Today I opened my Sunday newspaper and was surprised to see an old friend’s face on the cover of Parade Magazine, Prof. Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon University. Over the years we overlapped in our common interest in exploring ways to enable artists/designers and engineers/scientists to find common ground. Last year Randy was diagnosed with terminal cancer and gave what was entitled “The Last Lecture” — a lecture that millions have watched all over the world. Randy will leave us with us some uncommon wisdom:

• Always Have Fun: To not take life too seriously and be adventurous.
• Dream Big: Give yourself the permission to imagine the impossible.
• Ask for What You Want: If there’s something you want to do, ask.
• Dare To Take a Risk: Don’t be afraid to fail otherwise you’ll only regret it later.
• Look for the Best in Everybody: Everyone has goodness in them which will either impress you now in the present, or eventually in the future.
• Make Time for What Matters: You only have so much time in life so spend it wisely.
• Let Kids Be Themselves: Let your children be the people that they want themselves to be.

I close this passage of text with tears of both sadness and happiness welling in my eyes — the earth will be a lesser place without Randy, and yet it’s been made an even better place with the stories he will leave behind. Our world is empowered by the voices of greatness that have spoken during their time.