned so many things that are beneficial to my career life, but most importantly to life in general. We should all know that helping others, showing gratitude, or not complaining are some of the correct ways of life and when you add it to your work environment it sets off a chain of humane sincerity. When Dr. Pausch ended his lecture he concluded that The Last Lecture was not about: my childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons learned: how you can achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others, but was simply about how to lead your life the right way. We sometimes feel that we have heard it all and some as they watched along or read are still thinking the same way. Whether they like it or not Randy Pausch is and will forever be a legend, he could have lived the rest of his days in peace with his family, but he chose to keep giving a since of peace to others. May he finally have the peace he kept on giving.