In the mid-1960s, he played basketball for Rutgers University, where I would get my degree six years later. He worked his way through the college coaching ranks until he landed a high-profile job at North Carolina State University.

In 1983, his Wolfpack defeated the heavily favored Houston Cougars to win the national championship. He would later become a television college basketball analyst.

In 1992, Jim Valvano was diagnosed with a type of glandular cancer that spread quickly to his bones. Two months before he died at age 43, he gave a momentous speech at the ESPN Sports Awards Dinner. He was a dying man advising us how we should live our lives by doing three simple things. His words still resonate today.

Here is what he said: “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do those seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”

He closed his speech with these words: “Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you and God bless you all.” He received a standing ovation.

Laugh. We might think laughter is circumstantial. Something funny happens, we laugh. At my age, I laugh, not always at funny things I see or hear, but stupid stuff I do.

I put things I’m going to take with me on a drive somewhere in front of the door, so I won’t forget them, but then, I’ll get distracted by something and I walk past them and out the door. Somewhere on my journey, I realize what I forgot. If they were important, I’ll drive back. If not, I keep going.

Either way, what might make me angry at myself becomes a moment of laughter. The older I get the more I laugh. Laughter is a choice I make and good medicine for the soul.

Valvano’s second piece of advice is to think. Shouldn’t that be an ordinary human activity? I believe he meant that we should find time from our hectic schedules to think about life, about our priorities, how we face adversity and how we need to examine what makes us happy or angry and take steps to improve ourselves.

Having our emotions moved to tears is his third piece of advice. This one I believe was his best, coming from a man who knew he had such little time left to live. The truth is all of us have little time to live, whether it be two months, 20 years or even a century long.

I must admit I’m a mushmellow with my emotions, and I was raised at a time when men weren’t supposed to cry or show emotion about anything. I was the outlier, the tough guy football coach who teared up watching “The Lion King.” Now, in my seventh decade of life, I still tear up involuntarily. I rely on my heart to make decisions more than my head. That’s advice I would not pass along, although it has worked out for me in relationships with the people I care most about.

There are other notable people who left us words of wisdom a short time before they passed away. Renowned scientist Jane Goodall said: “Your life matters. You are here for a reason, and I hope that reason becomes apparent. Even in your darkest days, don’t ever lose hope.”

Comedian Bill Hicks, dying from pancreatic cancer at age 32, left us these words: “We can change it any time we want; it’s only a choice. No effort, No work. No job. No money, a choice between fear and love.”

Actor Yul Brynner, dying from cigarette smoking related lung cancer, said these last public words: “Now that I’m gone, I tell you don’t smoke.” Singer Bob Marley said: “Money can’t buy life.” Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs said: “Your time is limited. Don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

TV child program icon, Fred Rogers said that in times of trouble “we should look to the helpers” to remember the goodness of humanity.

Author Louis Amponsah, in his book “Powerful Advice from a Dying Man,” wrote:

“Don’t waste your time on work that you don’t enjoy. It is obvious that you cannot succeed in something that you don’t like. Patience, passion and dedication come easily only when you love what you do. It’s stupid to be afraid of others’ opinion. Fear weakens and paralyzes you. If you let it, it can grow worse and worse every day, until there is nothing left of you but a shell of yourself. Listen to your inner voice and go with it; some people may call you crazy, but some may even think you’re a legend.

“Take control of your life. Take full responsibility for the things that happen to you. Limit bad habits and try to lead a healthier life. Find a sport that makes you happy. Most of all, don’t procrastinate. Let your life be shaped by decisions you made, not by the ones you didn’t.

“Appreciate the people around you. Your friends and relatives will always be an infinite source of strength and love. That is why you shouldn’t take them for granted.”

Two things all humans share with each other are birth and death. When lives are about to end, words of advice are worthy of our attention, no matter how much time we think we have left to live.

Email Rich Strack at richiesadie11@gmail.com