http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

(Maahi Chowdhury)

        The video above, is Dr. Randy Pausch’s inspirational one hour and sixteen minute speech about achieving your childhood dreams. Pausch, diagnosed with advanced stages of pancreatic cancer delivers, a buoyant however profound message. Personally, after watching the video, it was hard to choose another speech, his speech was simply the most effective and resounding. The video, demonstrates the audience’s pleasure toward Pausch, with constant applause and laughter, the audience was ecstatic. For viewers like me, who watched it six years later, the video itself received 16 million views, with a 97% approval rating. Pausch, demonstrates through his life how to overcome obstacles, build successes, fulfill childhood dreams, but most of all lead your life.

        In his speech, Pausch aims to do two things inform and inspire. Pausch, a Professor at Carnegie Mellon, informs those in attendance the importance of head fakes (meta-lessons learned through different objectives/mediums). Head fakes become a central part of the message and the speech is revealed as a head fake itself. The Speech initially taught the audience how to achieve their childhood dreams through anecdotes, maxims, and lessons he learned. However, as Pausch spoils at the end, the speech’s true intent was to inspire you to live a meaningful and successful life. Pausch effectively, achieves his message by inspiring his audience. He paints vivid situations in his life, and demonstrates to us how he managed to overcome various obstacles. He shows us the importance of brick walls in our life, and they are only tests to find the most ambitious people. He sets such simple goals, that anyone could have had, and builds upon them to bigger better accomplishments. For example, his desire to become a Imagineer at Disney prompts him to make the right connections, and take a six month sabbatical at Disney World. He later is offered a full time job at Disney but refuses.  Pausch is also very charismatic, humble, and humorous through the entire speech. He is seen making comments to his peers; talking right to them as he regales his story, and even has the entire audience sing Happy Birthday to his wife. The speech made me self reflect, which in essence are the objectives of communication, a job well done Dr. Pausch.