Find your passion and follow it

As mentioned previously, before I left TW, I finish Professor Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture. My friend was surprised though, maybe because he was kidding with me when he asked me to go read his book.

I can’t exactly remember when he introduced me to the famous video – The Last Lecture… but I remembered what we were discussing. It is interesting that I knew him since primary school and yet it is vaguely through this lecture that we actually found a topic to talk about… At that time he was thinking about certain matters pertaining to dream and job. In the end, he chose to change his job while I remain status quo. In fact, I realized I remain status quo while another of my friend had changed her job, twice. Hmm..

Anyway, he asked why I did not do a book review. Thus for his sake, I’m writing this post now. As I said, this book was ok. Partly because I read Tuesdays with Morrie first and I had subconsciously compare the two books. However The Last Lecture is not really on life topics. The book is more on his afterthoughts of the lecture, and perhaps more details on his personal life. And in it, he shared his dreams as well as his fears. And yes, I did cry while reading some excerpts. Somehow I feel that this book, like his lecture, is his legacy for his children. Thus after reading the book, I really don’t find any quotes worth remembering. But the feeling it generated, the afterthoughts upon finishing the book, is something worth remembering. It is a book written so that a child can remember, can understand how his/her father was in life... and how much he loved them.

One can sense how much unwilling he is to leave his family especially when the children are so young. No matter how many times he had emphasized that he is treasuring every single moment and grateful for all the extra time given, there will still be times where he wished he need not leave. Times where one will doubt and ask why?

By the way, after the book, he gave an inspirational speech to the class of 2008 CMU graduates which can be viewed here. In it, he talked about finding the passion and follows it as evident below.

… it is not the things we do in life that we regret on our death bed. It is the things we do not. Find your passion and follow it… and if there is anything I have learned in my life, you will not find that passion in things. And you will not find that passion in money. Because the more things and the more money you have, the more you will just look around and use that as the metric - and there will always be someone with more. Your passion must come from the things that fuel you from the inside. That passion will be grounded in people. It will be grounded in the relationships you have with people and what they think of you when your time comes.
Source: Professor Randy Pausch

Maybe that speech interested me because I was thinking about passion lately. I had been quite lost after finishing a particular book. The author had mentioned it is a difficult book to write particularly because it contained aspects of his private life. The book seems so real and true to the extent I fear it if it is authentic. It is a book on how people wind up killing the things they love most. Thus a job you love a lot could end up become boring to you. A marriage you cherish a lot could end up less desirable to you. Then what? Because it is not the fault of your job, your spouse or life for that matter. It is your own fault that you are denouncing the things that matter to you. And you will end up with nothing.

Hmm maybe that is why I continue to attend my class though I don’t prepare at all. To feel the effort and dedication… although today’s sudden oral test caught me by surprise.. and next week’s written test.. eeks… don’t feel like studying for it though hmmm…

Back to my withdrawal cum pure 19 addiction…