By now you’ve all probably heard that Randy Pausch passed away on Friday the 25th. In my opinion, that was a very sad day indeed as it is my belief that the world needs more people like Randy. If you’ve seen his ‘The Last Lecture’ speech, you were probably overcome with awe at his amazing attitude, even in the face of being told he only had a short time to live.

If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you check it out on Youtube right now. Given the same circumstances, I’m not sure that I could do what he did. What I want to talk about today are the lessons he left behind. While they were all simply life lessons that we very often take for granted, I believe they can also be applied to our financial successes as well.

Have Fun

We tend to get so wrapped up in our financial woes that we forget to live life. When we’re trying to get out of debt or struggling to make ends meet, the first thing we cut out of our budgets is the fun. No wonder we’re a society always struggling. No wonder we cheat on our budgets so much. We HAVE to have some fun in our lives. I’m not saying it has to be expensive, or that it even needs to cost a lot of money.

Go outside and play with your kids. Run through the sprinklers like you’re 12 again. Take a walk through the park with a loved one. Invite a friend over just to play cards or watch a movie. These activities are all FREE. A friend of mine loves to sing, so she found a few karaoke bars and makes the rounds a few nights a week. She spends a few bucks upfront for a soda and gets free refills. She’s happier than most people I know, even though she’s still struggling to get out of debt.

Here’s something else to consider. I put it under ‘have fun’ because it falls into the category of living life. Things are replaceable, people are not. Placing importance on material possessions is another reason the nation is gripped by debt. However, looking beyond that, harping on material things teaches our children that money is the most important thing in the world. When you really sit down and look at it, money is not the most important thing in the world. It is undeniably important, please don’t misunderstand me. But, if I knew I was going to die, I’d rather be poor and surrounded by loved ones than well-off and surrounded by no one.

Yes, it is important to take care of the things that we have, that we’ve spent money on. However, taking care of material things should not bring us to make children feel guilty for spilling a drink in the car or screaming at our loved ones irrationally because there’s a dent in the door. You may or may not agree with me here, but I would much rather there be a dent in my door than not have that loved one at all.

Anything is Possible

I’ve always known this. I’ve always known that if I really wanted something, I could get it. But, I didn’t consciously accept this until I saw ‘The Last Lecture’ and took a chance. I was inspired by the fact that Randy Pausch had achieved all of his childhood dreams – except one, which he was ok with. I took a chance. I dropped to part-time at the credit union and began pursuing my true passion – writing. I read that new freelance writers struggled tremendously. I don’t deny that I’m not – knowing where and when you’re income is coming from every month is a security that I certainly miss. However, I know, without a doubt, that I can make it. And, as I’m still eating and have a roof over my head, I’m optimistic.

So, what does this really have to do with finances? If anything is possible, then we can make conscious efforts to achieve our financial success. We can decide that we no longer wish to be in debt, and we can change it. I’m not suggesting that it will magically disappear over night. I’m suggesting that we have a very powerful force in our arsenal: choice. We can chose to continue as we always have or we can chose to change things. As Randy Pausch says, we have to decide very early on whether we’re a ‘Tigger’ or an ‘Eyore.’

If we’re a ‘Tigger’ then our choice is to change the way things are. We tackle it head on with enthusiasm and a good attitude. Sure, the way will be hard. Having seven credit cards and $25,000 in debt is never an easy task. But, where there’s a will, there’s a way. So, what do you do? First off, decide if you need help or if you can go it alone. Then make a course of action and do it. Setting a plan in motion is half the battle for many people. But, once they get going and have truly set their minds to their task, anything is possible.

If we chose to be an ‘Eyore’ then our attitudes reflect that. We chose to be down all the time. We chose to let nothing be possible to us. We chose to give up. I don’t think there is anything worse than that. And, listening to a 47-year old with three little boys say that he will die soon, but he refuses to be morose about it, makes me believe that anyone can change the outcome of their decisions. It’s all about choice.

The Brick Walls Are There for a Reason: To Show Us How Much We Want It

Nothing in life comes easy, we all know that. But, if we didn’t struggle we wouldn’t learn. If we didn’t suffer we wouldn’t have compassion. So, when it comes to our finances, those brick walls we run into are designed to show us what we’re made of. Have we really committed to the task ahead, or have we only convinced ourselves that we have? If we’re committed, those walls won’t mean much in the long run. We’ll find a way around them.

If your goal is to get out of debt, but you keep running into the problem of spending more than your budget, you’ve got some work to do. That wall is there to show you that you aren’t as committed as you could be. It’s a clear sign that something has to change in order to receive different results. Everyone struggles with the walls in their life, and everyone mutters the same, “If I only had more money, I’d be able to do this…”

Here’s the thing. Money isn’t the answer to all of our problems. Sure, it makes life a little easier sometimes and we’d all love to win the lottery and say we never have to worry about money again. But, at the end of the day, the problems we have are necessary to grow as people. Some get more than others, and I think that’s simply a way to show them that they’ve not yet made a choice. Think about the last time you truly made a strong decision and stood by it. It probably wasn’t an easy road to take, but you made it to the end, didn’t you? Why? Because you wanted it, plain and simple.

I think in some ways Randy Pausch is challenging us to take responsibility and stop blaming other people or events for our misfortunes. If only the economy weren’t so bad…If only my boss didn’t hate me…If only….Make the choice to rise above these challenges because you WANT to achieve financial success, that’s how you overcome obstacles.

Randy Pausch may not have been able to overcome his death – but really, who can? What he did overcome; however, was the desire to lock himself away and wallow in self-pity. However much he may have wanted that, he didn’t do it. He knew that he had a family to take care of and children who depended on him. He made the choice to be there – emotionally and mentally –with his family until the very end. How do you think that helped them cope with the loss?

Don’t Complain, Just Work Harder

I am as guilty of this as many people. When things aren’t going my way, I complain, I admit it. But, it’s something I’ve been working on because complaining doesn’t do anything. They’re just static words. If you want something done, you’ve got to get up and do it.

In terms of finances, this lesson is often the hardest learned – at least for me it was. I complained all the time about the state of money. I went back and forth with the ‘what if’s’ and ‘if only’s.’ But, I began to realize the more complaining I did the less work I actually got done. So, I shut up about it, worked harder, and got my debt paid off. Not only did the debt improve, but so did my disposition. When you complain and talk yourself into a negative frame of mind, your whole outlook on a situation is completely distorted.

Randy Pausch talks a lot about achieving your goals by working hard and living with integrity. I believe these rules apply to our finances as well. Even if we adopt a fraction of what Randy talks about in his lecture, I think we’d be the better for it. Many people may completely disagree with my thoughts here, and that’s ok. Most of these things have come from watching people and watching myself, so I feel confident in saying them. However, I hope that what everyone takes away from this is that being financially successful is possible. It takes a little hard work and persistence, but we can achieve anything we put our minds to. I also hope others realize that money is not the most important thing in being financially successful.

Yes, we all have dreams of becoming a millionaire, but really, what Randy Pausch wanted us to take away from ‘The Last Lecture’ was that life is short and another day isn’t really guaranteed. Live your life to the fullest and love as though you’ve never been hurt before. Don’t worry about the small things in life, they usually work themselves out. Work hard and live with integrity and you’ll achieve your dreams, whatever they may be.

These were the lessons that I learned from Randy Pausch’s ‘The Last Lecture,’ and I hope you’ll agree that they’re good lessons to learn.

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