Book - The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Chapter 1: The Last Lecture
He wants to center the lecture around his childhood dreams, how he managed to achieve most of them, and advice which he hopes might help others to achieve their aspirations as well. He titles his last lecture Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.
I don’t believe in the no-win scenario. - Captain Kirk
Chapter 4: Enabling the Dreams of Others
In this next section, Pausch gives a wealth of advice which he hopes will help others achieve their dreams and lead meaningful lives just as he has. Among the keys to success, he argues, are
- time management,
- effective planning and preparation,
- proper ordering of priorities,
- organization,
- delegation, and
- knowing when to take a break.
Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think.
He tells the audience that although he is very happy to have achieved so many of his own childhood dreams, he finds enabling the dreams of others much more fulfilling. He once took a student under his wing and worked tirelessly to help him fulfill his dream of working on a Star Wars film. The student went on to join the team of not one but three Star Wars films, thanks to Pausch’s guidance. He says that he feels every bit as accomplished as if the student’s dream had been his own.
Chapter 5: It’s About How You Live Your Life
This final section is in essence an overview of the primary themes of Pausch’s life, or as he calls it a summary of what worked for me. He recalls his philosophy that it is important to allow oneself to dream big. Your life is molded by your dreams. He says that he values being earnest, knowing when to surrender, and being able to compromise. He says that complaining is a waste of time and that time would be better spent working through a problem rather than whining about it. He says that it’s important to be both true to oneself and supportive of others. Always, he says, look for the best in others.
Be daring, dedicated, original, loyal, grateful, honest, humble, and above all optimistic, and happiness will come.
Chapter 6: Final Remarks
Pausch closes his speech by telling each of his children how much he loves them and how badly he wishes that he didn’t have to leave them. He tells his three children to dream big and become whatever it is they want to be, not what they think he would have wanted them to be. All he wants them to be, he says, is happy. He then asks the audience to join him in singing Happy Birthday to his wife Jai, which they do to his delight. She comes to stand beside him on stage as he delivers the final lines of his speech. He emotionally admits to the audience that entire speech they’d just heard wasn’t really for them at all. It was for his children all along. The final slide is an image of Pausch at the family’s home, with Logan and Chloe in his arms and Dylan happily perched on his shoulders.