Today I heard the news that Randy Pausch had passed away... For those of you who don't know who he is...I became familiar with him when he appeared on Oprah and gave his speech "The Last Lecture"... He had given this speech at Carnegie Mellon University...essentially sharing his diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer and focusing on "achieving your childhood dreams". This was a man with an amazing attitude, who understood that he only had a very short window in which to live, but he chose to make the most of his life during this period rather than just giving in to his fate. How do you find the strength to have an attitude like this, when you know that so much is out of your control, and that you are being dealt the most impossible hand by fate? He even said "we cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." What an amazing man...
So many days, I wish I could change my own attitude and approach life like Randy did... So many times it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders, and yet, compared to so many others, my burdens are few. I want to be so thankful for all of the blessings in my life...a perfect healthy daughter, my own health, a good job, a wonderful supportive network of family and friends...what more can a person ask for? Why is it so hard to put my own struggles into perspective, realizing that they are so small in comparison to the trials that others go through?
My advice today...be thankful for all of the wonderful things in your life. Yes, we all have troubles to deal with, but at least we have the opportunity to deal with them... Rest in peace, Randy...you will be missed by millions who have learned a valuable lesson from you.
No comments:
Post a Comment