Goodbye Randy Pausch
Posted by Moses on Jul 25, 2008
Randy Pausch died today. I’m shocked. I knew that he would die of his pancreatic cancer, but I still didn’t expect him to die. Even more of a shocker, I just finished reading his book this morning. I had purchased his book, The Last Lecture
For those of you who don’t know, Randy was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in 2006. In September 2007, he gave a final lecture to friends, colleagues and students. In his lecture he discussed his the importance of living out your childhood dreams and helping others live out their dreams. It was released on Youtube and became an instant hit. It’s viewed by millions of people and spawned his final book.
Obviously, I didn’t know Randy, but his charming humor and gentle way seen so clearly in his last lecture and television appearances makes you feel like you knew the man. I know I will miss him. I know that seems strange, but I’m certain the world is a lesser place without him in it. His take on life while easily summed up in a cliche like seize the day, is refreshing and rings so true that after seeing his lecture or reading his book you feel compelled to reevaluate your life.
Unlike others who know that their time is near and paint themselves as a saint. Randy is quick to show his faults and praise others for transforming both himself and his life for the better. He wasn’t perfect, in his book he describes himself as recovering jerk. By doing so, he becomes more human and it seems realistic that we could all reach the same heights that he did in his career and personal life.
Randy has quality that I’m struggling to define. I think it’s that he touches you. In a very real way. I have had to stop several times in writing this to wipe away my tears. That’s the effect he has on people. I’m crying over a man I haven’t met, but will definitely miss.
I believe Randy is in a better place, but as I’m sure his family would agree we need him here.
Goodbye Randy. You are an inspiration to us all.
Tags: death, goodbye, last lecture, Randy Pausch
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The Importance of Following Your Dreams
Posted by Moses on Feb 4, 2008
I’ve been thinking a lot about life and finding your passion. John Wood’s story of how he transformed his career from that of an common executive to one of international importance and impact is the best example of how following your dreams can create happiness which leads to an increased productivity and improved economic growth. Yes, I am arguing that it is in a nation’s interest to encourage citizens to follow their dreams and achieve true happiness.
It’s pretty well accepted that productivity leads to increased economic growth. For example, much of the stellar growth experienced in the 1990’s is attributed to the increase use of technology by businesses. As businesses ramped up their investment in technology their workers were able to increase their productivity. The aggregation of the individual increases in worker productivity (e.g. ability to produce more work in the same period of time) stimulated demand and expanded the economy.
This growth came at a cost. Many jobs were eliminated because new technologies made them unnecessary. If you remember The Secret of My Success
How does this translate into following your dreams? Well, being happy at work is another major productivity booster. According to Alexander Kjerulf over at The Chief Happiness Officer, happiness at work is the ultimate productivity booster. He gives ten reasons why productivity increases when a person is happy. Essentially, being happy at work makes a person more creative, a better teammate and more engaged in the work they are performing.
I believe that passion for the work you are performing is essentially to being happy at work. I’ve stated before that God puts a desire in our heart to perform a specific task. It may be being a parent, teaching children or creating a large company. Whatever your purpose, the level of happiness and fulfillment you experience in your life is determined by your willingness to embrace and go after your dreams/purpose/passion.
Since happiness at work is essential to increasing productivity. And, increasing productivity is essential to growing the economy. It is reasonable to conclude that it is in a nations interest to encourage its citizens in to follow their dreams. Quite frankly, the wealth of the nation is dependent on that very fact.
However this is not simply a policy question, it is also a cultural question. If the cultural norm is for an individual to follow a specific standardized career path it may prove difficult for that person to find the courage to chase their dream. In United States, we praise people like Bill Gates and Micheal Dell while encouraging our youth to follow traditional career paths that have little to do with achieving personal happiness. Thus we have organizations that are filled with moderately motivated workers who would rather be somewhere else.
The reality is that many of these people need a wholesale change of career. Some people have made this realization and have become amateur professionals. These are individuals who take on causes, hobbies or other activities because it is what is important to them. These activities become their true career even if they have a “day job.” This is how John Wood’s journey began. He went on vacation to Nepal and saw the desperate need for books for school children and organized an international book drive that eventually became Room to Read with him serving as the Executive Director. His personal passion to help others became his career and he and others that have joined him are beginning to change the world.
I believe that everyone can find and embrace their passion. I also believe that it is in the nation’s interest for them to do so. Productivity is the link between an individuals personal happiness and a nation’s economic future.
If finding your passion and changing your career is too a big step. Life hack has 50 simple ways to help you increase your productivity. Sometimes it takes baby steps to move forward. 
Tags: career, desire, economic growth, finding your passion, John Wood, passion, personal development, productivity, purpose, room to read, technology
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