I've read my first book of summer 2014: One of my son's graduation gifts and I can tell you.....this man was a favorite of mine years ago when I saw him on Oprah. He inspired me then, and his book inspires me still! I've got to share my top takeaways from reading his book, The Last Lecture! So here goes: 50 life lessons from Randy Pausch! A Carnegie Mellon professor who died of pancreatic cancer in 2008, leaving behind a wife and 3 small children.
1-I quote my father almost every day. Part of it is because if you dispense your own wisdom, others often dismiss it; if you offer wisdom from a third party, it seems less arrogant and more acceptable. Of course when you have someone like my dad in your back pocket, you can’t help yourself. You quote him every chance you get. My dad gave me advice on how to negotiate my way through life. He’d say things like “never made a decision until you have to”. And he’d warn me of being in positions of strength, “just because you’re in the driver’s seat, doesn't mean you have to run people over”.
2-When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a bad place to be. You may not want to hear it, but your critics are often the ones telling you they still love you and care about you and want to make you better. There’s a lot of talk today about “self-esteem”. It’s really not something you give, it must be earned. Give them something they can’t do, and they work hard until they can do it.
3-There’s 2 kinds of head fakes. The ones where you want someone to think you’re going one way and you’re really going another. The other is when you want to teach something and they think you’re teaching something else. It teaches people things they don’t realize they’re learning until well into the process. That’s the crucial one.
4-Don’t believe in the no-win scenario. As much as possible, keep the faith!
5-People are more important than things. I can’t emphasize this one enough. Too many people get caught up in “worldly” things. You can’t take it with you comes to mind. You can’t. So why mess up feelings over material things. Don’t. Just don’t.
6-The brick walls in life are there to stop people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there for a reason. They give us a chance to show us how badly we want something.
7-Not everything needs to be fixed. Cars are meant to get you from point A to point B. Not a status symbol.
8-Keep the attitude, let’s saddle up and ride. Things won’t always go your way, but don’t succumb to complaining, feeling sorry for yourself or whining. Deal and go one.
9-Humility- it really says a lot. Humility speaks volumes.
10-You can’t die. You have to live. Well, it turns out, you already have. Let that be your legacy.
11- Time must be explicitly managed, like money.
12-You can always change your plan, but only if you have one.
13-Ask yourself, are you spending the your time on the right things?
14-Develop a good filing system
15-Rethink the telephone.
16-Delegate
17- Take a time out. Time is all you have. And you may find out one day, you have less than you think.
18-We need real, accurate, timely feedback in order to grow.
19-Pay it forward. Wherever you are today, someone helped you get there. Be giving and pay it forward.
20-The greatest reward may be in enabling the dreams of others
21-Dream big
22- Don’t complain, just work harder
23-Treat the disease, not the symptom
24- Don’t obsess over what people think
25-Meet people properly. Learn names
26- Find things you have in common
27-Try for optimal meeting conditions
28- Let everyone talk
29- Check egos at the door
30-Praise each other
31- Phrase alternatives as a question
32-Look for the best in everybody
33- Watch what they do, not what they say
34-Dance with the one who brought you
35-Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity
36-Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right
37-Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted
38-Send handwritten thank you notes
39- Loyalty is a 2 way street
40-Show gratitude
41- Be prepared
42-Apologize sincerely and mean it
43-Tell the truth
44-Be creative
45-No job is beneath you
46-Know where you are
47-Never give up
48-Ask and you shall receive
49 Decide: are you Tigger or Eyeore?
50-If you lead your life the right way, karma will come to you. The dreams will take care of themselves.
1-I quote my father almost every day. Part of it is because if you dispense your own wisdom, others often dismiss it; if you offer wisdom from a third party, it seems less arrogant and more acceptable. Of course when you have someone like my dad in your back pocket, you can’t help yourself. You quote him every chance you get. My dad gave me advice on how to negotiate my way through life. He’d say things like “never made a decision until you have to”. And he’d warn me of being in positions of strength, “just because you’re in the driver’s seat, doesn't mean you have to run people over”.
2-When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a bad place to be. You may not want to hear it, but your critics are often the ones telling you they still love you and care about you and want to make you better. There’s a lot of talk today about “self-esteem”. It’s really not something you give, it must be earned. Give them something they can’t do, and they work hard until they can do it.
3-There’s 2 kinds of head fakes. The ones where you want someone to think you’re going one way and you’re really going another. The other is when you want to teach something and they think you’re teaching something else. It teaches people things they don’t realize they’re learning until well into the process. That’s the crucial one.
4-Don’t believe in the no-win scenario. As much as possible, keep the faith!
5-People are more important than things. I can’t emphasize this one enough. Too many people get caught up in “worldly” things. You can’t take it with you comes to mind. You can’t. So why mess up feelings over material things. Don’t. Just don’t.
6-The brick walls in life are there to stop people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there for a reason. They give us a chance to show us how badly we want something.
7-Not everything needs to be fixed. Cars are meant to get you from point A to point B. Not a status symbol.
8-Keep the attitude, let’s saddle up and ride. Things won’t always go your way, but don’t succumb to complaining, feeling sorry for yourself or whining. Deal and go one.
9-Humility- it really says a lot. Humility speaks volumes.
10-You can’t die. You have to live. Well, it turns out, you already have. Let that be your legacy.
11- Time must be explicitly managed, like money.
12-You can always change your plan, but only if you have one.
13-Ask yourself, are you spending the your time on the right things?
14-Develop a good filing system
15-Rethink the telephone.
16-Delegate
17- Take a time out. Time is all you have. And you may find out one day, you have less than you think.
18-We need real, accurate, timely feedback in order to grow.
19-Pay it forward. Wherever you are today, someone helped you get there. Be giving and pay it forward.
20-The greatest reward may be in enabling the dreams of others
21-Dream big
22- Don’t complain, just work harder
23-Treat the disease, not the symptom
24- Don’t obsess over what people think
25-Meet people properly. Learn names
26- Find things you have in common
27-Try for optimal meeting conditions
28- Let everyone talk
29- Check egos at the door
30-Praise each other
31- Phrase alternatives as a question
32-Look for the best in everybody
33- Watch what they do, not what they say
34-Dance with the one who brought you
35-Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity
36-Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right
37-Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted
38-Send handwritten thank you notes
39- Loyalty is a 2 way street
40-Show gratitude
41- Be prepared
42-Apologize sincerely and mean it
43-Tell the truth
44-Be creative
45-No job is beneath you
46-Know where you are
47-Never give up
48-Ask and you shall receive
49 Decide: are you Tigger or Eyeore?
50-If you lead your life the right way, karma will come to you. The dreams will take care of themselves.
