My friends and I recently started a book club. I love to read, but given the fact that I held a full-time marketing job spliced with a full-time mom job, it had probably been a good six months since I picked up (and finished) a book. Now, that I'm working only one full-time job (the mom one) I've had the relished opportunity to feed my reading habit.
The premise of the book club is that one person will choose a title, host a monthly meeting* at their house and create a list of questions for the group to discuss. (*The term "meeting" is held lightly here, as this meeting will most likely be overflowing with wine and food, but I digress...)
The first book chosen was The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Pausch was a college professor with a young family including three children under the age of six who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He wrote this book about his last lecture given at his university in which he professed on life lessons, experience, love and advice. According to the author, the lecture and the book was really meant for his children, who would most likely have few memories, if any at all, of their father. Since the book was published Pausch has passed away.
The book was a short read. I read it in two days. The book felt almost like a journal with short chapters filled with great knowledge and inspiring tales. The overarching theme of the book was "fulfilling childhood dreams." What amazed me was that this man did live out all of his childhood dreams in one way or another. He dreamed of being an astronaut, and when that didn't pan out he "settled" for a turn in NASA's "Weightless Wonder," a plane that helps astronauts get used to the feeling of being in zero gravity. It made me realize that just because a dream seems too far out of reach, it is not unattainable as there are multiple ways to achieve your dream. The other thing about this man's experiences is that many of them happened later in his life. That's a soothing thought to an unemployed mom of two who is about to turn 30 this year!! :)
Of course, the book also touched on more fundamental pieces of advice that seem a given but many people actually need a refresher course on. Bits like working well with people, going the extra mile to say thank you and the importance of being earnest. Sounds like an elementary school report card because it is that basic and yet it is so important and often so forgotten.
I didn't mean for this blog entry to turn into a book report! :) But, reading Randy Pausch's words made me view my own life in bigger terms, inspired me to keep pursuing my own long-lost dreams and gave me a new perspective on what is really important during our short time here on Earth.
And, now I have my "homework" done for my book club tonight too. God, I love multi-tasking! :)
The premise of the book club is that one person will choose a title, host a monthly meeting* at their house and create a list of questions for the group to discuss. (*The term "meeting" is held lightly here, as this meeting will most likely be overflowing with wine and food, but I digress...)
The first book chosen was The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Pausch was a college professor with a young family including three children under the age of six who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He wrote this book about his last lecture given at his university in which he professed on life lessons, experience, love and advice. According to the author, the lecture and the book was really meant for his children, who would most likely have few memories, if any at all, of their father. Since the book was published Pausch has passed away.
The book was a short read. I read it in two days. The book felt almost like a journal with short chapters filled with great knowledge and inspiring tales. The overarching theme of the book was "fulfilling childhood dreams." What amazed me was that this man did live out all of his childhood dreams in one way or another. He dreamed of being an astronaut, and when that didn't pan out he "settled" for a turn in NASA's "Weightless Wonder," a plane that helps astronauts get used to the feeling of being in zero gravity. It made me realize that just because a dream seems too far out of reach, it is not unattainable as there are multiple ways to achieve your dream. The other thing about this man's experiences is that many of them happened later in his life. That's a soothing thought to an unemployed mom of two who is about to turn 30 this year!! :)
Of course, the book also touched on more fundamental pieces of advice that seem a given but many people actually need a refresher course on. Bits like working well with people, going the extra mile to say thank you and the importance of being earnest. Sounds like an elementary school report card because it is that basic and yet it is so important and often so forgotten.
I didn't mean for this blog entry to turn into a book report! :) But, reading Randy Pausch's words made me view my own life in bigger terms, inspired me to keep pursuing my own long-lost dreams and gave me a new perspective on what is really important during our short time here on Earth.
And, now I have my "homework" done for my book club tonight too. God, I love multi-tasking! :)
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