The Last Lecture

Many would have heard about the Last Lecture. For those who haven't, please take an attempt to at least read it or else you have just wasted time looking for answers in space.

To me, it was just by accident that I got the opportunity to view the Last Lecture through Oprah's show. A year later, on my 30th birthday, I was given this book as Birthday present by a friend. And it turn out to be the best birthday present ever.

Even though I loved the Last Lecture, but my expectation on the book was just not high. Its well known fact that what you view will never be as nice as what's in book and vise verse. But after reading it, I loved it even more then what Randy said in his lecture.

Many said reading "PS: I Love You" brought tears at the end, but reading Randy Pauch's words brought tears on almost end of every chapter.Total truth and honesty from an ordinary human being.

I quote unquote Randy's words "If you offer wisdom from third party it seems less arrogant and more acceptable." Here are some of his word of wisdom and thoughts I loved most and would like to share with others:

1. Engineering isn’t about perfect solution; it’s about doing the best you can with limited resources.

2. If you can find opening; you can probably find a way to float through it.

3. When you are screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore that means they have given up on you.

4. Automobiles are there to get you from point A to point B. They are utilitarian devices, not expressions of social status.

5. When you are putting people on the moon, you’re inspiring all of us to achieve the maximum of human potential, which is how our greatest problems will eventually be solved. When you use money to fight poverty too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I’ve always believed that if you took one-tenth the energy put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem; you’d be surprised by how well things can work out.

6. Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.

7. Failure is not just acceptable, it’s often essential.

8. The person who failed often knows how to avoid future failures.

9. Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things human can do for each other.

10. Now that I’m an adult, you’ll never catch me with less than $200 in my wallet. I want to be prepared in case I need it. Sure I could lose my wallet or it could be stolen. But for a guy making a reasonable living, $200 is an amount worth risking. By contrast, not having cash on hand when you need it is potentially a much bigger problem.

11. When you go into the wilderness, the only thing you can count on is what you take with you.

12. You are only good as your word and there' s no better way to say it.

13. People lie for so many reasons, often because it seems like a way to get what they want with less effort but like many short term strategies, its ineffective long term. You run into people again later, and they remember you lied to them. And they tell lots of other people about it. That’s what amazes me about lying. Most people who have told a lie think they got away with it..when in fact, they didn’t.

14. Krishamurthi : “tell you friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Wherever he goes, you also go. He will not be alone”

15. I want them to find their own path to fulfillment. And given that I won’t be there, I want to make this clear: kids, don’t try to figure out what I wanted you to become. I want you to become what you want to become.

16. It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. Its about how to lead your life. If you lead life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.


Randy and his kids

Note: yellow one's are my favorite