Dose of inspiration : Randy Pausch Last Lecture
I am sure you have heard of this one. The famous last lecture. That of Randy Pausch. The man who knew that he had a mere 6 months or so to live.
I watched and watched and re-watched the lecture. What a lecture it is!
He talks about "How to Realise Your Childhood Dreams". He talks about being specific while dreaming. He talks about having big dreams. Dreams which you are really passionate about. He talks about keeping that childlike wonder in you. That curiosity in you. Going with the flow and doing what you love to do.
And, all of this from a man who knew that he had very little time to live. He did not talk philosophy. He did not talk about his great achievements. He talked about his childhood dreams. Of defying gravity and living in zero gravity. Of being captain kirk. Of becoming an imagineer with Disney. And, how he went onto do all of these in his life.
He talked about living his life while he had a lot of it and planning to live it now that he has very little left of it.
Check here for his complete life story and to know who this man is : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Pausch
Well. I was wondering for a brief while what my last lecture would have been.
First of all, let me be frank : it is difficult for me to imagine giving a last lecture. It immediately implies that I may not be around too long in the future post giving it. The very thought of it is somewhat unsettling. But, once I get used to that strange thought, what would I have talked about?
I think I would have done a quick review of my life. It is not an extraordinary life by any means. On the contrary, it has been quite ordinary and absolutely normal. But, I guess there have been those relative high points that I am happy about.
I think I would have reviewed today's situation, especially today's India. There are lots of things which are wrong. Yes. There is corruption of unimaginable magnitude. I cannot even begin to count the number of zeros in that number that CAG came up with on the spectrum scandal.
I cannot even begin to understand how a person with the stature of Ratan Tata came to be besmirched in this whole thing.
I don't understand how the onions and other vegetables can command such a high price and yet how come the farmers still don't have an improved lifestyle.
But I guess, there are those which are the right things. India, with all these things, is still shining. Inflation or not, it is still growing. Raising onion prices or not, we are one of the best young population that is available for the whole world. There is the moral outcry that is reverberating around the country.
The supreme court is acting as the conscience keeper and asks the government very uncomfortable questions. The corporates are waking up to the moral issues.
I see young people, very young people going on their own and becoming entrepreneurs. I have the pleasure of meeting them, talking to them and listening to them in the course of some of the work that I do.
On the whole, I think I will lean on to the positive side and say with conviction that we are indeed poised for much much better things to come.
I think I would also have told people things which are very similar to what Randy said. I would have advised people to enjoy their work. Or, find what they enjoy doing and just keep on doing it for the rest of their life. I would have told them to have a habit of meeting children on a regular basis. For me, my kids and my kids' friends are a constant source of inspiration. The stories that they come up with, the sheer curiosity that they have, rubs off on me and keeps me off the pressures that I have in my day to day life. I would have told them to look at things in a light hearted fashion. I would have advised them to watch a lot of comedy even if the comedy was sometimes downright silly. It is still worth it if it can make you laugh!
In all, I guess I would have left a message of living in this moment. For, the next moment is not guranteed. For any of us. It is only this particular one single moment that I have. I have already last the past. I have no idea whether the future would even arrive for me. I have only the present.
As I have read somewhere, that is probably why it is called as "the present".
I am sure you have heard of this one. The famous last lecture. That of Randy Pausch. The man who knew that he had a mere 6 months or so to live.
I watched and watched and re-watched the lecture. What a lecture it is!
He talks about "How to Realise Your Childhood Dreams". He talks about being specific while dreaming. He talks about having big dreams. Dreams which you are really passionate about. He talks about keeping that childlike wonder in you. That curiosity in you. Going with the flow and doing what you love to do.
And, all of this from a man who knew that he had very little time to live. He did not talk philosophy. He did not talk about his great achievements. He talked about his childhood dreams. Of defying gravity and living in zero gravity. Of being captain kirk. Of becoming an imagineer with Disney. And, how he went onto do all of these in his life.
He talked about living his life while he had a lot of it and planning to live it now that he has very little left of it.
Check here for his complete life story and to know who this man is : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Pausch
Well. I was wondering for a brief while what my last lecture would have been.
First of all, let me be frank : it is difficult for me to imagine giving a last lecture. It immediately implies that I may not be around too long in the future post giving it. The very thought of it is somewhat unsettling. But, once I get used to that strange thought, what would I have talked about?
I think I would have done a quick review of my life. It is not an extraordinary life by any means. On the contrary, it has been quite ordinary and absolutely normal. But, I guess there have been those relative high points that I am happy about.
I think I would have reviewed today's situation, especially today's India. There are lots of things which are wrong. Yes. There is corruption of unimaginable magnitude. I cannot even begin to count the number of zeros in that number that CAG came up with on the spectrum scandal.
I cannot even begin to understand how a person with the stature of Ratan Tata came to be besmirched in this whole thing.
I don't understand how the onions and other vegetables can command such a high price and yet how come the farmers still don't have an improved lifestyle.
But I guess, there are those which are the right things. India, with all these things, is still shining. Inflation or not, it is still growing. Raising onion prices or not, we are one of the best young population that is available for the whole world. There is the moral outcry that is reverberating around the country.
The supreme court is acting as the conscience keeper and asks the government very uncomfortable questions. The corporates are waking up to the moral issues.
I see young people, very young people going on their own and becoming entrepreneurs. I have the pleasure of meeting them, talking to them and listening to them in the course of some of the work that I do.
On the whole, I think I will lean on to the positive side and say with conviction that we are indeed poised for much much better things to come.
I think I would also have told people things which are very similar to what Randy said. I would have advised people to enjoy their work. Or, find what they enjoy doing and just keep on doing it for the rest of their life. I would have told them to have a habit of meeting children on a regular basis. For me, my kids and my kids' friends are a constant source of inspiration. The stories that they come up with, the sheer curiosity that they have, rubs off on me and keeps me off the pressures that I have in my day to day life. I would have told them to look at things in a light hearted fashion. I would have advised them to watch a lot of comedy even if the comedy was sometimes downright silly. It is still worth it if it can make you laugh!
In all, I guess I would have left a message of living in this moment. For, the next moment is not guranteed. For any of us. It is only this particular one single moment that I have. I have already last the past. I have no idea whether the future would even arrive for me. I have only the present.
As I have read somewhere, that is probably why it is called as "the present".
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