This lecture was nothing short of inspiring. Listening to Randy Pausch was eye opening and thought provoking. It awakens the desire to dream and through his speech he gives you the permission to have dreams and go after them. It was astounding how he not only spoke of the dreams he had, but how he followed through with achieving his dreams, in failures and in successes. One of his greatest traits that was highlighted was that he saw a brick wall as a gateway and not as a dead end. That's absolutely imperative in life. Many times we will encounter brick walls, but they are a measuring stick to determine how much we really want our dreams in life. Pausch was an inspiration, by the full life that he lived. At the beginning of his lecture when he announced his diagnosis, Pausch stated a quote that said. "We cannot change the cards we are dealt just how we play the hand!" He had the astounding ability to know how to dream and take reasonable steps to accomplish those dreams and no matter what life gave him, he continued dreaming. It's very easy after we experience 'brick walls' to stop dreaming or to allow that to become a paralyzed part of our life, but he expressed in many words that those brick walls should be a catalyst to push us further into our goals. Another thing that he mentioned in the lecture that really stood out to me was his love for football, one of his earlier childhood dreams. He wanted to play in the NFL and even though he never made it professionally, it was a big part of his life because of what he learned from the sport, coaches, and experiences and then applied to all facets of life. It was very amazing that football was the dream in which he received the most fulfillment from. He learned fundamentals in football and what hard coaching was all about. He realized at that point that when someone points out your flaws, it's because they care. These principles were ones that not only applied on a football field, but in his entire life.
The lecture also pointed out how important mentors are. It's important to have people in your life who believe in you and in the dreams you have. It's so important and necessary because that teaches you how to believe in others. As future professors it must also be our heart and motive to enable others to dream big and aspire to achieve those dreams.
Because Pausch had such a phenomenal understanding of dreams and going after those dreams, he chose to become a professor so that he could enable the dreams in others. One great thing that he mentioned that would be great to apply to my very own classroom is that we shouldn't set the bar anywhere for students to aim to achieve because that will limit them and do a great injustice. Rather continue to raise the bar so that students will continue to aim higher.
Throughout the lecture I thought what drives us and this was also answered throughout as the following: Childhood wonders, helping others, choosing to be a 'tigger' (or optimistic individual). He also spoke on how loyalty and leadership were so important. These were just a few of the things that should drive us.
What a truly outstanding last lecture on achieving childhood dreams. After watching this several words come to mind, and that is legacy, pioneer, life, dreamer, giver, and teacher. Randy Pausch definitely left a legacy and blazed a trail for dreamers to dream and also enable that gift in others. With a life lived in that manner, his works and productions still remain. There are so many things that I want to take away from this video, for example, the value and support of people close to me, the importance of dreams, never giving up but always being determined, taking constructional criticism from those who care, and letting passions determine my course as well as enabling that desire to dream in others.
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