THE LAST LECTURE: Randy Pausch’s Advice on How To Be A Child

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Childhood dreams Randy had achieved: being zero gravity, playing in NFL, authoring an article in the World Book encyclopedia, being Captain Kirk, winning stuffed animals, and being a Disney Imagineer.

So what’s the key to doing this? In my point of view, the answer is to value your dreams. In common sense, the following sentences stand: During your childhood ages, you are just so naive to find out where you are destined for. However, after your naivety fades away, there is no much choice anymore. After reading this book, I suddenly realized that it is not that there is no much choice left but it’s your naivety had gone. Naivety may go against acting rationally but that’s the key to appreciate your life.

As for Randy, a computer scientist. winning stuffed animals is not the dream he is supposed to have. But it is those stuffed animals which make him enjoy extra joy besides conducting research in the field of computer science. Moreover, for a professor, working as a Disney Imagineer is useful at all. I guess in most cases, people will give up this dream with never mind.

What makes your life meaningful is not how much money you make but your childhood dreams. Besides, even if you save your time by ignoring your childhood dreams, those time will not make you rich.

Go For Your Jai

There’s a picture of Randy and Jai. It reminds me of the happiness of love. Jai is in her brightly white wedding dress and Randy is in a damn handsome suit. If you’ve been in love, I can tell you that that smile on Jai’s face is unique, only for lovers.

Randy was famous for the reputation of a playboy. Why did he stop and marry Jai? That’s a question I am still questioning myself. I went to some places recently. And the memory came back. Once, I thought that relationship will last forever. But I ended it. The relationship is such a tricky thing.

Luckily, there is something which is certain. Firstly, dating is very much different from marriage. As for dating, all you need to do is to have fun. But for marriage, it is a kind of insurance. Secondly, never lose yourself in a relationship. No matter you are going to have fun or getting insurance if you are a jerk than you will never make it. Thirdly, don’t be greedy.

Earnest Is Better Than Hip

This is not the most vital section in this book. Actually, this section takes only two pages. But I’ve been thinking of this question for a long period of time.

Randy said: Earnestness is highly underestimated. It comes from the core, while the hip is trying to impress you with the surface. I’ve been searching for what I am earnest in. And there’s one thing for sure: we all should try to be earnest on something.

A Rocket And Stars

There is a picture of a rocket and starts on the very first page of this book. The time when I saw this picture, I knew that this is the man who I want to become.

I was recommended to read this book by a professor giving lectures at my university. And now I am recommending this book to you too. To tell the truth, this book will probably not change you too much. But it’s definitely more interesting than ten hours’ time spent on reading through Moments on Wechat.

Please allow me to end this note with a sentence from Randy: My uniqueness, I realized, came in the specifics of all the dreams.

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