Being faced with death brings out a person's true self, be it their best or their worst self, the strongest one comes screaming to the front of the line. I sincerely hope that I learn from Randy Pausch's example.He doesn't think he's extraordinary or special or heroic. He's just living life to the fullest for as long as it lasts and teaching his students at Carnegie Mellon University a few things along the way. But, unlike me, he has an approximate date, a fixed point in time when all the fun will end. Randy is dieing with pancreatic cancer.
When he found out he was terminally ill he gave his last lecture to his students, one designed to teach the most important lesson we can learn - how to truly live before we die. A short version of this lesson is the basis for my 2/24/08 post. Please watch it. It is powerful.
Today I found a Randy's update site where he keeps his students apprised of his health and progress. Six months after his lecture he's had positive results from chemotherapy that will buy him more time. He's written a book with Jeff Zaslow to be published in April. And he's testified before congress about pancreatic cancer.
I'm so glad I found out about this man and will never forget what he said in his lecture about brick walls. They are not there to stop me. They are there for me to find a way around them and to prove my determination and worthiness to reach my goal, not to stop me.
