Following Dreams

picture taken 7-3-06 from the top of Rocky Butte hill in Portland. (Natures Fireworks - a day early)

So I bought the book, The Alchemist,a few weeks ago, last night I sat down with it for a few minutes, and then later I finished reading it until 4am. (Jacquie, I'll give you a copy)

Very inspiring book, a brilliant way to inspire following your purpose, and finding out what that is, following your dreams.

Then this morning, I went to youtube to watch a flight of the concords video, and on the front page I saw that a man died. Dr. Randy Pausch, a man that was inspirational for a lecture he gave, when he realized he was going to die of cancer.

So I watched a shorter version of his lecture agian (that was given on Oprah) online. It is also about following childhood dreams. This is something that is very timely for me personally, as in about 2 weeks I am going to kind of jump out of the plane so to speak. Every day I have a different vision of what I am going to be doing when I leave work. I have blogged about traveling around the world, I have also had second thoughts about being gone that long, I have applied for the Peace Corp, I have decided I'm just going to stay here and write, or maybe I'll take a road trip, go freelance - starting my own business, or find a fun sexy job, even be a flight attendant again....

I kind of think it might be annoying to my friends, since my plan changes almost daily (a lot to keep up with), but it's like I don't know my own mind. Or the options are so many I just can't choose. I have at least come to this decision. I will spend at least a month focused on listening. This has been my problem all along, wanting to do everything so I don't do anything. One reason I never went to college, was the idea of having to CHOOSE a major was mind blowing-ly scary.

So reading the book last night, and watching this video this morning, kind of put it in focus a bit. That is what, at least the next 6 months will be about, following my dreams... Hopefully I will start a habit.

Here is the abbreviated version of his lecture, I hope it is as inspiring to you as it was to me:



Dr. Randy Pausch passed away the morning of July 25, 2008.