Shonzilla, a pattern-seeking animal

The Last Lecture of Randy Pausch: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

If you haven’t watched this video, the so-called “last lecture” by the Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch, I strongly recommend you that you do. I’m pretty sure it will be a time well spent.

Pausch delivered his “Last Lecture,” titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” at Carnegie Mellon on September 18, 2007. This talk was modeled after an ongoing series of lectures where top academics are asked to think deeply about what matters to them, and then give a hypothetical “final talk”, i.e., “what wisdom would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance?”

One of the reasons for writing this post is that today I have read devoured the book by WSJ columnist Jeffrey Zaslow and Randy himself, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a terminal illness. Another reason is that a dear person from my girlfriend’s family died today under a similar circumstances which one might call “the eventual inevitability of death”.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Although you may trivialize some of the messages into cliches like “love your life”, “live in present tense”, “work hard and it will pay off”, and.. “follow your (childhood) dreams”, it is important to put this book and book author’s life in scope. I’d recommend anyone to first watch The Last Lecture he held at Carnegie Mellon University. Then decide if you want to know/read more.

I watched his last lecture it twice. The first time after accidentally stumbling upon it on YouTube, while Randy was still alive. The second time, as I thought about “that nice guy” several months later, i.e. just one week after he died. I was moved and my mind was brought back to home page of life. The questions like “what is really important?”, “why I am (not) doing this?” come back running.

Yesterday I layed my hands on the book my girlfriend got from
a new friend and colleague. Just by hearing the author’s name, I felt this is someone I know and identify pretty much with. After reading the book I identify even more. Now it’s no wonder that I gave the book 5 stars over at Goodreads.

Jokes aside, do yourself a favor - watch the video, read the book, love your “loved ones”, live your life. No matter what someone might lead you to believe, the life you’re living now has no re-runs.

RIP Randy.
RIP Grandma Mara.

Note to self: Make your work a work of art

An inspiring paragraph from a book I’m reading - “Talent (Tom Peters Essentials)” by Tom Peters of course. Supporting his idea of aiming for the top quality and grand vision, Tom quotes the book “The Art of Business: Make All your Work a Work of Art” from Stan Davis and Steve McIntosh. Authors argue tjat people must adopt these “four elements” of new business thinking: See yourself as an artist. See your work as a work of art. See your customers as an audience. See your competition as teachers.

I’d liken “business as art” approach to a female principle contrasted to male principle as epitomized by “art of war” philosophy (most prominently Sun Tzu).