Randy Pausch Quotes

Are you a Tigger or an Eyore?

And even though I did not reach the NFL, I sometimes think I got more from persuing that dream, and not accomplishing it, then I did from many of the ones I did accomplish.

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.

I'm dying and I'm having fun. And I'm going to keep having fun every day I have left. Because there's no other way to play.

And he put his arm around my shoulders and we went for a little walk and he said, Randy, it’s such a shame that people perceive you as so arrogant. Because it’s going to limit what you’re going to be able to accomplish in life. What a hell of a way to word “you’re being a jerk.” [laughter] Right? He doesn’t say you’re a jerk. He says people are perceiving you this way and he says the downside is it’s going to limit what you’re going to be able to accomplish.

Time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think.

Your patience will be both appreciated and rewarded

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

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

When they talk of building self-esteem, they often resort to empty flattery rather than character-building honesty. I've heard so many people talk of downward spiral in our educational system, and I think one key factor is that there is too much stroking and too littke real feedback.

There are more ways than one to measure profits and losses.

Because you’re such a good salesman, and if you go work for a company, they’re going to use you as a salesman. If you’re going to be a salesman, you might as well be selling something worthwhile, like education

Everything you do is an opportunity cost. Learn to say “No”

Uzevši u obzir svoj ograničeni umjetnički dar, zaključio sam da će biti najbolje ako naslikam stvari u jednostavnim geometrijskim oblicima. Stoga sam naslikao jednostavnu raketu s krilcima i Snjeguljičino zrcalo s natpisom: »Sjećaš li se kad sam ti rekao da si najljepša? Lagao sam!«

Coach Graham use to ride me hard . . . "you're doing it all wrong! Go back! Do it again!" An assistant coach muttered that it was a good thing Coach Graham rode me hard, because "when you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you."