"Do you have the Last Lecture?"
On Sunday.....at least three people every hour came up to the information desk requesting this book. Apparently we had a few copies earlier in the week but sold out in one day.
If you don't watch Oprah....or scan the NY Times Best Seller list.....you may not know about this phenomenon. At Carnegie-Mellon University.....there's a series of lectures.....called "The Last Lecture"....where faculty pretend they are dying and deliver their last lecture....their last words of advice to their community. Randy Pausch....genius boy of virtual realities.....gave his lecture in September....with a twist.....he is dying....of pancreatic cancer.
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As you can see from the pic taken during his lecture....he's a sweet hunk of a man....in his sexy mid forties....with three small children at home. At the time of this lecture....he was given a prognosis of 6 more months of good life....before the symptoms would overpower him and then the steady decline into hospice care....there is no cure.
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He starts his lecture by doing push ups ... joking around.... sharing his high energy.....as well as his thoughts.....about life and his life.
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In all honesty....if you've read Tuesdays with Morrie....or anything of a spiritual advice nature....you will not find his message.....interesting or astonishing or new....love the people that come into your life....be good to everyone....relate....cherish your connections.
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If you Google him.....you can watch the lecture. If you've been to college...the lecture feels just like a basic undergrad philosophy lecture.....given in one of those large ubiquitous halls.....except...... the professor is really good at lecturing..... and for once everyone is paying attention.
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I watched the video clip last night. Somewhere in the middle......way past the time I guessed the message.....I pulled back....and just watched this man.....laugh...tease....cajole the audience....and the message I received......went beyond his advice.....what I saw was ......passion.
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The man loved being a professor.....loved computers....loved virtual worlds....loved his students...loved his family....loved those that taught him things....loved his place on that podium.
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Loved....not liked..... with an intensity.....that made him do smart things and silly things.... in order to follow his beliefs....his dreams.....his passion.
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His passion.
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As I look at my life tonight....I see that many things I was passionate about are on the back burner or gone...right now.
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My children's book manuscript got a good review...but the editor who looked at it this weekend suggested a rewrite.....my Africa notes are dusty.....I resigned from my community project......I lost touch with some people....
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I realized by the time the video was over......that my internal flames were very low.........and...like Dr. Pausch.....I like being consumed.....being in love with what I'm doing......or what I'm thinking or fantasizing about.....some people are afraid of that type of intensity...but I like it.....
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And so what I thought would be a corny Oprah-type thingie....turned out to be rather....ah....illuminating.
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It time to get back in the game....it's time to start looking for things to feed the fire.
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How's your internal flames?
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Anyone have a match?
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