Musings

It's a sunday night and -40 outside. Walking about today in frigid air, as the sun gleamed and sparkled against the the snow, I felt somewhat Canadian... and pretty hardcore for being out in such extreme weather conditions. It wasn't that bad... well, other than the long underwear beneath my jeans making them two sizes too small. I came home to a hot cup of tea, some of Beth's sinfully delicious Sacher Bars and nestled with a short book called "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. For those of you who don't know, the book is based upon a lecture given by a professor at Carnegie Mellon. Often professors are given the opportunity to give a lecture as if it was their last. In Randy's case, it truly was his last as he was told he had just months to live after pancreatic cancer had metastasized into his liver. I knew this book was going to be a bit of a tear jerker but I think it is a universal book for anyone of any age as the personal anecdotes that the author shared can be applied or relatable to every individual in their own unique way. In light of the events that have occurred to me over the last year, both great and small, many of the standards by which I attempt to live my life by were iterated eloquently in this book. There are a few quotes I would like to share from this book that I think carry meaning with everyone, and perhaps I should follow most of this as well:

Don't complain, just work harder

 - Time is limited, and time wasted upon whining will not help us to achieve our goals, nor any happier.

Don't obsess over what other people think

Watch what they do, and not what they say

- Apparently the best dating advice for a girl is that if a guy is romantically interested her, she should just ignore everything they say and pay attention to what they do. 

Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted

Loyalty is a two - way street.

Tell the truth. All the time.

No job is beneath anyone

If you can find your footing between two cultures, sometimes you can have the best of both worlds.

Brick walls are there for a reason - to give us a chance to show badly we want something.

Look for the best in everyone, sometimes it just takes time for it to come out.

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity

The best shortcut is the long way - work hard.

Most people who have told a lie think they got away with it, when in fact, they didn't.

Sometimes, all you have to do is ask. 

Hope that gives some food for thought. Keep warm.