Creating a Life of Meaning

9/24/2022

Much like Randy Pausch, I have always been a dreamer and had quite an imagination as a child.  Many times, others would scoff at me as if to say, “yeah, right”.  I used to let this bother me and hold me back, but through life experiences and age, I have learned it is okay to dream, “as a matter of fact, dream big, and then make it happen!”

Pausch’s last lecture inspired me to keep pushing, especially when hitting brick walls.  He learned very early that brick walls were not put there to keep us out, but to challenge us to see how bad we want something.  He says, “experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want”.  His positive attitude and perspective on life is what I believe drove him to success in achieving his childhood dreams.

One childhood dream I had was to become a criminal attorney.  Looking back now, I realized this was a dream my grandfather wished for me rather than my dream.  I also realized my core values and beliefs would not allow me to follow this dream.  I have since been able to satisfy my interests in criminology and even played a huge role in the KIP (Kentucky Innocence Project) in releasing an innocent man who was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend.

Creating a Life of Meaning places an entirely different perspective on life.  I have reflected on my successes and failures this week and the most valuable lessons I learned were from Jeffrey A. Thompson’s talk, “What is your calling in Life?”.  This talk contains so many words of wisdom, I simply cannot choose a favorite.  However, I have found two new mentors that will contribute to my journey in life.