"People are like sticks of dynamite;
the power’s on the inside but nothing happens until the fuse gets
lit."
Randy Pausch was 47 years old when he died from pancreatic
cancer. He was, as the Independent
of London put it, "the dying man who taught America how to
live." His book, The
Last Lecture, is an international best-seller and it offers many
wonderful lessons about life.
Randy Pausch's "last lecture" was delivered in
September 2007, at Carnegie Mellon University, where he taught computer
science. The lecture began with him standing before a screen beaming down
chilling CT images of tumors in his liver, under the title ... The Elephant in the Room. He then said to a stunned
audience, "I have about 6 months to live." He said, "I'm really
in good shape, probably better shape than most of you," ... dropping to
the floor to do push-ups.
He went on to say, "I'm dying and I'm having fun, and
I'm going to keep having fun every day I have left." He talked about his
childhood dreams and what they had taught him about life. He said, "If you
live your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself ... your
dreams will come to you."
Randy Pausch really was a dying man who has taught America
how to live.
He died on July 25, 2008, but his wisdom, his passion, and
his attitude are lasting sources of inspiration for all of us.
"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."
- Randy
Pausch