Inspirational lives

There are two people I have wanted to write about for some time now. They’re among the most unbelievable stories you can find in You Tube.

The Last Lecture ofDr. Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch was a popular professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He was a happily married father of three. Randy taught Computer Science and specialized in Human-Computer interaction and design, the technique used to animate Walt Disney Films.

In September 2007, the story changes. Randy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was given six months to live by his doctors. The cancer had spread to his liver and there was no way of stopping it. But instead of sulking and being depressed, Randy’s unique personality and mindset enabled him to make the best of his last few months. For a person dying, he was upbeat and cool.

First he gave his “Last Lecture” to students at Carnegie Mellon, which has since been uploaded on YouTube and viewed by 10 million people. He was a guest at Oprah to reprise his “Last Lecture.” Randy was featured several times on ABC and was chosen by Time Magazine in 2008 to be among the 100 most inspirational people in the world.

What are Pausch’s pieces of advice? (1) Always tell the truth, even if it hurts. (2) Believe in other people, take risks for them. (3) Enjoy life to the fullest and achieve your childhood dreams. (He’s been in zero gravity and he worked for Disney.) (4) Be kind to everyone. “If you wait long enough, people will show you their good side.” (5) Show gratitude. Pay back all your dues. (6) Be bold and consider the riskiest option. “It’s not the things we did that we regret in our deathbed, it’s the things we didn’t do.”

In June 2008, a weakened and emaciated Pausch gave an emotional commencement speech to the graduates of Carnegie Mellon. How can one be so lucid and yet so near death? In between giving lectures, Randy also went to Congress to speak for pancreatic cancer victims in the hope that Congress would allocate more research funds for the disease. “The reason pancreatic cancer has few advocates, is because the patients do not live long enough to lobby for their cause,” Pausch tells the committee.

And one last advice he didn’t have to spell out was to love your wife and kids. That’s the reason why he didn’t get angry. He wanted to make use of his last moments to leave a legacy for his three kids, ages 6, 3 and 2.

“I think it’s great that so many people have benefited from this lecture, but the truth of the matter is that I didn’t really even give it to the 400 people here. I only wrote this lecture for my three children, and when they’re older, they’ll watch it,” Randy tearfully said.

Randy had received hundreds of moving letters from anonymous people whose lives he  has touched. One said, “I was very depressed and ready to take my life. But after watching your lecture, I have decided to live again.”

On July 25, 2008, Randy Pausch quietly died from pancreatic cancer, 10 months after doctors said he had six months to live. He was 47. And in those 10 months, Randy saved his best legacy for last. His book called The Last Lecture is a New York Times  best-seller. Goodbye Randy. Take care, now.

Paul Potts Makes You Believe In A Higher Power

Although the world lost Randy Pausch, we are still lucky to have Paul Potts around. Paul’s accomplishment is on a different scale compared to Randy’s.

Just who is Paul Potts? In 2007, Paul was your typical 37-year-old Englishman living an ordinary job selling carphones in South Wales. Paul is overweight, looks awkward and had bad teeth. When he was younger, Paul was a loner and was constantly bullied by classmates. There was a time his young mind turned dark and he wanted to end it all.

But despite his appearance and inferior feelings, a divine source had planted a seed of greatness in Paul. Paul can sing. And when his classmates bullied him, he would hide, listen to classical music, and sing arias in his head.

During his thirties, Paul knew there was little hope for a singing career, especially after three medical mishaps: an operation for a benign kidney tumor, an appendectomy and a broken collar bone from a bike accident. How unlucky can one get?

In May 2007, Paul happened to see the audition forms for a new talent show called Britain’s Got Talent (similar to American Idol, produced by Simon Cowell). Skeptical, Paul decided to leave his fate in a coin toss. “If it landed on heads, I would sign up for the contest,” he told himself. Lady luck struck and a few weeks later, Paul found himself auditioning in front of the judges, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Pierce Morgan.

And then the story changes. Watch it on YouTube as Paul sings in the make-or-break audition. The 31 millions viewers of this video can’t be wrong. It’s the most inspirational four minutes captured on TV.

What happened in the audition? We see a nervous, sweaty and overweight Paul lumber in wearing a cheap suit. “I want to sing Opera,” Paul says. “You, singing Opera?” Simon’s face says it all as he shook his head and prepared for the worst.

And then Paul started to sing  Nessum Dorma, a difficult song reserved for the Pavarottis. Beat after beat, note after note, his unique voice struck an emotional chord. How can somebody who looks like Paul sing with a voice like that? As Paul sang, Simon was caught with his mouth agape, the beautiful Amanda was sobbing uncontrollably, and the audience was on its feet.

Make no mistake, Paul Potts is no Pavarotti. His pitch is not perfect, but there is something in his voice that connects deep to the heart and soul. As one YouTube poster writes, “Do not judge a book by its cover.” Another says, “It’s hard to watch this video without tearing up.”

Like a simple flower that exudes its fragrance, Paul Potts reminds us ordinary mortals that there is no such thing as ordinary. Everyone has a special God-given talent.

Since that unforgettable audition, Paul Potts has won Britain’s Got Talent. He signed a record deal with Simon Cowell, who is now a fan. And Paul has performed before the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. His debut album aptly called “One Chance” has been a best-seller in many countries.

“My life has been crazy before. At 37, I had almost given up hope on my singing career. But I feel that singing is what I was born to do,” Potts says philosophically. Watching Potts for the nth time on YouTube, it’s hard not to wonder, “What are we meant to do in this world?”

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Visit www.youtube.com and watch the stories of Randy Pausch and Paul Potts unfold. Just type their names. For comments, e-mail drwillieong@gmail.com.