I just finished reading this last night. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It's about a man who found out that he had only 3-6 months to live due to a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Randy writes mainly to tell his family and children that he loves them and will always remember them. And then he writes to all of us, to tell us to live out our childhood dreams. He actually delivered his 'last lecture' to an audience at Carnagie Mellon University in September 2007. The books details what Randy's childhood dreams were, and how he actually got to live them out-- being a professor, working with Walt Disney Imagineering, pioneering the Alice project, and co-founding the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnagie Mellon (among many others).
This guy actually got to do all that he had his heart set on as a child. And it stops and makes me think: am I living up to my full potential? Am I accomplishing my dreams? Living each day to its fullest? I think I already know the answer to that question and I've got a long way to go.
It also makes me think about what I would spend my last moments on this earth doing. Sure would put things into better perspective: hug more, worry less, laugh often, love those around you and never stop giving up.
Randy passed away on July 25th, 2008.
If you want an easy read, with lots of introspection along the way, head on down to your local library and check this one out.
...if your darling girl asks you this question while you are doing her hair in the morning:
