My nephew sent me a link to this a while ago….

Yes, it is an hour and sixteen minutes long, but it is one of the best hour and sixteen minute investments you will make in your life.

Want some perspective and some different thinking? Watch this!

Want to just keep on doing the same old same old – then don’t!

For more on Randy Pausch click here

Enjoy!

My wonderful Mother, Patrice and her twin brother Patrick turned 55 years old today.  Pat was diagnosed with terminal cancer one year and one week ago.  He wasn’t supposed to live more than six months past his diagnosis, but today he’s celebrating one more year.

Although my Mom and Pat are technically twins, they are different in so many ways.  Not only are their personalities very different, physically my Mom is taller, with blue eyes and a fair complexion, while Pat has brown eyes and can sport a tan throughout Wisconsin winters.  When they both started gradeschool, it was apparent that Pat needed additional help with reading.  Pat was not handicapped in any way, some kids are just a bit slower than their classmates when they first start learning to read.  I actually spent my entire first and second grade years in a “special reading class” in the boiler room of my tiny grade school; and I am now tri-lingual.  Yeah, not handicapped.  With seven kids , neither my grandparents, nor the private Catholic school their children attended had the means to provide Pat with the extra help he needed.  So, Pat never learned to read, and subsequently struggled through school for many years.  In response, he acted out and became known as a trouble maker.  Meanwhile, my Mom as his counterpart became more shy and reserved.  Eventually Pat dropped out of school and joined the Navy.

The dynamic between my Mom and Pat has always been very unique.  My Mom has always had a special place in her heart for her twin brother, of course especially now with his condition.  Before he became sick, my Mom would help Pat pay his bills, and balance his checkbook.  Something he never really learned to do on his own, and since he started getting help with these kinds of things from his family, he never was forced to.

Pat has smoked for 37, going on 38 years now, he stopped for a very short stint while in the hospital but picked it up again thereafter.  Last fall Pat thought he had pulled a muscle at work; but after many misdiagnoses, we found out that this was by no means a pulled muscle.  The pain was caused by a tumor in his shoulder that was pushing on his spine.

Pat underwent chemo last winter and had a horrible time as he had to stay at the hospital for weeks on end.  All he ever wanted was to be at home in his own bed.  Still, the cancer had spread to his brain, and the doctors’ suggestion was to go home and enjoy the rest of the time he had left.

For an ill bachelor to go home and care for himself, was a tall order.  Pat would get so sick sometimes that he would loose track of the time, or the day and forget to take his pills.  Frankly, it doesn’t help that he couldn’t read the directions for the pills he was to be taking.  So, before we knew it Pat was moving in with my Mom and Step-Dad.

My Mom has three children that she loves dearly – but she always says she feels like she has four children including her brother.  She has gone through so many emotions this last year.  This extra year has not only given more life to my uncle, but more time for my Mom to adjust to the fact that his days with us here are limited.

—————

If you haven’t yet read “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch, I highly recommend it.  Randy died from pancreatic cancer in July of 2008.  He left behind a loving wife, and three kids who are all under the age of six.  Randy was a professor of Virtual Reality at Carnegie Mellon University.  Under the ruse of giving a parting academic lecture, Randy put himself in a bottle that would one day wash up on the beach for his children.  His lecture was his way of being able to teach his children what he would have taught them over the next twenty years, about life, and about their Dad.  So, to conclude this first blog entry I’d end it with two quotes in honor of the brilliant Randy Pausch:

“Time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think.”
— Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)

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

— Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

The Last Lecture is available as an eBook and an audiobook, so feel free to read along with us and let us know what you think! Please leave your comments.

Here is to being thankful for what we have and to remembering what matters most!

Little old 2009 has nearly worn out it’s welcome…It seems we’ve recently been introduced to this year but unfortunately, time is running out.  What is your plan for 2010? Learn how to build a foundation to succeed next year…

We all had goals, accomplishments and issues pending for 2009…We can wrap up the last goals of the year in these few weeks but preparation for the new year is more crucial than ever…

2008 was a year of change, 2009 a year of rebuilding & 2010 will be exposed as a foundational year for success to come…

If you thinking about goals for 2010, I suggest checking out www.ILostMyJob.com articles about goals or about tracking time…Watch this then make plans for 2010…

I have had a case of the flu for the past few days and it’s gotten me down a bit, but it’s also given me a chance to think about things that are awesome. In particular, I was feeling Star Trekky the other morning (jotting down Captain’s Logs and calculating the actual stardate) when I saw the story of how infamous “last lecture” professor Randy Pausch loved the Trek universe. He got a cameo in the latest movie, even, as well as a small clip of his voice in the film.

Pausch got a signed photo and momentous quote from William Shatner, the prototypical edition of the elder James Tiberius Kirk:

Over the years, some of my sophisticated academic colleagues have turned up their noses at my Star Trek infatuation. But from the start, it has never failed to stand me in good stead.

After Shatner learned of my diagnosis, he sent me a photo of himself as Kirk. On it he wrote: “I don’t believe in the no-win scenario.”

I got to thinking about this guy who dealt with a terminal illness with so much courage and how I was sitting here miserable, thinking that this flu (probably H1N1, let’s not beat around the bush) may never go away. Paush did push-ups and all sorts of demonstrations of his strength during his 2007 speech. He was dead just a few months later. But he took that time in stride, carefully analyzing all the things he’d dreamed about doing as a child. He succeeded at a lot of things and would never get a chance to do others.

So, at the risk of sounding a bit dreary and morbid, I’d say let’s use every minute that we have healthy and alive. If I do sound a bit melancholy, blame this mysterious flu.

As a random event last week, I was browsing books at an airport news stand to waste some time. I had a handful of half-read books with me and a few writing projects to work on, but, the books I brought- Super Freakonomics and a book on the history of Mathematics were a little dense for what I had in mind at the moment. I was looking for something a little more mindless and TV-like just as a temporary escape. Maybe a magazine, maybe a coloring book…

Then I saw a book that caught my eye on a rack of New York Times Best Sellers. It was a book called “The Last Lecture” by a guy that I didn’t really know, but had met and knew of.

Randy Pausch was a Professor of Computer Science working on similar things that I had interests in when I was working at the Media Research Lab at New York University. He was the founder of the Alice software project at CMU and worked with the Disney Imagineers and a handful of other interesting technology and teaching projects.

The premise of the book was based on a simple question. If you knew you were going to die, and you had one chance to give a “last lecture” and convey your pearls of wisdom to the world, what would you say? What message would you leave if it were your last?

This concept has been around for a while and can be an interesting excercise, but, in the case of Randy Pausch, it was for real. He was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and was given a grim prognosis of only months to live. So, Randy put together a lecture, video taped it in front of a live audience, and wrote an expanded version that was the book that I had just bought.

I started reading this book while drinking coffee early morning in the Miami International Airport during a 6 hour layover. The book tried to be life affirming, but, it was still so tragic and sad. Embarrassingly, I sat at the bar, drinking my coffee, tears running down my face, and listening to a boisterous and nasty French Canadian harassing the bartender in bastardized pseudo-Spanish.

I got through half of the book in Miami.

Randy had a wife and 3 kids. The kids were roughly 18 months, 3 years, and 6 years old. Strange to think that the younger two would have no memory of him after he was gone. In the book, mixed in with his various life philosophy and his ideas on achieving your childhood dreams, he would talk about moving houses and taking care of business before dying. Randy and his wife bought a new house close to family so that his wife would have a support system close by when he was gone. He mentioned various lasts. The last time he would celebrate his wife’s birthday. Last life events. Some showing humor that lasted through his ordeal when he’d mention not ever having to go to a dentist again.

One of the things that got me was when he started talking about what he felt sorry about. He mentioned that it wasn’t about his loss. The fact that he wouldn’t see his daughter get married- Wouldn’t see any graduations, grandkids, etc. The thing that still made him cry when he was in the shower in the morning was the feeling of sorrow that he had for his kids that would have to grow up without a father.

Yes, he had a great perspective and accepted the hand he was dealt. He had many affirmations and positives to convey. He was happy that he was given the chance to get his affairs in order and say his goodbyes rather than having a sudden and unexpected demise. But still… It was so sad and tragic to read.

Two days later, on my return flight from Grand Cayman to Atlanta, I finished the book. I finished it somewhere over Cuba and just completely lost control. Tears were streaming down my face thinking about the survivors. His wife… His kids that would watch videos and read letters that he had written for them to be opened or viewed at various stages of their lives.

I sat there with the book in my lap looking out the window trying to be inconspicuous. Just then, snot and tears flowing, the stewardess came up.

“Sir, can I get you something to drink? Sir?… Sir?… Excuse me Sir??? Can I get you anything?”

I basically ignored her, pretending not to hear and looking out the window…

“SIRRRRR?!”

Finally, I turned, red-faced and wet. I choked out a grunting sound that vaguely sounded like “no thanks” and she left me alone.

Even now, there are parts of the story that I can’t tell without getting choked up. Such a wuss…

But, Randy will clearly live on through his work, his contributions, and most importantly in the past members of his family and the future memories as his children open those letters and watch those videos.

Randy died on July 25, 2008.

These are images from the bridge dedication at Carnegie Mellon University for Randy Pausch. Randy is the author of “The Last Lecture.” Although this is important and worthy of mention all on its own, there is a reason it is on my mind today and I’m posting about it as it relates to my practice and Reset Studios. We’ll disclose more later, but for right now let’s just consider this as setting the foundation for the next story.

A link to his famous lecture at CMU: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

A link to a local news story about the piece: http://kdka.com/video/?id=64585@kdka.dayport.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Ok,  that’s the link to Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture. Very inspiring stuff.

I quote wikipedia,

‘Randolph Frederick “Randy” Pausch (October 23, 1960 – July 25, 2008) was an American professor of computer science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pausch learned that he had a terminal case of pancreatic cancer in September 2006. He gave an upbeat lecture entitled “The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” on September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon, which became a popular YouTube video and led to other media appearances. He then co-authored a book called The Last Lecture on the same theme, which became a New York Times best-seller. Pausch died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008.’

Check it out. Inspiration’s hard to find when you’re studying engineering in an Anna affiliated college, I know. So, don’t miss out on it when it comes your way. I loved The Last Lecture.

I’ve also uploaded the e-book version using box.net on the sidebar for those of you who prefer to read it.

Randy Pausch was an amazing man. I have read his book and watched “Last Lecture” many times. I always take away some new bit of wisdom each time I do. In case you have not listened to the “Last Lecture”, please sit down, give yourself a few minutes of “you” time and take it all in…you will be glad you did…

Tonight at 7:30, Carnegie Mellon University will dedicate a pedestrian bridge connecting the new Gates Center for Computer Science and the Purnell Center for the Arts in memory of Randy Pausch, professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design, and author of the bestselling book “The Last Lecture.”

The ribbon-cutting and bridge-lighting ceremony will be held in front of the Purnell Center’s main entrance.

The Randy Pausch Memorial Bridge will be a physical connection between the School of Computer Science’s new building and the School of Drama’s home, much as Pausch was an inspirational and intellectual connection between computer science and the arts. Pausch, who died last year of pancreatic cancer, encouraged computer scientists and artists to work and learn together, most notably by creating the interdisciplinary Building Virtual Worlds course and co-founding Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center.

Pausch’s widow, Jai, and other family members will participate in the ceremony and Carnegie Mellon President Jared L. Cohon will preside.

Ransy Pausch

Today, I wanted to post some videos capturing the life of a man who lived through and then died of pancreatic cancer. Randy Pausch faced death with such a heroic manner that continues to inspire millions. I thought about him today.

I just finished reading the book The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch; I know, it’s been out for a while, but I’m slow.  In it, Pausch tells an audience from Carnegie Mellon University, where he is a professor,  that he has terminal cancer and goes on to recount his childhood and how he dreamed of being in zero gravity, being Capt. Kirk of Star Trek and working as a Disney Imagineer.  With the exception of playing in the NFL, all of his dreams came true.

What was interesting to me was the computer graphics aspect of the speech.  Pausch describes attending these conferences where he’d give lectures, many of which I also attended back in the day.  (Tangent) I can still remember sitting in a lecture given by a young director named James Cameron (back in the early 90’s), where he described how many parts of future films would be replaced by computer graphics; even people.  Just a few years later, Titanic hit the theaters full of digital ships and people.

After reading The Last Lecture, it struck me how at least two of my childhood dreams came true.  As a kid, I was always wasting my time and money down at the local Radio Shack.  Back in those days, they used to sell electronic kits where you could make lights blink and counters count.  I built model railroads, but was more interested in how the power made it from the transformer into the tiny motor inside the engine.  As an electronics engineer now, I guess you could say I fulfilled that dream; with the exception that the transformers I deal with now supply enough power to light a city.

Another place that held my interest as a kid was movie special effects.  My brother and I were raised in a religiously conservative home and weren’t allowed to go to the movies.  Now this was around the time when Star Wars came out, and you can imagine how painful it was for us to hear about it from our friends.  Now for some reason, there is a natural law of attraction to things you are told to stay away from, so what did we do?

My brother immersed himself in building miniature sets from famous movies.  His prize achievement was a model of the Towering Inferno.  With all the time he spent building it, he never got up the nerve to set it on fire for me to film.

Speaking of film, while all my friends were saving their money for bikes or skateboards, I was saving for a movie camera.  I’d stare at photography catalogs for hours trying to pick out the perfect Super8 camera that would fulfill my movie making dreams.  I settled on the Canon 512XL with autozoom and stop motion, and when it arrived, I locked myself in my room where I’d draw out animated birds or recreate a drag race with my model cars and a handful of cotton balls.

The forbidden attraction also found me at the local library pouring over newly printed books about the making of Star Wars.  Sure my friends had seen the movie 20 times, but how many of them memorized the life story of George Lucas?  I was entranced with the pictures of the miniature sets and space ships.  That was how I wanted to spend time as an adult; making movies and building models to blow up.

High school came and went, and my roommate from college ushered me into the wonderful world of movies by taking me to Return of the Jedi.  I was hooked!  All the books and articles came alive for me right there in the theater.  I could have probably told you how most of the special effects were created given how much time I’d spent in the library.

Only a few short years out of college, would I get the privilege to become part of the special effects process in not just one, but many motion pictures.

As a serial movie might say, you’ll have to come back next time to see my rise and fall in the entertainment industry.

Cheryl offers: I recently heard the rumor that eventually all books will be digital. Down with that idea I say! Call me old fashioned, but I am one of those people who LOVE to hold a book, turn the pages, feel the paper, write notes in the white space, highlight what catches my attention and I want to remember.  When I think about great civilizations, not one comes to mind that didn’t have story telling as a part of their culture. In our day, we tell our stories in books. I love the touch and feel of a good book in my hands and my eyes love the print. Reading a screen, be it a Kindle or a personal computer, is not my idea of a good time. It’s hard for me to feel connected to something that disappears at the drop of an electric current or battery. I don’t want it to “come alive” when I want to read and I don’t want to wait for it to “shut down” for the night when I’m sleepy and want to go to bed. I hope this idea of putting all print on electronic media goes away and stays away. Whatever will I do with all my bookshelves? How will I ever find all the ideas I loved at the moment I read them? This all became very clear to me as I read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.  Although I know his words would have been the same, something changed as I held the book in my own hands knowing he wrote this with only a few months to live just last year and now he is already gone.

Sara adds:  Just for the record, I love paper and ink books, too.  Hey, with as much grey hair as I have – it’s to be expected (!)  I think it’s a generational thing.  However, I also love the idea of drawing new reading audiences into the world of “other people’s ideas,” into the place of relying on the mind’s eye to create a locale or a tone or spectacular view.  We hear so much about the need for innovation in business.  Well, I’m here to tell you that without an active imagination, innovation is tough.  Reading is way to stimulate the imagination and to practice those muscles that make innovation possible.  So let’s make room for technology that encourages  reading.   Let’s be OK with the fact that it’s designed for a younger generation and their styles.  So here’s to Kindles and nooks, Cybook Opus, BeBook and all the others.  Let’s encourage younger folk to expand their “electronic horizons” by introducing new ideas in their medium.  And then let’s invite them to a join us in a conversation.

Was ist.

Mankind Is No Island

Was sein kann.

It’s not information overload, it’s filter failure.

Was sein könnte.

The miniature earth

Was bleibt.

Lessons learned – how you can achieve your dreams and enable the dreams of others

Die deutschsprachige Buchfassung zur Vorlesung lautet Last Lecture. Die Lehren meines Lebens. München 2008.

Introduction:
I first got in touch with this book last winter when I was reading books at free of charge in local bookstores. Since I had nothing to do during my holiday home-stay, I’d just walk into bookstore and spend hours reading books for free and walk out without buying the book. It was good since I got to read brand-new-release books for free and had no guilt. This book was listed in the ‘best seller’ section and hundreds of books were stacked in the front of store entrance. I didn’t really care since I’ve never heard of this book nor the author – plus i didn’t know it was educational/psychological book (something I enjoy reading). The next morning I would walk into to the same bookstore and 1/3 of stack would be gone. In one day, hundreds of copies were sold and kept selling! I later learned that the author was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had only 6 months to live. He put together a lecture where he told audience what a great journey his life has been, how he achieved his childhood dreams, thanked all the wonderful people in his journey. This is a guy who was diagnosed with cancer and had 180 days to live. Talk about optimism! That alone convinced me to get my hands on this book and I’m really glad I did.

What you’ll gain from reading this book:
The books very short and entertaining – you’ll be able to finish it within days if you spend good 2-3 hours a day. It’s easy read yet very powerful.

The book talks about all the good stuff about how we should all live our lives for the time we’re given in this earthly world. It’s not about the money, it’s not about the fame, it’s not about how hot your wife is (although that is plus), not about how big your house is, what you drive, forget all those craps. It ain’t matter when you’re diagnosis with cancer. Life does come at you fast. No joke here.

The author has a very good job, a successful professor (in a computer science, yikes!), loving wife, beautiful kids – yet he only has short time to live before he gets the calling from the God above. Let’s pause for a moment and try to be in his shoes. What if you only had 6 months to live? How would you live your last days? My days will be dreadful, I’ll be counting down the days I have left in this world, try to spend all the money I earned on foolish things, do all the crazy stuff, heck even hook up with random girls – there will be no hopes for living anymore. That’s how I’d live.

The author is more optimistic than I am. Maybe he’s more optimistic than all of us who have 30-40 years to live. He doesn’t complain, yet he enjoys his time he has left. He looks back at his childhood days, reflect all the people that came across in his lives and how thankful he is to be in his current situation because of them. What this book teaches us that we live a very short life and how we should respond. People, things, and events come and go. It’s your job to be ready when those things come to you and capture the very best. One of my favorite quote from this book is “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.” It is so true. Luck isn’t random. Luck is being made – by you.

The book is incredibly touching – at least to me. It really opens your eyes and let you see the world from a different angle. We live in a world where competition is everywhere. It’s all about the money and fame – thus we fight others for those glory. But is it really why we live for? If someone asks you what your life goals are, would you really want to say ‘be a millionaire’ or ‘be a president of a company’? or would you want to say ‘be an Olympic medalist’? I’d take the ladder answer. Yes, I agree that money is essential part of our lives. After all, we all need to eat, take care of our family, have a home, and take vacation days – they all require sum of money. The more we earn, the easier and faster we get those. It’s just that I get discourage when people work so hard for those things – which aren’t your dreams (if they are, you really need to think again and find your true dreams). Follow your childhood dreams, that’s why the author wants to say before he dies.

Who should read this book:
I don’t think the author specifically targeted the audience when he was writing. The book wasn’t meant to make money off its sales. I think he just wanted to share his lesson-learned and how he was able to achieve his childhood dreams. So I’m guessing the book for everyone. From 10 year old junior to 63 year old eying on his retirement. We all have/had childhood dreams – wanted to be bigger than who we are today. Yeah, childhood dreams are just from our imagination and our wildest imagination, it doesn’t have the reality checks – but still dreams don’t cost a penny. Why not go for it when you still have time?

I have not achieved my dreams either. I don’t even remember what I wanted to be when I was growing up. Time passed by so quickly and quite frankly, I didn’t have passion for them. But it’s never too late to believe in your dreams, right? After all, that’s my slogan for my blog. It’s never too late. Never.

Go ahead, pick up this book. Invest $14 and see your life from different view. It’ll take you a week to finish from start to end. You can make time to sit down and read this book if you really want to discover what the author has to say about ‘living the dream’.

Final Note:
Ever since I turned 25, I have been seriously thinking about my life and what I want to accomplish before I die (later the better). I briefly posted my life goals here but will make changes as I get older and as I learn more about myself and my passion. I’ve been very selfish about saving money for own-home, but that’s childish dream.

I have been very fortunate to be healthy all my life. No major surgeries, no missing school, super-athletic (up until 19 maybe), and I feel great everyday. However, you never know what’s going to happen to you tomorrow. That’s why we have insurance – to insure ourselves from the worst. It’s too shallow to live a life by money. Money don’t drive me to wake up everyday. Money don’t make me happy. And money don’t enable me to achieve my dreams.

I end this review with few quotes I think worth keeping in my wallet.

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

“When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care.”

“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.”

“Be prepared. Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity.”

“It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. It’s about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.”

At my University every incoming Student Athlete have to take a class called Life Skills.
This is something new for this year and is meant to help new student athletes to the college life while performing sports.

As a part of this class we have to read a book called “The last Lecture” by Randy Pausch.
I am not done with it yet but i can already say that this is one of the best books i have read.
When Randy Pausch got the diagnose Pancreatic Cancer he decided to give a last lecture about his life and how he has lived it and to give inspiration to others on how they can get more out of their life.

From the webpage thelastlecture.com:
“Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon, as has the book he wrote based on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all strive to make realities. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all, for generations to come. “

The lecture on youtube

~B²

Sách sẽ được phát hành trên toàn quốc vào ngày 15/10/2009 - Ảnh: Thanh Đạm - Nguồn: Tuoi Tre Online

Randy Pausch nghiên cứu và giảng dạy tin học tại đại học danh tiếng Carnegie Mellon, Hoa Kỳ. Là một trong những chuyên gia hàng đầu về hiện thực ảo, tương tác người – máy và đi tiên phong trong việc đưa tin học vào công nghệ giải trí, ông đã gặt hái nhiều thành quả từ lúc còn trẻ, và rất có uy tín trong giới chuyên môn.

Tháng 9 năm 2006, ở tuổi 45, ông biết mình bị ung thư tụy, một căn bệnh rất hiểm nghèo mà y học hiện vẫn phải bó tay. Một năm sau, ngày 18 tháng 9 năm 2007, ông đọc bài giảng cuối cùng nhan đề “Thật sự đạt được những ước mơ tuổi thơ” tại Carnegie Mellon. Bài giảng của ông rất hay và xúc động, băng ghi hình bài giảng trên YouTube được hàng triệu người xem và trở thành một hiện tượng. Cùng Jeffrey Zaslow, nhà báo của tờ Wall Street Journal, Randy Pausch đã chuyển thể bài giảng thành cuốn sách nhan đề “Bài Giảng Cuối Cùng”, xuất bản lần đầu với 400 ngàn bản, và trở thành một best seller của tờ New York Times.

Nhiều chương trình truyền thông Mỹ đã phỏng vấn Pausch và đưa tin về ông, trong đó có những chương trình nổi tiếng như ABC’s World News with Charles Gibson, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC với Diane Sawyer và Good Morning America. Pausch đã tường trình trước Quốc hội Hoa Kỳ để ủng hộ các nghiên cứu về ung thư.

Ngày 25/7/2008, Randy Pausch mất sau thời gian chống chọi quyết liệt và không mệt mỏi với bệnh tật.

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Để chọn tiêu đề và nội dung cho bài giảng cuối cùng của mình, Pausch đã trăn trở, ông muốn một điều gì đó thật đặc thù. Hẳn trong tình trạng bệnh tình như của ông, nhiều người có thể trông đợi bài thuyết trình là về cái chết, nhưng ông quyết định, nó phải là về sự sống. Rồi ngay tại phòng đợi khám bệnh tại bệnh viện, ông thấy rất chính xác: “Tất cả những gì tôi đạt được, những gì tôi yêu quý, đều bắt nguồn từ những ước mơ và những mục đích mà tôi đã có khi còn là một đứa trẻ thơ… và trên đường đời, tôi đã đạt được hầu như tất cả những ước mơ và mục đích đó. Cái độc đáo của tôi, tôi thấy, đã tới từ sự đặc biệt của tất cả các ước mơ – từ cực kỳ có ý nghĩa tới khá kỳ quặc – nó đã xác định bốn mươi sáu năm của đời tôi. Ngồi đó, tôi biết mặc dù bị ung thư, tôi vẫn là người may mắn bởi đã được sống qua những ước mơ. Và tôi đạt được những ước mơ, phần lớn, là nhờ những gì tôi được dạy dỗ bởi những con người thật đặc biệt. Nếu tôi có thể kể câu chuyện của mình với cảm xúc mạnh mẽ, bài giảng của tôi sẽ giúp những người khác cũng tìm được con đường để hoàn thành những ước mơ của họ.”

Thật vô cùng ấn tượng với cách đặt vấn đề của Pausch. Cuộc đời của ta phải được định hình bởi các ước mơ. Ta đạt được các ước mơ bởi có những con người thật đặc biệt giúp ta. Và đến lượt ta, hãy giúp những người khác cũng đạt được những ước mơ của họ.

Điều đáng khâm phục là Pausch biết mình chỉ còn vài tháng để sống, và đã ý thức để sống được thật nhiều, thật tích cực cho bản thân, cho những người thân, đồng thời làm những việc có ích cho đời. Ông không chấp nhận cuộc sống như nó đã và đang là, mà phấn đấu cho một cuộc sống như nó cần phải là.

Cuốn sách nhỏ, ngoài lời giới thiệu ở đầu và lời cảm ơn ở cuối, được chia thành sáu phần.

Phần I – Bài giảng cuối cùng viết về quá trình chuẩn bị cho bài giảng. Mặc dù bị suy sụp vì bệnh tật, thời gian dành cho vợ con rất eo hẹp, mặc dù bị can ngăn, Pausch vẫn có ý chí quyết tâm thực hiện bài giảng, bởi “Bài giảng này là lần cuối cùng để nhiều người mà tôi quí mến có thể nhìn thấy tôi bằng da thịt. Tôi có một cơ hội để suy nghĩ về những gì là thật sự có ý nghĩa đối với tôi, để chốt kết những gì mọi người sẽ nhớ về tôi, và để làm bất cứ điều gì tốt trước khi tôi đi xa.” Ông nói với Jay, vợ ông: “Một con sư tử bị thương muốn biết nó có còn gầm nổi không. Đó là phẩm giá và lòng tự trọng, không hẳn giống như tính kiêu căng.”

Randy Pausch cũng thổ lộ với Jay, ông coi bài giảng là một phương tiện cho ông bước vào tương lai mà ông sẽ không bao giờ được thấy. Bài giảng là nơi ông gửi gắm những gì muốn dặn lại ba đứa con thơ dại. Bài giảng như hóa thân của ông được đem đút vào chiếc lọ, đẩy vào đại dương, tới ngày các con ông khôn lớn, chiếc lọ sẽ trôi dạt vào bờ và đến với chúng.

Phần II – Thật sự đạt được những ước mơ tuổi thơ viết về những ước mơ tuổi thơ và những trải nghiệm với những ước mơ đó.

Pausch may mắn được sinh ra và lớn lên trong một gia đình coi trọng việc học hành. Cha mẹ ông sống đạm bạc, không mua sắm nhiều, nhưng luôn nghĩ về mọi thứ, ham hiểu biết. Ông viết: “Lớn lên, tôi nhận thấy có hai loại gia đình: 1) Loại gia đình cần đến từ điển trong bữa ăn tối; 2) Loại gia đình khác. Chúng tôi thuộc loại thứ nhất. Hầu như mỗi tối, chúng tôi đều phải tham khảo cuốn từ điển để trên giá sách cách bàn ăn chừng sáu bước. ‘Nếu mình có câu hỏi,’ cha mẹ tôi nói, ‘thì cần phải tìm câu trả lời.’”

Lúc tuổi thơ Pausch đã từng ước mơ được trôi bồng bềnh trong trạng thái không trọng lượng. Với đề án ứng dụng hiện thực ảo, cùng các sinh viên, ông đã được bay trong thiết bị thí nghiệm của cơ quan hàng không vũ trụ NASA.

Pausch chơi bóng bầu dục từ khi lên chín tuổi, được gặp huấn luyện viên Graham, người đã để lại cho ông những bài học bổ ích nhớ đời. Pausch viết về Graham: “Lòng tự trọng? Ông biết chỉ có một cách để dạy trẻ tự phát triển phẩm chất này: Hãy đưa cho các em một việc mà các em không làm nổi ngay, các em sẽ phải phấn đấu cật lực cho tới khi làm được việc đó, và liên tục lặp lại quy trình này.”

Ước mơ được Chơi bóng bầu dục ở hạng quốc gia của Pausch không thực hiện được, nhưng ông viết: “đôi khi tôi nghĩ, tôi đã đạt được nhiều thứ hơn qua việc theo đuổi ước mơ này mà không hoàn tất được nó, so với việc theo đuổi và hoàn tất được nhiều ước mơ khác.”

Pausch cũng kể lại những trải nghiệm rất thú vị trên con đường thực hiện những ước mơ tuổi thơ tươi đẹp của ông: viết một bài cho Bách khoa Tòan thư Thế giới, làm thuyền trưởng Kirk, thắng giải những con thú bông và làm Disney imaginer.

Tinh thần xuyên suốt của Pausch là khi thật sự mong muốn, chúng ta có thể vượt qua được nhiều chướng ngại để thực hiện những ước mơ.

Phần III – Những phiêu lưu … và những bài học là phần viết về cuộc chiến đấu chống bệnh tật cùng những kỷ niệm gia đình.

Nổi bật trên hết là ý chí kiên cường và tinh thần lạc quan của Pausch. Hãy đọc đọan: “Tôi quan sát bác sĩ Wolff sử dụng ngôn từ để nói những câu với ý nghĩa thật tích cực. Khi chúng tôi hỏi, ‘Còn bao nhiêu lâu nữa thì tôi chết?’ ông đã trả lời, ‘Ông có thể có ba tới sáu tháng với sức khỏe tốt.’ Điều này nhắc tôi nhớ tới thời gian ở Disney. Nếu hỏi nhân viên Disney: ‘Mấy giờ công viên đóng cửa?’ Họ sẽ trả lời: ‘Công viên mở cửa tới 8 giờ tối.’”

Randy Pausch đã viết thật chân thành về mối tình và cuộc sống của ông với Jay. Nó cũng đầy khó khăn, nhưng ông luôn nhìn khó khăn, mà ông gọi là những bức tường gạch, chỉ là để thử thách “… Những bức tường gạch ở đó để chặn những người chưa muốn những điều gì đó một cách hết sức.”

Có người cho Pausch là không hợp lý, nhưng thực ra, ông có nguyên tắc sống của mình. Khi xe ô tô bị va quệt, ông thấy: “Những chỗ hỏng vẫn OK. Cha mẹ tôi đã dạy, xe ô tô là để đưa mình từ điểm A tới đỉểm B. Chúng là những vật dụng, không phải là sự biểu lộ của địa vị xã hội. Và vì vậy, tôi nói với Jai là mình không cần phải làm những sửa chữa thẩm mỹ. Chúng tôi vẫn có thể dùng xe với các vết sứt và các chỗ bẹp.”

Phần IV – Tạo điều kiện cho những ước mơ của người khác viết về những say mê của Pausch, nhất là trong vai trò của một nhà giáo dục. Pausch ý thức thời gian là hữu hạn, và luôn cố gắng quản lý quỹ thời gian sao cho tốt nhất. Theo ông: thời gian cần phải được quản lý một cách rõ ràng, giống như tiền bạc; ta luôn có thể thay đổi kế hoạch, nhưng chỉ khi ta có một kế hoạch; cần thiết lập một hệ thống lưu trữ tốt; cần xét lại về dùng điện thoại; phải biết ủy thác; và phải nghỉ ngơi. Với sinh viên, ông chú tâm rèn luyện những thứ tưởng giản đơn như tinh thần đồng đội, biết tự đánh giá về tiến bộ của mình, biết xin lỗi, … Ông khắt khe đòi hỏi nhiều ở sinh viên, nhưng cũng sẵn sàng đứng ra bảo vệ họ. Và cuối cùng, họ đã thấy “Được làm việc với Randy và học ông, đó chính là một loại may mắn.”
Pausch đã ước mơ để không chỉ có thể giúp được cho một vài người, mà là cho hàng trăm, hàng ngàn, thậm chí hàng triệu người. Và ông đã thật sự đạt được ước mơ đó.

Phần V – Về sống cuộc sống như thế nào viết về Pausch đã cố gắng sống cuộc sống của ông ra sao, về những gì đúng với ông.

Đây là một kiểu suy nghĩ của Pausch: “Khi bạn dùng tiền để chống đói nghèo, có thể nó có giá trị lớn, nhưng khá thông thường, bạn đang làm việc trong các giới hạn chật hẹp. Khi bạn đưa người lên mặt trăng, bạn gây cảm hứng cho tất cả mọi người hướng tới cái tối đa của tiềm năng con người, đó là cách để cuối cùng chúng ta sẽ tìm được lời giải cho những vấn đề lớn nhất. Hãy tự cho phép bạn mơ ước. Hãy khích lệ những ước mơ của cả con cái các bạn.”

Ông coi sự chân thành tốt hơn là sự hợp thời và “Sự chân thành hay bị đánh giá quá thấp, bởi nó đến từ tận đáy lòng, đôi khi khó nhận ra, trong khi hợp thời lại dễ thấy bởi nó là sự cố gắng gây ấn tượng với vẻ bề ngoài.”

Theo ông, có quá nhiều người hay than vãn về các vấn đề của họ và tin rằng “nếu bạn lấy một phần mười năng lượng cho việc than vãn để dùng vào việc giải quyết vấn đề, thì bạn sẽ ngạc nhiên thấy công việc trôi chảy.”

Với ông thì: phải chữa căn bệnh, chứ không chữa triệu chứng; đừng ám ảnh về những gì người khác nghĩ; mọi việc nên bắt đầu bằng cách ngồi lại cùng với nhau; hãy tìm điều tốt nhất ở mỗi người; hãy xem những gì họ làm, đừng nghe những gì họ nói; trung thành; thể hiện lòng biết ơn; nói sự thật; không bỏ cuộc; … những điều thật giản dị và chắc chắn xã hội sẽ tốt hơn nếu ai cũng sống được như vậy. Thông điệp của ông cũng là: làm việc, làm việc và làm việc, bởi “may mắn chỉ là sự gặp gỡ của chuẩn bị và thời cơ.”

Phần VI – Những lưu ý cuối cùng được viết rất cảm động về những gì Pausch dành cho vợ và ba đứa con. Ông đã làm mọi thứ để chuẩn bị cho cuộc sống tương lai của gia đình thiếu vắng ông, và hết mực tôn trọng những lựa chọn riêng tư của họ.

Ông viết: “Có thể không thật đúng khi cha mẹ có những ước mơ thật cụ thể cho con cái họ. Là một giáo sư, tôi đã thấy nhiều sinh viên năm đầu thật bất hạnh khi phải chọn những chuyên ngành hoàn toàn không phù hợp với họ. Cha mẹ đã ép đặt họ lên một chuyến tầu, và khá thông thường, chuyến tầu bị đổ. Tôi đã chứng kiến nhiều nước mắt của sự thất vọng. Như tôi nhìn nhận, công việc của cha mẹ là động viên con cái phát triển một niềm vui cho cuộc sống và một sự thôi thúc theo đuổi những ước mơ riêng. Điều tốt nhất cha mẹ có thể làm là giúp con cái xây dựng một tập hợp những công cụ cần thiết cho chúng.”

Thật lý thú khi tác giả thuật lại những giây phút kết thúc Bài Giảng Cuối Cùng của ông: “Như vậy, bài nói hôm nay là về đạt được những ước mơ tuổi thơ, nhưng nó không phải về việc làm thế nào để đạt được những ước mơ của bạn. Nó là về làm thế nào để dẫn dắt cuộc đời của bạn. Nếu bạn dẫn dắt cuộc đời của bạn một cách đúng đắn, cái nghiệp sẽ tự thành. Các ước mơ sẽ đến với bạn.”

Và không thể không ngậm ngùi khi biết chính Pausch đã lo sợ mình sẽ quá xúc động và không nói nổi được hết câu cuối cùng: “Bài giảng không phải chỉ dành cho những người ở hội trường. Nó là dành cho các con của tôi.”

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Các bạn trẻ hôm nay thật cần những tấm gương lành mạnh để soi vào và noi theo. Những bài học từ một cuộc đời thật, rất dung dị như của Randy Pausch trong cuốn “Bài Giảng Cuối Cùng” là vô cùng quý giá. Nếu như nhiều bạn đọc từ nhiều nước trên thế giới bày tỏ cuốn sách đã làm thay đổi cách sống và cách suy nghĩ của họ một cách tích cực, thì cũng hy vọng bạn đọc Việt Nam, nhất là các bạn trẻ, sẽ tìm thấy những điều thú vị và bổ ích làm phong phú thêm tập hợp các công cụ cần thiết cho cuộc sống tích cực hơn, ý nghĩa hơn.

Khi bắt tay vào dịch cuốn sách, tôi đã ước mơ đưa nó đến được với nhiều bạn đọc Việt Nam. Cám ơn những người thân, cám ơn bạn bè, cám ơn VinaBook đã tạo điều kiện để hôm nay ước mơ đó trở thành hiện thực.

Vũ Duy Mẫn
New York, 14/10/2009

The video will change your mood 100% guarantied…

Coming face-to-face with a disaster and then realizing how lucky you are to have been spared will leave you thinking. Hard. About your life, your loves, your goals, your unfulfilled dreams. Pretty much everything.

This YouTube video has been seen by over 10 million viewers and has spawned a book that likewise sold millions the world over. Its subject, Dr. Randy Pausch, was a professor at Carnegie Mellon who had thought of delivering a “last lecture” after learning that he had pancreatic cancer. It’s really about “achieving childhood dreams” and was dedicated to his three children. Its lessons are universal and timeless and are really a must-see (as is the book).

Dr. Pausch succumbed to cancer last year, on July 25.

For more information on THE LAST LECTURE, click HERE