"Brick walls are there for a reason"

When Dr. Sexson asked us the question, "What book could you not put down?", I was immediately tuned into my thoughts. Many books ran through my head, but one specific stayed in the back of my mind the entire time. Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture is perhaps the most touching and inspiring piece of work I have laid hands on. Suffering from pancreatic cancer, Pausch delivered a last lecture meant for his children to listen and learn from after his death. I read this book in one sitting. While it is a short, quick read, it is also most importantly a book that I was able to derive many important and truly life changing points from. So often, I lose myself in the stresses of college and general life downs when I should really be focusing on the positive parts. The worst thing anyone could ever hear is that they are a negative person. It is so easy to forget that life is a gift, every moment good and bad is an experience and some good can be taken out of any moment. I posted some quotes below from The Last Lecture that stand out and are some of my favorites. Though he was suffering from a life threatening illness his book reflects humor and joy in life. While I enjoy reading nearly anything, I remember the books that I can take life lessons from and those that inspire me. Happiness is truly the most important thing to me in life and sometimes it takes a piece of work like Pausch's or Dr. Seuss's Have I ever told you how lucky you are?, or Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. All books that inspire me to do my best, do what I love and be happy doing whatever it is I do.

The Last Lecture:
"The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something"
"Show gratitude. Gratitude is a simple but powerful thing"
"Never lose the child-like wonder, It's just too important"
"Better to fail spectacularly than do something mediocre"