Inspirational Quotes on How to Improve Your Life from Randy Pausch - A New Year Resolution

Randy Pausch (1960-2008) was a 47-year-old college professor diagnosed of pancreatic cancer and had only months to live. He gave his last lecture and ....... bidding farewell in September 2007. Years have gone by, but his last speech is still circulating on the internet and inspired millions of people from different nationalities. The computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg left his wife with three children, Dylan, Logan and Chloe.

We say goodbye to family and friends every day. Eventually, time will come for the final goodbye. When death is approaching, what phrase of words can we leave behind for family and friends? Randy Pausch’s final lecture became a phenomenon and until today, they are still an inspiration to millions of people who viewed on the Internet. Dying of pancreatic cancer, he showed a love of life and an approach to death that inspired many people. He reminded us of the similar path we will need to go through in our future, and when it comes, how drastically brief life can be. Randy said it well, “Time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think."

On the day he delivered his last lecture, he went onstage with a standing ovation. Gesturing to the audience to sit down, he said, "Make me earn it”. He didn’t talk about his cancer. He talked about his lessons of life. He talked about the importance of childhood dreams, and how we should not give up due to setbacks.

"Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people"

"Too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I've always believed that if you took one tenth the energy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you'd be surprised by how well things can work out."

"Its important to have specific dreams. Dream Big. Dream without fear."

"Follow your passions, believe in karma, and you won't have to chase your dreams, they will come to you."

"It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. It’s about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you. "

He urged his audience to be patient with others.

"Find the best in everybody. Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you. It might even take years, but people will show you their good side. Just keep waiting."

His words stirred the crowd, leaving them feeling introspective and emotional. Colleagues and students were saddened and uplifted all at once. In his 70 minutes speech, he led his audience to reconsider their own ambitions and dreams, and to look at other people’s flaws and talents from different perspective.

Through a few simple gestures, including a birthday cake for his wife, he showed everyone the depth of his love for his family. With smiling delivery, he was so full of life that it was almost impossible to reconcile the fact that he was near death, that this performance was his final farewell.

Through both his lecture and his life, Randy left a deep footprint in his final farewell. His approach was pragmatic, heartfelt, sometimes quirky, often joyous, leaving the audience wondering: "How will I say goodbye?"

Randy’s Quotes on How to Improve Your Life

PERSONALITY

1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

2. Don't overdo; keep your limits

3. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment

4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does

5. Dream more while you are awake

6. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip

8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present

11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

13. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

14. Smile and laugh more

15. Don’t complain; just work harder.

COMMUNITY

16. Call your family often.

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. Each day give something good to others.

19. What other people think of you is none of your business.

20. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

22. Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.

LIFE

23. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.

24. Do the right thing.

25. GOD heals everything.

26. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

27. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

28. The best is yet to come.

29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

30. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.

31. If you know GOD, you will always be happy. So, be happy.

Print this out and display it somewhere you can see every day. Remember and practice all of the above.

Share this knowledge with the people you love, people you go to school with, people you play with, people you work with and people you live with.

It will enrich YOUR life, and also that of those around you.

The book, “The Last Lecture” expands on Pausch’s speech. It was co-authored by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow, the Wall Street Journal reporter andbecame a New York Times bestseller in April, 2008 and stay in the bestseller list for 85 weeks. The book has been translated into 46 languages, and in just U.S alone, there are 4.5 million copies in print.

Something heartwarming -

Billy Graham is now 91 years old with Parkinson's disease.

In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte , North Carolina , invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor.

Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he
struggles with Parkinson's disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, 'We don't expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you.' So he agreed..

After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, 'I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it.

The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.'

Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.

The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.'

Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.''

Having said that Billy Graham continued, 'See the suit I'm wearing? It's a brand new suit. My children, and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion.

You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be buried. But when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm wearing.

I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am ... I also know where I'm going.' "Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil - it has no point."