Inspiration: Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture

This post is for those of you who need a shot of inspiration. Pour yourself a tea in a quiet place (or put your headphones on), sit back and enjoy this wisdom that comes from a very special place.

Randy Pausch was a popular professor of Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University who pioneered the non-profit Alice project. He also worked with Adobe, Electronic Arts, Google, and Disney and co-founded The Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon.

In late 2007, Pausch gave a “Last Lecture” presentation—a lecture format that challenges a speaker to present on a topic as though it were the last time they’d get to lecture. Except for Pausch, who was dying of pancreatic cancer, this lecture truly was his last. He called his presentation “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” and talked about lessons he’d learned in his life and shared practical advice about career and personal goals with the packed audience.

Randy Pausch died on July 25, 2008, but the moving video archive of Pausch’s “Last Lecture” remains to inspire us all to pursue our own childhood dreams.