The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I am so grateful that I picked it up.  I love to read books that make you feel good about yourself but I also enjoy reading books that make you stop and think about how you are living and what you can do better.  This was a wonderful book full of insights to live your life the best you can for the time you have left.

Don't let anyone else determine who you are meant to be.  Pursue your dreams.  Use the talents Heavenly Father has given you and make the world a better place.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow

There are several sections in this book and there are so many wonderful little gems of wisdom and thoughts on how to live.  I've summarized what I want to remember from this book so that hopefully in my life I can fulfill my dreams be a better person and even try to enable the dreams of those around me.

Really Achieving your childhood dreams: 

What are your childhood dreams?  What have you done to reach them? How can you make them happen?

Lessons learned:

The Dutch Uncle:  appreciate those people in your life who love you enough to tell you the tough-love things   you need to hear

Pouring Soda in the Backseat: People are more important than things

Romancing the Brick Wall: Brick walls aren't there to keep us out.  The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.

Not all Fairy Tales End Smoothly: Even Fairy Tale moments have risks.  Sometimes things don't happen how you have it pictured in your mind.

Lucy, I'm Home: Not everything needs to be fixed.

A New Year's Story: We play a role in our destinies.  You can make things worse if you fall to pieces, there are things you can do that might help the outcome in a positive way if you just keep going without dwelling on the "This isn't fair."

In Fifty Years it Never Came Up: Appreciate the sacrifice of others and be humble.

The truth can set you free: share the truth.  Live a life of honesty and integrity.

Enable the dreams of others: 

Time must be managed, like money
You can always change your plan, but only if you have one
Ask yourself: Are you spending your time on the right things?
Develop a good filing system
Rethink the telephone

A recovering jerk: Teamwork is important, listen to feedback and apply it to make you better even if it is hard to hear

Training a Jedi: When good things happen to you, pass it on.  Pay it forward.  Help others fulfill their dreams

They Just Blew Me Away:  Encourage creativity and innovation, watch what others can come up with if you give them a chance

The promised Land: Like Moses who led the Israelites to the promised land but never set foot in it, do what you can to prepare those around you to succeed, show them that you have confidence in them, and know that they will go on to do great things

It's About How to Live Your Life:

Dream Big
Earnest is Better than Hip; hip is short term, earnest is long term
Raising the White Flag: sometimes it's better to give in that to remain stubbornly set in your ways
Let's Make a Deal: change the dynamic, make a mutually agreeable solution
Don't Complain Just Work Harder
Treat the Disease, Not the Symptom
Don't Obsess Over What People Think

Start By Sitting Together: to work with other people here is some tips- meet people properly, find things you have in common, try for optimal meeting conditions, let everyone talk, check egos at the door, praise each other, phrase alternatives as questions

Look for the Best in Everybody: Almost everybody has a good side.  Just keep waiting.  It will come out.
Watch What They Do, Not What They Say

If at First You Don't Succeed... try a cliche: The reason cliche's are repeated so often is because they ring with truth.- Dance with the one who brought you; Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity; whether you think you can or can't, you're right; Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

Be the First Penguin: when penguins are about to jump into water that might contain predators, well, somebody's got to be the first penguin.  Someone has to be the first to fail.  A person who has failed often knows how to avoid future failures.  Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.  Experience can be the most valuable thing you have to offer.

Get People's Attention: Come up with an attention-getter, what will make you stand out?

The Lost Art of Thank-You Notes: Show your gratitude, be sincere, take the time and do it the old fashioned way

The Friday Night Solution: The best shortcut is the long way.  Work Hard.
Show Gratitude: Go out and do for others what somebody did for you
Send Out Thin Mints: Give a reward and let others do what they already know they need to do
All You Have Is What You Bring With You: Be prepared

A Bad Apology Is Worse Than No Apology: A proper apology has 3 parts- 1. what I did was wrong. 2. I feel badly that I hurt you. 3. How do I make this better?

Tell the Truth: You're only as good as your word.  Tell the truth, all the time

Get in Touch with Your Crayon Box: smelling a crayon takes you back to childhood.  Remember your childhood dreams

The $100,000 Salt and Pepper Shaker: There is more than one way to measure profits and losses.  Have a heart.

No Job is Beneath You: Be grateful for what you have.  Do the best you can in what you do.  Check your attitude and work a little harder.

Know Where You Are: Be sensitive when crossing from one culture into another

Never Give Up: Have Tenacity.  Get over the Brick Wall. Brick walls are there for a reason.  And once you get over them-even if someone has to practically throw you over-it can be helpful to others to tell them how you did it.

Be a Communitarian: All of us have a responsibility to the community.  If you want rights, then you have to fulfill your responsibilities. Everyone has to contribute to the common good.  If you do not do so you are being selfish.  When we're connected to others, we become better people.

All You Have to Do is Ask: Ask questions.  Just ask them.  If they say no, then you are no worse off than you are now, but they just might say yes.

Make a Decision: Tigger or Eeyore: You have to decide are you going to be a fun loving Tigger or a sad-sack Eeyore.  Only you can choose.

"I don't believe in the no win scenario."