Wednesday, October 31, 2007

No, really, what do you WANT?

I got home last night from a meeting and watched an Oprah episode from within the past week which I had on my overloaded DVR. I happened upon the episode where Oprah highlighted lessons we can learn from people who are dying. Sounds a little morose ... but you know that old saying that when the student is ready the teacher will appear? Well, this is what I needed to see last night.

I'm working with several clients on the distinction between setting goals and achieving goals, and I'm also leading several groups studying the book Think and Grow Rich, where we talk a lot about goals and what we really want in our lives. (By the way, I'm still looking for folks who want to get into a virtual master mind to study this book - email me your contact info so I can get in touch with you if you're interested!)

Although we are very clear on our objectives for those classes and the study group, very few people ever really get serious about dreaming about what they really want in their lives, whether that's at work or outside of work. We seem to be more content to just drift along in our lives, fully expecting that someday we'll figure it out.

But the reality is that we never know when our days will end. There is no guarantee for anyone. I'm sure you've heard by now about Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor who gave his "last lecture" in September. The idea for this series used to be that professors would give a lecture for the audience based on what they would say if it were to be their last lecture. For Randy Pausch, who has late-stage pancreatic cancer, the lecture really is probably one of his last.

This video is the complete lecture (about 90 minutes) - but please take some time to watch it and let it inspire you to decide, once and for all, what you really want in your life. Stop waiting until tomorrow to determine what you want to do, be and have and take charge of your own awareness. You can decide TODAY - NOW - to be the person you've always wanted as a best friend.



After all, what more is there to this thing we call life?

2 Comments:

At 9:40 AM, Blogger DonSchenck said...

I with you all the way on this one! I work for myself as a software developer -- pays VERY well -- but my PASSION is public speaking. Just not sure how to get opportunities -- even non-paying ones.

Thanks for the virtual kick in the rear.

RE: Think And Grow Rich - I have the entire book on CD and recently went through it. I'd be more than happy to go through it again, with you, provided you don't object to my listening to it versus actually reading it (I commute two or three hours a day to customer site, so...).

All The Best,

-- Don Schenck, York, PA

 
At 1:02 PM, Blogger Jodee Bock said...

Don:

I'd love to have you join our virtual master mind group! It doesn't matter whether you read it or listen to it - it's the information that matters. The dialogues we are creating are amazing - and I'm certain that will happen regardless of how we get the information to talk about.

I'll put the list together and contact everyone in the next week or so to get that going.

Thanks for visiting!

 

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