Randy Pausch Quotes

Too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I've always believed that if you took one tenth the enrgy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you'd be surprised by how well things can work out. ~ Randy Pausch

Here was a woman, having a child by accident that she surely would come to love. As for me, through the accident of cancer i'd be leaving three children to grow up without my love ~ Randy Pausch

Failure is not just acceptable, it's often essential. The Last Lecture ~ Randy Pausch

Most people who have told a lie think they got away with it ... when in fact, they didn't ~ Randy Pausch

Advice is very easy to give, and even easier not to follow, so I don't fool with it. ~ Randy Pausch

When we're connected to others, we become better people. ~ Randy Pausch

Whatever news we get about the scans, I'm not going to die when we hear it. I
won't die the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that. So
today, right now, well this is a wonderful day. And I want you to know
how much I'm enjoying it.
I thought about that, and about Jai's smile.
I knew then. That's the way the rest of my life would need to be lived. ~ Randy Pausch

I am going to keep having fun every day I have left, because there is no other way of life. You just have to decide whether you are a Tigger or an Eeyore. ~ Randy Pausch

When giving an apology, any performance lower than an A really doesn't cut it. ~ Randy Pausch

Better to fail spectacularly than do something mediocre. ~ Randy Pausch

Want to have a short phone call with someone? Call them at 11:55 a.m., right before lunch. They'll talk fast. You may think you are interesting, but you are not more interesting than lunch. ~ Randy Pausch

Dance with the one who brung you. ~ Randy Pausch

The great thing about working out at a gym is that if you put in effort, you get very obvious results. The same should be true of college. A professor's job is to teach students how to see their minds growing in the same way they can see their muscles grow when they look in a mirror. ~ Randy Pausch

It's hard to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer - people who get it don't live long enough. ~ Randy Pausch

There's a formality in academia that can't be ignored, even if a man is busy with other things, like trying not to die. ~ Randy Pausch

I don't know how to not have fun. I'm dying and I'm having fun, and I'm going to keep having fun every day I've got left. ~ Randy Pausch

When there's an elephant in the room introduce him. ~ Randy Pausch

If I don't seem as depressed or morose as I should be, sorry to disappoint you. ~ Randy Pausch

I'm not going to beat the cancer. I tried really hard ... but sometimes you're just not going to beat the thing ... I wanted to walk off the stage and say anything I thought was important; I had my hour. ~ Randy Pausch

I'm dying and I'm having fun. And I'm going to keep having fun every day I have left. ~ Randy Pausch

We've placed a lot of emphasis in this country on the idea of people's rights. That's how it should be, but it makes no sense to talk about rights without also talking about responsibilities. ~ Randy Pausch

When we make something hard to use, people get upset. They become so angry that they want to destroy it. We don't want to create things that people will want to destroy ~ Randy Pausch

I was trying to put myself in a bottle that would one day wash up on the beach for my children. If I were a painter, I would have painted for them. If I were a musician, I would have composed music. But I am a lecturer. So I lectured. ~ Randy Pausch

Getting people to welcome feedback was the hardest thing I ever had to do as an educator. ~ Randy Pausch

There are respectful, considerate things that can be done in life that will be appreciated by the recipient, and only good things can result. ~ Randy Pausch

We can't change it. We have to decide how we'll respond. ~ Randy Pausch

Throughout my academic career, I'd given some pretty good talks. But being considered the best speaker in the computer science department is like being known as the tallest of the Seven Dwarfs. ~ Randy Pausch

You can almost always find something in common with another person, and from there, it's much easier to address issues where you have differences. Sports cut across boundaries of race and wealth. And if nothing else, we all have the weather in common. ~ Randy Pausch

Though I am not a fan of TV - it's mankind's greatest time-waster, the gift was completely appropriate, since I'll be in bed so much at the end. TV will be one of my last links to the outside world. ~ Randy Pausch

I had fallen in love, even if she was still finding her way. ~ Randy Pausch

Coach Graham rode you pretty hard, didn't he?" he said. I could barely muster a "yeah." That's a good thing," the assistant told me. When you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, it means they've given up on you. ~ Randy Pausch

If nobody ever worried about what was in other people's heads, we'd all be 33 percent more effective in our lives and our jobs. ~ Randy Pausch

You can't get there alone. 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, by being earnest. ~ Randy Pausch

There's an academic tradition called the 'Last Lecture.' Hypothetically, if you knew you were going to die and you had one last lecture, what would you say to your students? Well, for me, there's an elephant in the room. And the elephant in the room, for me, it wasn't hypothetical. ~ Randy Pausch

No job is beneath you.
You ought to be thrilled you got a job in the mailroom And when you get there, here's what you do: Be really great at sorting mail. ~ Randy Pausch

Sometimes, all you have to do is ask. ~ Randy Pausch

Sometimes all you have to do is ask, and it can lead to all your dreams coming true. ~ Randy Pausch

The person who failed often knows how to avoid future failures. The person who knows only success can be more oblivious to all the pitfalls. ~ Randy Pausch

Brick walls are there for a reason. And once you get over them - even if someone has practically had to throw you over - it can be helpful to others to tell them how you did it. ~ Randy Pausch

Never give up: There are certain times that you think, 'OK, you have beaten me down to my knees. And now the challenge is, I am on my knees and you keep on beating me down. And the question is, are you going to keep beating me all the way to the ground or will I find a way to struggle my way back on to my feet. ~ Randy Pausch

Engineering isn't about perfect solutions; it's about doing the best you can with limited resources. ~ Randy Pausch

I'm sorry.
It's my fault.
How do I make it right? ~ Randy Pausch

What is the most appropriate thing to say to a friend who was about to die. He answered:"tell your friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Whenever he goes, you also g. He will not be alone". ~ Randy Pausch

Tenacity is a virtue, but it's not always crucial for everyone to observe
how hard you work at something. ~ Randy Pausch

I'd compare college tuition to paying for a personal trainer at an athletic club. We professors play the roles of trainers, giving people access to the equipment (books, labs, our expertise) and after that, it is our job to be demanding. ~ Randy Pausch

It's very important to know when you're in a pissing match. And it's very important to get out of it as quickly as possible. ~ Randy Pausch

If you can find your footing between two cultures, sometimes you can have the best of both worlds. ~ Randy Pausch

The most difficult part of writing a book is not devising a plot which will captivate the reader. It's not developing characters the reader will have strong feelings for or against. It is not finding a setting which will take the reader to a place he or she as never been. It is not the research, whether in fiction or non-fiction. The most difficult task facing a writer is to find the voice in which to tell the story. ~ Randy Pausch

Are you a fun-loving Tigger or a sad-sack Eeyore? Pick a camp. I think it's clear where I stand on the great Tigger/Eeyore debate! ~ Randy Pausch

I am dying soon, and I am choosing to have fun today, tomorrow and every other day I have left. ~ Randy Pausch

The metaphor I've used is ... somebody's going to push my family off a cliff pretty soon, and I won't be there to catch them. And that breaks my heart. But I have some time to sew some nets to cushion the fall. So, I can curl up in a ball and cry, or I can get to work on the nets. ~ Randy Pausch

I've found that a substantial fraction of many people's days is spent
worrying about what others think of them. If nobody ever worried
about what was in other people's heads, we'd all be 33 percent more
effective in our lives and on our jobs. ~ Randy Pausch

The best way to teach somebody something is to have them think they're learning something else. ~ Randy Pausch

What he said was: "You obviously don't know where the bar should be, and you're only going to do a disservice by putting it anywhere." And boy was that good advice. Because what he said was, you obviously don't know where the bar should be, and you're only going to do them a disservice by putting it anywhere. ~ Randy Pausch

Anybody can get chewed out. It's the rare person who says, oh my god, you were right. As opposed to, no wait, the reason is ... We've all heard that ~ Randy Pausch

A parent's job is to encourage kids to develop a joy for life and a great urge to follow their own dreams. ~ Randy Pausch

I'm hanging in there, trying to spend as much quality time with my wife and kids as possible, and though it's very frustrating to know I won't beat the cancer, there's a great satisfaction in knowing that I'm walking off the field with no regrets. ~ Randy Pausch

Because you're such a good salesman, and if you go work for a company, they're going to use you as a salesman. If you're going to be a salesman, you might as well be selling something worthwhile, like education ~ Randy Pausch

Do not tell people how to live their lives. Just tell them stories and they will figure out how those stories apply to them. ~ Randy Pausch

A good apology is like antibiotic, a bad apology is like rubbing salt in the wound. ~ Randy Pausch

Show gratitude. Gratitude is a simple but powerful thing. ~ Randy Pausch

We cannot change the cards we are delt, just how we play the hand ~ Randy Pausch

There's a lot of talk these days about giving children self-esteem. It's not something you can give; it's something they have to build. ~ Randy Pausch

Find the best in everybody. Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you. It might even take years, but people will show you their good side. Just keep waiting. ~ Randy Pausch

Walls aren't put in our life to stop us, they are there to test how much we really want somthing. ~ Randy Pausch

Education best serves students by helping them be more self-reflective. ~ Randy Pausch

When you do the right thing, good stuff has a way of happening. ~ Randy Pausch

When you're frustrated with people, when they've made you angry, it just may be because you haven't given them enough time. ~ Randy Pausch

When it comes to men who are romantically interested in you, it's really simple. Just ignore everything they say and only pay attention to what they do. ~ Randy Pausch

If she doesn't really love you, then it's over. And if she does love you, then love will win out. ~ Randy Pausch

but he just keeps showing up in my head, forcing me to work harder whenever I feel like quitting, forcing me to be better. ~ Randy Pausch

If you want something bad enough, never give up (and take a boost when offered). ~ Randy Pausch

Experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer. ~ Randy Pausch

You can't control the cards you're dealt, just how you play the hand. ~ Randy Pausch

How long before I die?" he answered, "You probably have three to six months of good health." That reminded me of my time at Disney. Ask Disney World workers: "What time does the park close?" They're supposed to answer: "The park is open until 8 p.m." In ~ Randy Pausch

As I see it, if you work more hours than somebody else, during those hours you learn more about your craft. That can make you more efficient, more able, even happier. Hard work is like compounded interest in the bank. The rewards build faster. ~ Randy Pausch

Believe nothing a man tells you and everything he shows you ... (Taken from a farewell video from a dying father to his infant daughter on dating) ~ Randy Pausch

I love all three of my kids completely and differently. And I want them to know that I will love them for as long as they live. I will. ~ Randy Pausch

Your critics are the ones telling you they still love you and care. Worry when you do something badly and nobody bothers to tell you. ~ Randy Pausch

I'm aware that Chloe may have no memory of me at all. She's too young. But I want her to grow up knowing that I was the first man ever to fall in love with her. ~ Randy Pausch

I played in football games where you walk off the field and the scoreboard didn't end up the way you wanted. But you knew that you really did give it all. And the other team was too strong. ~ Randy Pausch

There's nothing about my life that I would have changed. ~ Randy Pausch

I have never thought of writing as hard work, but I have worked hard to find a voice. ~ Randy Pausch

Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others. ~ Randy Pausch

No job should, be beneath us. And if you can't(or won't) sort mail, Where is the proof that you can do anything? ~ Randy Pausch

Many people might expect the talk to be about dying. But it had to be about living. ~ Randy Pausch

[My mother] saw it as part of her mission to keep my cockiness in check. I'm grateful for that now...We now live in an age when parents praise every child as a genius ~ Randy Pausch

We now live in an age when parents praise every child as a genius. And here's my mother, figuring "alert" ought to suffice as a compliment. ~ Randy Pausch

He had high hopes for society, and though his hopes were too often dashed, he remained a raging optimist. ~ Randy Pausch

Follow your passions, believe in karma, and you won't have to chase your dreams, they will come to you. ~ Randy Pausch

I had just two rules for their virtual reality worlds: No shooting violence and no pornography. I issued that decree mostly because those things have been done in computer games only about a zillion times, and I was looking for original thinking. ~ Randy Pausch

Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier. ~ Randy Pausch

There are a few key moments in anyone's life. A person is fortunate if he can tell in hindsight when they happened. ~ Randy Pausch

Educators best serve students by helping them be more self-reflective. The only way any of us can improve - as Coach Graham taught me - is if we develop a real ability to assess ourselves. If we can't accurately do that, how can we tell if we're getting better or worse? ~ Randy Pausch

We don't beat the reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well and living fully. ~ Randy Pausch

If you are hopeful, if you are optimistic, other people want to help you. And if you are down in the dumps, other people may still help you, but I've noticed that they're walking, not running, over to you. ~ Randy Pausch

Are you a Tigger or an Eyore? ~ Randy Pausch

Remember brick walls let us show our dedication. They are there to separate us from the people who don't really want to achieve their childhood dreams. ~ Randy Pausch

That meant when I wasn't happy about something, I spoke up, often directly and not always tactfully. ~ Randy Pausch

I'm dying, and I'm having fun. ~ Randy Pausch