Randy Pausch: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

[MagicaPractica]

"Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch, who is dying from pancreatic cancer, gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. In his moving talk, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals."


http://cmu.edu/uls/journeys/

 

[jomar]

I keep trying to get to this, but keep getting interrupted. Argh.

 

[MagicaPractica]

I keep trying to get to this, but keep getting interrupted. Argh.

Sorry, he was on Oprah today. I'm sure people are downloading like crazy. Might have to wait a day.

 

[jomar]

Sorry, he was on Oprah today. I'm sure people are downloading like crazy. Might have to wait a day.

I wasn't clear. Not the download - me!

 

[slyc_willie]

I really only ever wanted to be a writer. I started at 14, in tenth grade, after my English teacher, Mrs. Purser, went over a sci-fi story with me that I had written. She gave me a well-worn thesuarus she kept in her class, with her name written on the backing. I kept that thesaurus for a good ten or so years.

A few years later, I decided I wanted to be a police officer. I settled for joining the military and becoming a CID officer. Close enough, I guess, though I did not particularly enjoy the reception I got from other soldiers. Still, I was pretty damn good at my job.

But once I was discharged, I wanted to be a writer again. I needed to know that I could create something, leave something behind other than a physical legacy through children and so forth. I guess you could say I wanted to play God in my own mind.

I was first published in 1996. Then three times in 1997. Twice the following year, twice the year after that. All short stories, all science fiction. Then I stopped submitting manuscripts and concentrated on writing novels.

I had an agent for a while, but he was a lazy P.O.S. Charged me editting fees but lead me nowhere. I fired him, put the novels on a back shelf. At the time, I was married, with a son on the way. There were more important things than my writing career.

These days, I'm just happy to write. I'm happy to have a following, and to belong to a venue which encourages me. I'd love to be published, I admit, but I'm not really trying that hard. It's enough for me that I'm heard, and read, and that I have some kind of impact on my fans.

In a way, my childhood dream has been realized. Not in the way I had originally imagined (so much for those interviews with Jane Pauley; man, did I have a crush on her), but still. I am a writer.

It's enough.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

I managed to catch him on Oprah. The SO and I were really busy, but once he started to speak, we dropped everything we were doing and listened. Everyone should hear what he has to say. It's pretty simple really, but his manner is so captivating, it's very worthwhile. What an incredible person. He says to ask yourself if you want to be a Tigger or an Eeyore in life. We could use more Tiggers in this world.

 

[rgraham666]

The adults around me made it a point to strangle my childhood dreams at birth.

 

[deathlynx]

Well, dreams are hard to rebuild sometimes

 

[MagicaPractica]

I wasn't clear. Not the download - me!

Oh! LOL Gotcha. Keep trying and you'll get there. It's when we stop trying that we're in trouble.

 

[MagicaPractica]

Dream Big ~ Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband

When you cry, be sure to dry your eyes,
'Cause better days are sure to come.
And when you smile, be sure to smile wide,
And don't let them know that they have won.
And when you walk, walk with pride,
And don't show the hurt inside,
Because the pain will soon be gone.

(Chorus)
And when you dream, dream big,
As big as the ocean, blue.
'Cause when you dream it might come true.
But when you dream, dream big.

And when you laugh, be sure to laugh out loud,
'Cause it will carry all your cares away.
And when you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself,
And it will help you feel okay.
And when you pray, pray for strength to help to carry on,
But when the troubles come your way.

(Chorus)
And when you dream, dream big,
As big as the ocean, blue.
'Cause when you dream it might come true.
But when you dream, dream big.

(Dream big.)
(Dream big.)

When you cry be sure to dry your eyes,
cause better days are sure to come.
And when you smile be sure to smile wide, and
don't let them know that they have one.
And when you laugh be sure to laugh out loud,
'Cause it will carry all your cares away.
And when you see, see the beauty all
around and in yourself, and it will help you feel okay.
And when you pray, pray for strength to
help to carry on when the troubles come your way.

 

[MagicaPractica]

We could use more Tiggers in this world.

I feel like a Tigger lately.

 

[MagicaPractica]

The adults around me made it a point to strangle my childhood dreams at birth.

None since? I don't believe you.