Sitting in on The Last Lecture

Life doesn’t come with a manual but if you look carefully there are plenty of easy to follow lessons left by people who figured out how to do it well. I recently came across such a lesson in my family’s book collection titled, “The Last Lecture.” This real life story focuses on Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon professor diagnosed with cancer who’s determined to leave an enduring legacy for his loved ones. He does this by giving a last lecture – an exercise where professors reflect on what’s important to them and share their last words as if they were dying tomorrow.

Randy uses the first few chapters to outline his life to date and the rationale behind giving a last lecture. At first it seems as if the story will just be a paper copy of his live performance. A few chapters in however the book jumps from its straightforward narrative and shifts focus to important life moments for Randy. Each mini story reveals a lesson the professor learned when encountering life challenges. At this point Randy begins to reveal smaller thoughts regarding daily life that are focused on a grand narrative. Like life the book is filled with many lessons that when combined come together to showcase a complete story.

Ultimately there are many lessons to take away from this book. Below are a few I found meaningful:

• Make opportunity – “…If you can find an opening, you can probably find a way to float through it.”
• Never give-up – “…Don’t believe in the no win scenario.”
• Default to positive – “The park is open until 8 PM.”
• Brick walls aren’t dead ends – “Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”
• Function is greater than perfection – “Not everything in life needs to be fixed.”
• Create to-do lists – “You can always change your plans, but only if you have one.”
• Learn from failure – “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted… Be the first penguin.”

“The Last Lecture” is a quick read with lots to teach. The title is deceptive in the fact that while it’s focused on Professor Pausch’s last lecture, it’s easily a whole quarter worth of knowledge crammed into 200 pages. It’s not required reading but the story is perfect for those looking to get a new perspective on life and its daily challenges.

Status Update - 1.13.13

Life slowly returned to normal this week following Fuzz’s departure the week before. Traditional routines reemerged and I found myself gaining a bit of traction in discovering what's next on the professional front. Thanks to a handful of great conversations about potential new ventures and life advice, my outlook for the year remains positive.

On a more personal level, I’m making progress in achieving some of my goals for this year. A few noteworthy ones include being physically active frequently, building my own Website and reading regularly. I'm very excited to be learning HTML and looking forward to hitting publish on my site next month. I also purchased a few sessions at a boxing/muay thai gym in Belltown that I'm eager to try.

The year is off to a good start so far. And as a former sprinter, I’m well aware of the importance of a good start. Out of the gate, it’s time to make things happen! Hello 2013, you're looking great.

[Photo courtesy of Flickr user bacherfamily]

2013 Goals

Admittedly, I am a bit behind in posting these but wanted to share my major goals for 2013. There are two reasons for doing so. First, I’ve found from experience that it’s easy to forget goals when they don’t take physical shape. Secondly, I’m striving to generate more original content in 2013 and this is a step in the right direction. I’m in the process of determining a good home for all of my posts but for now I’m going to make use of Facebook notes.

Below are my major goals for the year:

• Master four new cocktails
• Be physically active three times a week
• Save $10,000 for a major life event
• Blog once a week
• Create a personal Website
• Make more time for family and friends
• Read a new book once a month
• Be timely and organized
• Attend two networking/educational events a month
• Visit a major U.S. city outside of the Pacific Northwest

Smooth Sailing

Life is full of varying degrees of chaos. From simple day-to-day problems like commuting, to more complex challenges such as paying down a massive amount of debt or figuring out how to say goodbye to a loved one. Problems arise from the shadows often to steal the spotlight and collect all of our available attention. While these moment are important and can be life changing, they are brief.

Reflecting back on my own life over the past year, I can recall a few storms or two that arose out of nowhere. Now being in a moment of relative calm, I can easily recall the events surrounding the storm but recognize it as only a fleeting memory. After all, things turned out for the best in the long run. When Fuzz left, I bunkered down and became more independent, meetings new friends and acquiring new skills. When I was laid off, I used my available resources to visit Kuala Lumpur for a vacation and networked to find a new job when I returned.

Storms as I’ve learned come as quickly as they leave. While it doesn’t feel this way during, hindsight reveals it was more of a fire drill than a catastrophe. Life is full of unexpected events. Embracing the chaos when it comes to your door and cherishing the calm before and after is the best way to live. After all, life is too short to constantly be hunkering down for the next big one.