Complete: 12/27/2012
For this bucket list item, I was looking for a way to feel inspired
about living life. In my search, I came across the title The Last
Lecture. The concept refers to the talk a professor would give,
pondering on what matters most to them and what wisdom s/he would like
to impart on the world, if it were his/her last. For this book's author
and professor at Carnegie Mellon, Dr. Randy Pausch, his last lecture
would indeed turn out to be his last, having learned he had pancreatic
cancer and with a short time left on this Earth. How he chose to live
out his last days and the messages he wanted to pass on as his legacy
intrigued me, and so I chose to read the book.
After reading about a dying man who has come to terms with his impending
death and who can still stay positive and live life to the fullest,
it's hard not to reassess my own life and put it into perspective.
I found it ironic that he chose as the focus of his lecture his childhood dreams (seeing as how my motivation to read this book was related to achieving a goal). When I think back to mine's, I really wanted teacher when I grew up. In fact, when I played by myself, I would teach my school of stuffed animals and I even went as far as to replicate report cards for my imaginary students. Fast forward to the present day, I wouldn't say I ended up achieving my dream per se, but I did land myself in a job where I get to interact with students and so I guess I can say that I sort of stuck on that track. But there's always opportunity in the future to realize my childhood dream...we'll see.
Dr. Randy Pausch, courtesy of Randy Pausch's Home Page
Highlights from the book that resonated or stood out to me include:
1) Randy's parents' sacrifice and humility. What I really admire and respect about his parents are the morals and values that they passed on to Randy. This they not only expressed verbally, but demonstrated through action. They did a lot of volunteer work, which my parents continually encourage for me. For me, I find that volunteering often renews my hope in humanity to see the goodness in people. So often, we are caught up in our own lives and little things in life that we don't take the time to step back and appreciate the greater things of the world. I'll admit that I don't do this as often as I used to, but it's good to use your time to help others every once in a while.
2) Complaining doesn't work as a strategy. It is so easy to complain just about anything (I am well aware of this first-hand, having failed to fulfill one of my bucket list goals to go without complaining for 21 days a few months ago. I'm hoping to save it for a later date when I feel more prepared to complete it). In Randy's eyes, we have limited time and energy and so why not be more productive and try to solve our problems at hand than waste them whining? It certainly doesn't help us achieve our goals nor make us any happier after having complained. Such sound advice, yet still working on figuring out how to implement it more often in my life because I can sometimes act like a spoiled brat.
3) Ignore everything people say and only pay attention to what they do. In other words, actions speak louder than words. This advice is pretty much valid in any context, but especially important in searching for a life partner. In fact, my mother has driven this into my head as well. And this statement is quite true. People find it much easier to look up to and heed someone who walks the walk than to listen to someone who mostly talks the talk.
4) Dance with the one who brings you, namely showing loyalty and appreciation. We get through life by the help of others. I've found it easy to take for granted what people have done for me, so I want to make a more conscious effort to be grateful for the outcomes that have happened in my life. They are what make me who I am and I know that I've lived a better and easier life than most. I consider myself quite loyal, but I could always be more conscious of how others have helped me and express gratitude in ways that demonstrate my appreciation for what others have done for me.
5) Proper apologies comprise of three parts: what I did was wrong, I feel badly that I hurt you, and how do I make this better? Pride is a shortcoming of many, myself included. Unfortunately, the majority of my apologies are said in haste, meaning my apologies are often not heartfelt or genuine. As a result, more often than not, I do not consciously remember what I did wrong. I tend to commit the same mistake again. This, I shall admit, is definitely an area of improvement for me.
6) No job is beneath you. I don't think this has been an issue for me; when I was younger I worked as a classroom cleaner and did some dirty or laborious manual labor. I've actually been grateful for having such experiences under my belt, because it has made me more cognizant of what some people go through daily on their job and I'll do my part to make it as easy as possible for them. It's disappointing to hear stories of how inconsiderate people can be (do you really miss the toilet that badly in the restroom or does it really take you that much effort to try to throw something away properly in a trashcan?). To today, even though I will never want to go back to doing such work as a job, I am grateful to people in those type of positions and for what they do. I can certainly appreciate someone willing to do such work to earn a living and be a decent member of society much more than a person who takes advantage of charity or government assistance and sits on their butt all day.
Also along with this is how people nowadays feel a greater sense of self-entitlement but fail to emphasize the responsibility that comes with rights and freedom. Oh how much I agree with this, unfortunately. Our society is suffering more because of the increasing prevalence of these two ideas. I feel like today's youth is so spoiled, it being so easy for them to get what they want, and therefore they don't really understand the concept of hard work. Again, I am grateful for the upbringing I had, where I engaged in hard manual labor and thus helped me to understand the value of a strong work ethic.
Randy with his three children, courtesy of The Last Lecture
Having read The Last Lecture,
I've been inspired to have a
more positive outlook on my life because it is indeed short and it's
better to spend my days happier and in good spirits. In thinking about
what messages from
my own life experience that I'd
like to pass on, I think of character. I feel like good character is not
easy to come by these days. Skills and knowledge
are the core of American education, but learning how to be a good person
provides a basic foundation to be successful in life. At this point in
my life, here are the top five things that I put into practice in my
life that I find worthy:
1)
Work hard. Not everyone has the good fortune to ride on by without
having to work hard. But those who do more often than not reap benefits.
Being productive and getting things done gives you a greater sense of
fulfillment and useful place in this society than to be lazy. And the
younger you are when you start, the earlier you can sit back, relax, and
enjoy your life in old age.
2)
Give back. It's unavoidable to be completely self-reliant, whether it be by a helping hand or of all the hands things go through before it reaches us for consumption.
Seeing as how everyone is interconnected, our responsibility to the
rest of the world is to do our part to contribute to society. This we
accomplish by first doing our best at whatever our role in society is
(eg. at our job, in our family, etc). Just as important is to also
engage in community service or charity when the opportunities arise. It's the best way to show
appreciation for what people have done for us and to pass on our good
fortune to other people so that they too may remember the same message
and do the same for someone else. The concept of paying it forward
really works.
3)
Respect others. The golden rule of treating others the way you want to
be treated is a no-brainer. It's such a basic concept, but it is worth
repeating because people need reminding. No one is so on top of the
world and better than everyone else that they can treat others badly. No
one.
4)
Don't waste. Resources on this planet are limited and we're running out
of space in landfills. There's no reason for us to use things in excess
and throw away without a second thought. Food especially. Recycle and
conserve wherever possible. Reusable items can be donated to a goodwill
store.
5)
Stop to smell the roses. Kids are growing up much faster and people are
getting so much more caught up in technology that simple, good things
in life are being missed. I don't have anything against technology and
can appreciate what advances it has made in society, but just don't let
it consume your life. Go out and soak in the beauty of nature, or take
the time to sit down with family and friends and enjoy their company.
Don't take the things that are surrounding you for granted!
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