Create a Life of Meaning (Week 2)
Randy Pausch was able to achieve his childhood dreams for many reasons, but I'm choosing to focus on the specific nature of his dreams, his involvement with his mentors, and his audacity to ask and try again. Randy himself acknowledges these as the reasons he was able to get so far in his book, "The Last Lecture" that I read along with watching the actual speech.
Randy seems like a quirky kid who had a curious mind early on. He also mentions how his parents gave him the freedom to just be himself and explore his various talents. Because of this freedom and his nature, he came up with specific dreams early on. I think that's a unique talent. I'm not sure that many kids have a path to explore their dreams early on, but I think it's an important thing to encourage. He had those dreams in mind throughout his life, so he always knew what he was working towards. Without that specific vision, it would have been harder to keep his tenacity alive or to know what steps to take next when they presented themselves as opportunities. They were the stepping-stones he needed.
Throughout his lecture and book, he points to many mentors along the way who helped to shape him into the person he became. His football coach, his father, Andy Van Dam, his wife, and other experts in the field. From early on, he wasn't coddled but encouraged to keep trying. Because of that, he continuously sought out new opportunities that would stretch him. Along the way, his mentors got him over the, "brick wall" such as when Andy Van Dam called a professor at Carnegie Mellon and vouched for him as a person and his ability to do great things.
Randy had the guts and confidence to make the ask many times throughout his life. He made an ask for Disney Imagineering, for experiencing the NASA flight, for Carnegie Mellon, for marrying his wife, and for meeting with important mentors in his life. It taught me that I have to have courage and risk rejection when seeking my dreams. It's not about perfection the first time, it's about persistence and heart.
I don't remember my childhood dreams very well, but I do remember one picture I colored in kindergarten when they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. I drew a picture of a farmer, despite not knowing anything about farming or what it entailed. I still don't know a lot about farming, but I do have a dream of having my own hydroponics farm in my backyard. Due to the recent pandemic, I now value the idea of self-sufficiency more and would like to have a food source available to me at all times. A small food-supply would make that possible. I think it's an achievable goal assuming that we can someday buy a home and I can start out small and slowly build it up.
Other lessons I want to remember from this week:
-If I have an end goal (star), I can measure progress by achievements/progress (steppingstones) met along the way. Values are the guardrails.
-Measuring Progress: ”The best way to do this is to back up, decade by decade, stopping at each stage to see what investments are necessary to reach the next plateau. As you regress toward the present, the steppingstones and goals should become more specific and concrete."
-Pray and fast to discover gifts. Gifts will bless you in spiritual and temporal matters
-Dedicate your education and work to God
Randy seems like a quirky kid who had a curious mind early on. He also mentions how his parents gave him the freedom to just be himself and explore his various talents. Because of this freedom and his nature, he came up with specific dreams early on. I think that's a unique talent. I'm not sure that many kids have a path to explore their dreams early on, but I think it's an important thing to encourage. He had those dreams in mind throughout his life, so he always knew what he was working towards. Without that specific vision, it would have been harder to keep his tenacity alive or to know what steps to take next when they presented themselves as opportunities. They were the stepping-stones he needed.
Throughout his lecture and book, he points to many mentors along the way who helped to shape him into the person he became. His football coach, his father, Andy Van Dam, his wife, and other experts in the field. From early on, he wasn't coddled but encouraged to keep trying. Because of that, he continuously sought out new opportunities that would stretch him. Along the way, his mentors got him over the, "brick wall" such as when Andy Van Dam called a professor at Carnegie Mellon and vouched for him as a person and his ability to do great things.
Randy had the guts and confidence to make the ask many times throughout his life. He made an ask for Disney Imagineering, for experiencing the NASA flight, for Carnegie Mellon, for marrying his wife, and for meeting with important mentors in his life. It taught me that I have to have courage and risk rejection when seeking my dreams. It's not about perfection the first time, it's about persistence and heart.
I don't remember my childhood dreams very well, but I do remember one picture I colored in kindergarten when they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. I drew a picture of a farmer, despite not knowing anything about farming or what it entailed. I still don't know a lot about farming, but I do have a dream of having my own hydroponics farm in my backyard. Due to the recent pandemic, I now value the idea of self-sufficiency more and would like to have a food source available to me at all times. A small food-supply would make that possible. I think it's an achievable goal assuming that we can someday buy a home and I can start out small and slowly build it up.
Other lessons I want to remember from this week:
-If I have an end goal (star), I can measure progress by achievements/progress (steppingstones) met along the way. Values are the guardrails.
-Measuring Progress: ”The best way to do this is to back up, decade by decade, stopping at each stage to see what investments are necessary to reach the next plateau. As you regress toward the present, the steppingstones and goals should become more specific and concrete."
-“Visions are not dreams; they are a reality that you hope to create”
- “Be realistic about time or you risk accomplishing nothing”
-Pray and fast to discover gifts. Gifts will bless you in spiritual and temporal matters
-Dedicate your education and work to God
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