Jayachandran

A simple straight-forward statement, made out of concern, is misinterpreted by the other and found it too offensive. What followed was a stream of statements from both. Looking back, I still cannot understand what went wrong in the other to make the matter too complex.

I was reading an email from one of my friends, in which my friend wrote: The mundane world still has not reached the state of broadmindedness or sophisticated thought to eye platonic friendships in an unadulterated way. I certainly agree to not disagree with this statement.

When Randy Paush was asked about his Last Lecture, he said: “I’m attempting to put myself in a bottle that will one day wash up on the beach for my children“. On another occasion he said, “I’m living like I’m dying. But at the same time, I’m very much living like I’m still living“.

Saying goodbye… It’s a part of the human experience that we encounter every day, sometimes nonchalantly, sometimes with great emotion. Then, eventually, the time comes for the final goodbye.

Twelve years ago … Randy Pausch (if you don’t know him, please read my previous post) was an associate professor of engineering and computer science at University of Virginia, where he shared his time-management techniques with graduate teaching assistants and faculty members on Jan 16, 1995 at Newcomb Hall. Some excerpts from it:

• Everyone should identify their most creative, productive hours of the day and “defend them ruthlessly” for exacting mental work. Schedule meetings, handle correspondence and make phone calls when physical and mental energy are at a low ebb.
• We should be goal driven and approach everything from a cost/benefit analysis. “When Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz was out of a job, he sat and wrote down the 100 things he wanted to do before he died. This is a wonderful thing to do. If activity ‘X’ doesn’t lead to accomplishing something on the list, we should ask, Why am I doing this?.
• Time management is really about what you are not going to do. It’s for you to determine what’s important and what’s not. If you treat everything equally, you won’t reach your goals.
• To-do lists are helpful, provided that tasks are not listed in chronological order. Priorities should be determined by the importance of given tasks as well as by deadlines. On any given day, more thought and energy should be devoted to important tasks due next week, rather than one of less significance due tomorrow.
• Failing to plan is planning to fail. You don’t find time for important things, you make it. You have to plan each day, each week, and determine the three most important things you wish to accomplish this semester.

And his strategy for an office etiquette:

• Stand during a call. If you remain seated, never put your feet up; it will double the length of your call.
• When you initiate a call, structure your discussion by announcing the reasons for the call. Reviewing them later will help end the conversation.
• Group outgoing calls and make them just before lunch or before 5 p.m., when others are equally motivated to keep calls short.
• If necessary, hang up while you’re talking.
• Make your office comfortable for you and optionally comfortable for others. Mr. Pausch places folded chairs against the wall and pulls out one if he wishes a visitor to sit.
• To preserve blocks of time to think and write, tell students and colleagues when you are available to them. Reinforce this with physical indications such as signs, an open door, etc.

Click here for more articles about Randy Pausch available on U. Va website.

… they let us prove how badly we want things.

46-year-old Carnegie-Mellon University professor Dr. Randy Pausch, after being told he only has few months to live since being diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer, delivered his final, highly motivational and moving lecture entitled “How to live your dreams” on Sep 18. I never heard of Randy Pausch before. WallStreet Journal published a moving article. I request my friends and those who visit my website to watch this video. It is truely inspiring, motivating.

Before Randy said a word, he received a standing ovation from 400 students and colleagues. He motioned to them to sit down. “Make me earn it,” he said. Near the end of his talk, he had a cake brought out for his wife, whose birthday was the day before. As she cried and they embraced on stage, the audience sang “Happy Birthday,” many wiping away their own tears. Dr. Pausch’s speech was taped so his children, ages 5, 2 and 1, can watch it when they’re older. His last words in his last lecture were simple: “This was for my kids”. Then those in the audience rose for one last standing ovation.

Additional Links:

• Last Lecture (Transcript)
• KDKA Video Clip
• Steve Hartman and the CBS Evening News
• CBS News: With additional “Only on the Web”

If you would like to make a donation to support the research advocated by Dr. Randy Pausch, here is the information I got from Dr. Randy Pausch’s website:

Make donations payable to UPCI/Pancreatic Cancer Research/Liver Pancreas Institute, and in the memo section of the check, please note that your gift is given in Dr. Randy Pausch’s honor and for support of the research of Dr. Herb Zeh. Mail your check to:

  Development Dept.
  UPMC Cancer Pavilion,
  Suite 1B, 5150 Centre Ave.,
  Pittsburgh PA 15232.

Or by phone, you can contact Kambra McConnel in the Development Dept. for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute at (412) 623-4700 or email her at mcconnelk@upmc.edu.

Here is a letter from my shadow to me.

Dear you, Thanks for calling me today. I felt nice hearing you. I am not sure why you wanted to hear me. I felt happy. Did I talk too much? I know I was not a good listener to you this time. Did you get much chance to talk to me? Do you know why I follow you so faithfully wherever you go? Because no matter what contradictions and varying influences are present in your life, your essence should remain intact. That is what I seek to do – remind you to keep your true-self away from the influences. The worst that can happen to any man is to lose himself. Dear, I don’t cease to exist in darkness. I am always there. It is just that you need light to see me. So if you do hear this, don’t look away from me the next time. Remember, the reason I exist is because you do. “Ayyo.. Ippozhum undo? Venda. Niruthanam ketto.“