Binary Binching

I'm not sure how many of you had read his inspiring book "The Last Lecture" or watched his video of the last lecture (link). If you had read or watched his lecture, you'd know that the world has just lost an extraordinary man.

The Last Lecture is a book written by Dr. Pausch of his "last lecture" which he had given to his students and fellow lecturers at Carnegie Mellon University, after he had been diagnosed with a rare case of liver cancer for the second time. Since he had several month of good health left, he decided to give a customary last lecture which was inspiring to many.

In his book, Dr. Pausch wrote about fulfilling childhood dreams which left me touched to tears. How many of us have gone so far from what we dreamed of when we were young because of barriers? And he talked about the importance of having a dream, the brick walls that will prevent us from achieving these dreams and how these brick walls are meant to prove how badly we want something.

Towards the end of the book/lecture, he actually revealed who the lecture is meant for. It wasn't directly meant for his students or the people present on that day - his last lecture was meant for his children, who he had left today in his death.

My favourite quotes from his book.

But remember, the brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.

Be good at something, it makes you valuable.

People have to help you and I do believe in karma. I believe in paybacks. You get people to help you by telling the truth. Being earnest. I’ll take an earnest person over a hip person every day, because hip is short term. Earnest is long term.

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 dreams will come to you.

Rest in peace Randy Pausch.