Rest in Peace Randy Pausch
July 26th, 2008 by jay
I’m sad to report that Randy Pausch passed away on Friday July 25th. His long fight with cancer is now over.
If you’ve kept up with this site it’s no secret to you that I’m a huge fan of Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor who inspired us with his Last Lecture video which I posted on here back in March. After watching that I purchased his book titled The Last Lecture on the day it came out in April. It’s a book I plan to pull out and read on a regular basis to help remind me of what is important in life and how I can set out to achieve my goals.
Two things from Randy really stick out to me…Tigger and a deck of cards.
At home we have what we call a “vision board” and for the past month or so I’ve had a picture of Tigger on it to help remind me to choose be a Tigger in life not an Eeyore. Like many of his lessons, it’s a simple and basic point that really needs no further explanation. It’s also one that I strongly believe can make a profound difference in one’s life if they just stick to that principle.
On that same vision board I also have a picture of a deck of cards to help remind me of my favorite saying of his which is yet another simple life lesson. We can’t change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand. If someone dying of cancer can say that, then I think I can remember than when life throws me a for a loop or two.
I don’t by any means feel I already have put these two lessons into practice 100% just yet. I still can be an Eeyore and I still will moan about curves that life thows my way rather than just focusing on what I can do about it. That’s okay though, I know it takes time and effort to form a new habit. Thanks to Randy I know what I want to aim for now and well that’s not a bad start.
Jason, thank you for introducing Randy to so many through your time and efforts by posting his lecture in March. Because of your sharing, I introduced Randy to 115 eighth graders. Remember my frantic phone call to you during the school day asking how to get to your site?! Just think, they get even more time than we do to live the Randy way. And by the way, I’ve seen you in the Tigger mode…at the UCF bounce house…na, na, na, na, na UCF KNIGHTS! You are a role model as well as Randy. My boys look up to you so thank you for the character you bring to life…love you lots cathyjo
Cathy thanks for sharing that about your students. That’s a great thought about how those students will get even more time to try and live by some of Randy’s principles. I’m so very glad I could help by bringing attention to this through my blog. There’s no doubt the world could use more Randy’s.
Thanks for the comments at the end but I think, ..no make that I KNOW I’ve learned a lot more from you and your boys than I could possibly repay. I continue to be amazed by what I see coming from the TWF household. So thank YOU.