Living an Inspired Life

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” – RANDY PAUSCH

My clients always ask for reading materials.
A book that I recommend or live by..
And no it’s no self help guru book.
We learn from experiences and stories that touch our inner depths.

Backtrack India

In 2009 I traveled to India for the first time. A trip for personal reflection, inspiration and focus.
Why India? Well, human nature usually conquers and inspires when faced with adversity.
My journey was just that.

‘The Last Lecture‘

My daughter was a toddler at the time and reading was a luxury. Whilst waiting for a flight to Kashmir, I found Randy Pausch’s book, The Last Lecture, the only English book in the only book store in Delhi Airport.
I had wanted to read it for a while, so I grabbed the chance. I finished it by candlelight in a tent in the Kashmiri Himalayas.

Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer at the age of 46. He had three children under five. As custom, Randy was invited to deliver a last lecture at the university when he stepped down.

The lecture was Randy’s farewell to his career. He was a genius in computer science, human-computer interaction and design.
But his last lecture was titled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.
Completely off topic from what lectures use their last lecture and academical teaching experience.
Instead it was about his personal life lessons.
It was dedicated to his very young children who would grow up without knowing who he was and what he stood for. The Last Lecture could help them answer those questions one day.

How to live life: goals and lessons

Randy starts with listing all his childhood dreams. He shares his goals, lessons learned, how to inspire others and his own conclusions about how to live life.

Some lasting ones include:
–           if you have a question, find the answer;
–           if you screw up and nobody says anything, that means they’ve given up on you;
–           live in the moment;
–           let some of the little stuff slide;
–           dream big and give permission to dream;
–           always tell the truth, you’re only as good as your word; and
–           apologize properly. 

As a professional coach, I have some personal favorites that I refer to daily with clients:

1.         “Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something” – really powerful when facing challenges

2.         “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted” – not succeeding is sometimes a good thing too.

Randy finishes off by calling himself lucky to have been diagnosed, explaining that he had the chance to have vital and real conversations, to be able to share his life to help others and to have been granted the time to say goodbye.

You lucky thing

What can you learn from this?
What would you do if you were in his shoes today?

Imagine being lucky enough to have just six months to live.
What would you do with that time?
If given the chance to present your own last lecture, what would you say?

History is full of remarkable people in a world where mediocrity is the norm.
They fight against impossible odds, making outstanding discoveries or pursuing a dream that helps to change the world.

In your own quest for success and towards your own transcendence, you can derive your greatest inspiration from learning and studying these people.

But you don’t need to do great deeds to inspire others. You can set positive examples, encourage and care about others. You can share your own inspiration, relate your own experiences, read as much as possible, tell stories that show your vulnerability, communicate with others and challenge them to be the best they can be.

Your hand of cards

Randy Pausch is an inspiration. He took the cards he was dealt and turned them into a winning hand.

Let his legacy inspire you to be better at living your own lives.

I want to inspire.
Please take the time to read this inspiring book that will not leave you untouched.
Even if you only read one chapter, I promise it will be worth your time.

As published in leading business journal Accountancy SA.