Have fun, never give up and always look for the good in others: those were the things that Randy Pausch, an American professor in Computer Sience, thought his students in “The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” at Carnegy Mellon University.

Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was told in August 2007 to expect a remaining three to six months of good health.

Pausch died at his family’s home on July 25, 2008 at the age of 47. He is survived by his wife, Jai, and their three children, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe.

There’s lots of videos on YouTube, but his most famous is this one. It’s a 1,5h lecture on achieving your childhood dreams.

You could watch it, or read the book The Last Lecture, which became a New York Times best-seller.

Enjoy the holiday season! It’s an excellent time for reflection on improving your wellbeing in 2011.