(You never know when your time will come for your final breath. Don’t wait to examine your life and life lessons….DO IT NOW! Do it for yourself, for your loved ones, and those yet unknown who may be touched in some way by your life. If you ever doubted that your life touches countless other lives, be sure to watch the classic film IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.)
CREATE YOUR OWN LAST LECTURE FOR YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, OR THE WHOLE WORLD
If you had one last lecture to give before you died, what would it be? You don’t need to have a terminal illness to do this. You should do it NOW because it will be a life-enhancing experience that could change the course of your life.–Joan Holman
CREATE A LOVE STORY FOR YOUR LIFE
Dr. Randy Pausch had been through a year of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy by the time he delivered his now famous "Last Lecture" at Carnegie Mellon University in September 2007.
The lecture became a worldwide sensation when the university posted the it on the Web. Since then, there have been over 17 million views of his talk, and millions more have bought the book based on it. "The Last Lecture," co-authored with Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Zaslow became a New York Times' best-seller, and it has sold over 5 million copies.
The lecture series was intended to let speakers from CMU pretend it was their final talk and discuss what lessons they had learned in life. In Dr. Pausch's case, the title became real after he developed terminal cancer.
In his talk, Dr. Pausch described his terminal cancer, but focused on how he had been able to fulfill all his childhood dreams, and the people and lessons that had sustained him along the way.
At the end of the talk, his said his talk was really about how to life your life and that the talk was really for “his kids.”
Unfortunately, Dr. Pausch did not win his battle with cancer. But he left a lasting legacy that has inspired not only his family, but millions of people worldwide.
A MESSAGE FROM JOAN HOLMAN
Your Last Lecture does not have to be created with the goal of becoming a New York Times bestseller. It can be created for the private viewing of your family or friends and be a legacy gift that you give to them.
Your Last Lecture can also be a tremendous gift that you give to yourself. Going through the process of self-reflection as to the meaning of your life, and your life lessons, and wisdom you may wish to pass on, can be truly life-changing. It was for me when I created my own LIFE STORY. Right now, that life story is only for close friends and family, although I have shared portions of it in my LIFE STORY workshops and classes.
At the end of our journey of life, each of us needs to know that we have contributed to others and that our life has meaning. How we have grown in a positive way and what we have contributed to others, to our families, to our community, and the larger community is the legacy we leave.
- Each life has value.
- Each life has a mission and purpose.
- And each life touches countless lives.
- As Clarence the angel told George Bailey in the film "It's A Wonderful Life:"
"Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?”
Contact me to discusss how I might help you WRITE & PUBLISH, VIDEO RECORD OR AUDIO RECORD YOUR LAST LECTURE.
