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Dying Professor's Lecture of a Lifetime

Randy Pausch Has Terminal Cancer, but Inspires Others With Lecture on Living Life to the Fullest

Though he achieved most of his childhood dreams, Pausch flashed his rejection letters on a screen and talked about career setbacks: "Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls aren't there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show us how badly we want things."

Pausch Family
(Laura O'Malley Duzak)

Pausch says he's not afraid of death, but does worry about the process of dying.

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"Well the particular way I'm going to die is not going to be particularly pleasant. It will probably be physically uncomfortable and it won't be an easy thing for my wife and kids to watch," Pausch told Sawyer. "I think it will be a real challenge to see if I can squeeze the lemons hard enough to still get lemonade the last few weeks."

But Pausch said in the face of adversity, don't complain, just work harder. Your patience, he says, will eventually be rewarded.

"You know, life is a gift," Pausch told Sawyer. "Again, it sounds trite, but if you wait long enough, other people will show you their good side. If there's anything I've [learned] that is absolutely true. Sometimes it takes a lot longer than you might like. But the onus is on you to keep the hope and keep waiting."

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