Randy Pausch on LIving in the NOW! - Updated May 5, 2008

I'm sure that many of us have given at least some thought to what we would do if we were informed by our Doctor that we had a terminal illness and there was nothing left the Doctor's could do for us.

I'm sure too, that whatever thoughts we've had might not, in reality, be what we'd really be thinking at that moment. I know I received inspiration that impacted my life and provided me with the incentive to make some real changes in my life, RIGHT NOW, rather than simply continue with 'life as usual' after watching a lecture given by Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University give his Last Lecture to over four hundred of his colleagues and friends.

They had come, actually, to see him give what was billed as his "last lecture." These talks are common on college campuses today. Normally, perfectly healthy professors are asked to think about what has meant the most to them in their lives, and give hypothetical final talks on what wisdom they would really like most to impart to the world if they knew it was actually going to be the last lecture they would ever give.

Randy didn't want this lecture to be focused on the fact that he's dying, and it wasn't. It was focused instead on choosing to really live each and every day to the fullest until your final day here on earth.

I wasn't even able to bring myself to write about him, or post this til now, but feel strongly enough that everyone, everywhere should be given the opportunity to at least hear his lecture from that day, that I'm posting an excerpt from it...and a link to the full lecture that has provided so much inspiration to everyone who's viewed it since that day.

My focus now is to leave a similar legacy for everyone I leave behind when I go home. Not money nor material possessions, although those are sometimes great tools and resources when left in the hands of the right people, but a legacy on how to create a life while here that impacts not only oneself but everyone we ever meet in a positive, rewarding way.

Also, don't forget to enjoy today....TODAY..and make it really matter!

Here's Randy!

Randy has been posting more about his journey so that we may follow his progress. Such an inspiring story.

Randy's site

And now you can also enjoy Randy's famous lecture on "Time Management" that comes up so many times in Google searches for millions of people and thousands have expressed that it's the best teaching on time management they've had the privilege to find.