Randy Pausch’s Inspiring Last Lecture
by Linda ~ February 25th, 2008Randy Pausch’s last lecture on the Oprah Show was sent to me by a good friend. Randy Pausch is dying and the life lessons he wants to impart to the world but especially to his three children are all about the relationships of your life: how to love, honor, respect, find joy, cherish and heal the relationships of your life. Please watch this video - it could change your life. Randy’s website will give you updates on his condition, encourage you to send your children to Carnegie Mellon University and continue the conversation about what is important in life.
Randy’s core message is about relationships and one of the things he says is how important forgiveness is; asking it and giving it. ”There are three elements to forgiveness”, he says: “I am sorry. It was my fault. How do I make it right?”. Without exception anyone involved in a conflict whether it be in a family, business or community have to say these words and put action behind the words to everyone involved in the conflict. If anyone inside the conflict cannot take responsibility for their part in the conflict there will be no resolution.
When I was a teenager I was quite the spoiled brat. My father was a Colonel in the Air Force - a military man with a no-nonsense, straight arrow, honorable way of living (he still is that way). He sat me down once and said “Linda, you are all about excuses and blame. When I have a man in a squadron that is like you, I get rid of him very fast because that one man with the blame and excuses will drag the rest of the squadron down with him.” And then he asked me the question: “Do you want to be responsible for dragging this family down with you into that place of excuses and blame or do you want to take responsibility for what you have done and make it right?” That conversation changed my life. The most important part of what Randy says about forgiveness is to ask the question: “How do I make it right?” This is admittednly the most difficult part because it requires you to change your behavior and even toxic behavior is difficult to change. But without this part you are depriving yourself of creating change within yourself and depriving your family or community of being whole and emotionally healthy.
Life is all about relationships. Life would not be worth living without happy, joyful, loving relationships. And yes, there will be conflict, and yes there will be hard times but taking responsibility for your part in the conflict will ease your pain and create extraordinary bonds with the relationships of your life. If one makes a choice to live in pain that is a choice that will drive the rest of the family or group in conflict down with you.
Randy Pausch obviously cherishes his relationships as that is what all of his life lessons are about. That is what life is about; living in harmony and joy with the people you love.
Compliments of Beaton Photography following are other resources about this Last Lecture: YouTube has several videos about how other universities are using this lecture and there is a good summary in the Wall Street Journal.