"You just have to decide if you're a Tigger or an Eeyore"

Carnegie Mellon University Professor Randy Pausch lost his courageous battle against pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008. While hours could be spent listing Randy's academic achievements in the world of computer science, it can be argued the greatest personal legacy he left behind by far is the "Last Lecture" speech he gave on September 18, 2007 at CMU.

The lecture, titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" took on a life of its own after its delivery. It catapulted Randy into internet stardom (the lecture was uploaded on YouTube and the CMU's own website) and inspired a printed version, aptly called "The Last Lecture."

Up until last Friday I had never viewed the lecture in its entirety. When the news about Randy's death broke, I watched the video, and wept. The lecture takes the audience through the personal and professional journey of Randy's life. His words and ideas are inspiring; his resilient attitude and illuminating spirit even more. His personal philosophies are simple, such as the "You just have to decide if you're going to be a Tigger or an Eeyore" (referring to the beloved Winnie-the-Pooh characters) when demonstrating the choices we have in dealing with life's curveballs. His life lessons are cleverly wrapped in funny anecdotes, and the minutes of the lecture slide by too quickly as if you were talking to a dear friend, but only had a short time to spend together.

Above all, what is resounding in the video is the unbridled passion for life that Randy held. On the stage stands a man, fully conscious of the terrifying notion he has months to live (a fact that would numb many of us to the point of inaction), teaching us about the beauty of life and our capacity to reach for the stars - and beyond. Randy, in his trademarked sardonic wit, laughs in the face of Death, by defiantly taking a 'no-regrets' stance and refusing to give in to the fear or the self-pity.

I'd like to believe that somewhere Randy Pausch is still laughing.