SmallBizResource Blog -- SmallBizResource

Cancer Takes the Man, But Not His Message

Posted by Gayle Kesten Monday, Jul 28, 2008, 11:47 AM ET

The beauty of inspiration is that its legacy lives on long after its source.

I'm referring, of course, to 47-year-old Dr. Randy Pausch, who passed away on Saturday from pancreatic cancer. As a computer-science professor and software developer, Pausch played to an admiring, albeit smaller audience until last September, when a Wall Street Journal reporter attended and wrote about Pausch's last lecture, "How to Live Your Childhood Dreams." Though written for his three children -- the oldest only 6 years old -- much of what he said holds true for business, too.

From the inaugural WSJ article: "Flashing his rejection letters on the screen, he talked about setbacks in his career, repeating: 'Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things.' He encouraged us to be patient with others. 'Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you.' ... While displaying photos of his bosses and students over the years, he said that helping others fulfill their dreams is even more fun than achieving your own."

Paush's lecture was also recorded and uploaded to YouTube, turning Pausch into a self-described "accidental celebrity." And therein lies another business/life lesson: humility. On his CMU home page Pausch wrote: "I am flattered and embarrassed by all the recent attention to my 'Last Lecture.' ... The lecture really was for my kids, but if others are finding value in it, that is wonderful. But rest assured; I'm hardly unique. Send your kids to Carnegie Mellon and the other professors here will teach them valuable life lessons long after I'm gone."

During his lecture, Pausch recounted a childhood story of a tough football coach who "road him" hard during practice. An assistant coach later gave him this perspective: "When you're screwing up and nobody saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up." That lesson truly resonated with Pausch, who said, "When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody is bothering to tell you anymore, that's a very bad place to be."

Remember that the next time you're handed some constructive (and sometimes unsolicited) criticism from a customer, co-worker or manager.

Pausch truly made the most of the time he had. In the year following his lecture, Pausch continued to share his message (repeat: share his message), making many TV appearances, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Good Morning America." PC World writes that ABC named him one of three "Persons of the Year" in 2007, and that a book based on the lecture and co-written by Pausch topped best-seller lists in The New York Times, USA Today and Publisher's Weekly. Pausch was also among Time magazine's Time 100 in the Heroes & Pioneers category. In mid-March Pausch went to D.C. to speak before the Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee -- just days after being hospitalized for congestive heart failure and renal heart failure, "which sounds worse than it is," he said with a grin -- to urge federal funding for pancreatic cancer research.

And just two months ago, he appeared before Carnegie Mellon's graduating class of 2008. Lips, at times, quivering, he said, "Find your passion and follow it, and if there's anything I have learned in my life, you will not find that passion in things, and you will not find that passion in money, because the more things and the more money you have, the more you will just look around and use that as the metric, and there will always be someone with more."

When his speech was over, Pausch gave his wife, Jai, a long kiss, then carried her off the stage. I truly wish their happily ever after didn't have to end so soon.

---

For your convenience, here are a trio of videos clips referred to in this blog; ABC will also air the lecture on PrimeTime Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET. You can also find it as an audiobook on iTunes or as a CD to keep you company while on the road. And if you Google Pausch, you'll find hundreds of tributes.

What about Pausch's message speaks to you? Share your thoughts in the comment area below.

Pausch's Last Lecture (76 minutes):

Pausch's testimony before the Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee (8 minutes):

Pausch speaking to CMU grads (6-1/2 minutes):

SmallBizResource

This is a public forum. CMP Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. CMP Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.

Community standards in this comment area do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this comment area becomes the property of CMP Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in CMP Media's Terms of Service.

Important Note: This comment area is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.