Randy Pausch Quotes

The key question to keep asking is, Are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have.

When there’s an elephant in the room introduce him.

It's not about how to achieve your dreams, it's about how to lead your life, ... If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself, the dreams will come to you.

We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.

One thing that makes it possible to be an optimist is if you have a contingency plan for when all hell breaks loose.

Don’t complain; just work harder.

Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls aren't there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show us how badly we want things.

Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.

The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people!

I'm sorry. It's my fault. How do I make it right?

If I could only give three words of advice, they would be, 'Tell the truth.' If I got three more words, I'd add: 'All the time.'

It is not the things we do in life that we regret on our death bed. It is the things we do not.

Follow your passions, believe in karma, and you won't have to chase your dreams, they will come to you.

Do not tell people how to live their lives. Just tell them stories and they will figure out how those stories apply to them.

When we're connected to others, we become better people.

Proper apologies have three parts: 1) What I did was wrong. 2) I feel badly that I hurt you. 3) How do I make this better?

Better to fail spectacularly than do something mediocre.

No job is beneath you. You ought to be thrilled you got a job in the mailroom And when you get there, here's what you do: Be really great at sorting mail.

A lot of people want a shortcut. I find the best shortcut is the long way, which is basically two words: work hard.

The person who failed often knows how to avoid future failures. The person who knows only success can be more oblivious to all the pitfalls.

Never lose the childlike wonder. Show gratitude... Don't complain; just work harder... Never give up.

A good apology is like antibiotic, a bad apology is like rubbing salt in the wound.

We have a finite amount of time. Whether short or long, it doesn't matter. Life is to be lived.

I know you're smart. But everyone here is smart. Smart isn't enough. The kind of people I want on my research team are those who will help everyone feel happy to be here.

You just have to decide if you're a Tigger or an Eeyore.

When you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you.

We don't beat the Reaper by living longer. We beat the Reaper by living well.

There's a lot of talk these days about giving children self-esteem. It's not something you can give; it's something they have to build.

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

Time is the only commodity that matters.

You may not want to hear it, but your critics are often the ones telling you they still love you and care about you, and want to make you better.

Find the best in everybody. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side, just keep waiting, it will come out.

Find the best in everybody. Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you. It might even take years, but people will show you their good side. Just keep waiting.

I'm dying and I'm having fun. And I'm going to keep having fun every day I have left.

You can always change you plan, but only if you have one.

When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody's bothering to tell you anymore, that's a very bad place to be. Your critics are the ones telling you they still love you and care.

I am going to keep having fun every day I have left, because there is no other way of life. You just have to decide whether you are a Tigger or an Eeyore.

It's very important to know when you're in a pissing match. And it's very important to get out of it as quickly as possible.

Sometimes you can't pay it back, so you just have to pay it forward.

Walls aren't put in our life to stop us, they are there to test how much we really want somthing.

Believe nothing a man tells you and everything he shows you"....(Taken from a farewell video from a dying father to his infant daughter on dating)

Go out and do for others what somebody did for you.

There's a limit to how many times you can read how great you are and what an inspiration you are, but I'm not there yet.

Never lose the child-like wonder. It’s just too important. It’s what drives us. Help others.

Anything is possible, and that’s something we should not lose sight of. The inspiration and the permission to dream is huge.

Sometimes all you have to do is ask, and it can lead to all your dreams coming true.

The questions are always more important than the answers.

It's not how hard you hit. It's how hard you get hit... and keep moving forward.

Everyone has to contribute to the common good. To not do so can be described in one word: selfish.

If you want something bad enough, never give up (and take a boost when offered).