What will you do with the time you have? 

Many professors take part in an ongoing series of hypothetical final lectures, in which they are asked to think about the things they would want to tell their students if it would be their last chance to do so.

Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, was tasked with this same responsibility. The only difference was: He didn’t have to. He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and had only a few months left to live.

The Last Lecture chronicles Randy’s attempts in distilling and imparting all the wisdom that he had learnt over his lifetime to his audience in a single lecture. it also describes his motivation in doing so despite having many other personal issues to take care of. The lecture that he eventually gave was not a grim tale about dying. rather, it was about overcoming obstacles, dealing with failures and living life to the fullest.

“The lecture that he eventually gave was not a grim tale about dying. rather, it was about overcoming obstacles, dealing with failures and living life to the fullest.”

Reading it made me pause and contemplate about the things I really want in life, and re-evaluate my current priorities. It set me thinking about the way in which I would live my life if I were told I had only a few months left to life. What would I tell my family? What regrets would I have? And how would I want others to remember me?

All these also got me thinking about one of Halogen’s modules – Choices, Contribution and Legacy. It teaches that those are things which define us – it is our choices that show who we really are, and our contribution which determines our significance. It provokes one to think about the ways in which how we can create a lasting positive impact in our community and society long after we depart.

The Last Lecture is definitely a worthwhile read which could change your perspective of life and help you make better decisions when faced with a crossroad.

For those who just cannot find the time to read a book or do not like the idea of reading, you can always look for Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture video on YouTube. As he says in his book, “Time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think.” What will you do with the time you have?