I just finished reading, “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. If you have
not already read it, it is a must read.
“The Last Lecture” is now one of my top ten favorite books of all time. One of my favorite quotes in the book is, “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.”
When I think of the magical moments of my life and dreams that have come true I can see that there was nothing forced or controlled. I allowed the moment or the event to unfold naturally. I was present and patient with what was happening and danced in the conversation. That’s not to say that I did not work hard and had to overcome obstacles. I think that’s what Randy Pausch meant when he said, “The dreams will come to you.”
As children our dreams are never about fixing or changing things. Rather they are about creating, exploring, and having fun. As we get older we sometimes forget that. When was the last time that you made a list of your dreams? Not a big “to-do” list or a “what I want to accomplish list” but a real child-like dream list. A dream list filled with fun, play, and adventure.
Here are some dreams are on my list:
- Throw out an opening pitch at Fenway Park
- Take a 7-day white water rafting trip down the Colorado River
- Ride on Air Force One
- Golf with Tiger Woods and my two brothers
- Vacations to Italy, Ireland, and Napa Valley
Dream Big!
P.S. What’s on your list? I invite you to share some here in the comments below.
on May 28th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Ed, I loved the Last Lecture. The book and the lecture itself are incredible. I watched the specials about Randy and learned all I could. He had some wonderful advice.
I find it fitting and comforting that you posted this today on the day that my grandmother passed away. We lost her at 1:00 today. She had been very sick and fighting but her sickness took over. I will remember her as a person in my life that encouraged me and supported and helped me to dream big.
on May 28th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Ed, I loved this so much that I asked my almost 4 year old daughter, Anna, what her top dreams are:
1. To fly
2. To live at the beach
3. To play with all my family and friends in a field of bubbles
4. To wear silky clothes every day
5. To be a cat for one week
It was a wonderful conversation to have with her, and ironically (with the exception of #5) I share her dreams.
on May 29th, 2009 at 6:38 am
Thank you for the suggestion on The Last Lecture. I need a few new reads and was planning to go book hunting tomorrow – very timely!