#565 Moving forward and moving on

Neil Pasricha

We’re all gonna get lumps.

We’re all gonna get bumps.

Nobody can predict the future but we do know one thing about it: It ain’t gonna go according to plan.

Yes, we’ll all have massive highs, big days, and proud moments. Color faded, postcard-streaked blurs will float and flash through our brains on our deathbeds, of wide eyes on graduation stages, father-daughter dances at weddings, and healthy baby screeches in the delivery room. And dotting those big moments will be smaller ones too: fragile hugs with Grandma on Christmas morning, two-year-olds handing you a bouquet of dandelions and saying ‘I love you’, or your boyfriend staring into your eyes and smiling while lazing in bed on Sunday morning.

But like I said.

We’re all gonna get lumps.

We’re all gonna get bumps.

It’s sad but things could happen or hurt you that you just can’t predict.

Your husband might leave you, your girlfriend may cheat, your headaches might be serious, your dog could get smacked in the street. Yes, your kids might get mixed up with tough gangs or bad scenes. It’s sad but your mom could get cancer… or your dad could get mean.

There will be times in your life you’re tossed down the well, too. There will be times you’ll cry yourself to sleep, with twists in your stomach, with holes in your heart. You may wonder if it’s all worth it and you may think that it ain’t. You may wonder if you can handle it or you may beg for restraint.

But when bad news washes over you and when the pain sponges and soaks in, I really hope you feel like you’ve always got two big choices:

1. You can swish and swirl in gloomy darkness forever, or
2. You can grieve and face the future with newly sober eyes

Sure, life has dealt me some blows in the couple years I’ve been writing this site and this book. There was the mind-numbing loneliness of moving to a brand new nowhere town, the broken heart of a major breakup, the searing waves of regret when a friend disappeared, and the general life pressures of starting a new job, living on my own, and trying to make new friends in a big city.

But I’m lucky because I’ve had a way out for the past two years. I’ve had a secret pill to swallow, a magic potion to swirl, and a bubbly cauldron to sip from every time I felt down or felt black or felt blue. And I hope you know that remedy and I hope you feel it, too.

After all, you’re reading it right now.

Yes, awesome things make my life better, people. And I hope they do the same for you.

I honestly can’t go a day anymore without smiling at a couple tiny awesome things in my world. Whether it’s fixing electronics by smacking them, waking up and realizing it’s Saturday, or moving all my wet clothes from the washer to the dryer without dropping anything, these tiny things make a great big difference.

So come on. Come on! Are you with me? Who’s with me? I say if you’ve got a couple fist-pumps in you, if you’ve got a sneaky twinkle in your eye, if you’ve got an itchy old soul that loves smiling at strangers, dancing at weddings, and popping the hell out of bubble wrap, then come on in and join The AWESOME Movement.

Yes, it’s my sincere hope that The Book of Awesome helps those who need it to grieve, move on, and remind them the best things in life are free. For those folks, maybe it’s a ladder out of the well or a dusty flashlight beam in the darkness. For others, perhaps it’s just a little laugh on the back of the toilet, a bit of peace before bed, or a spark for debates about gasoline fumes, alarm clock strategy, or what matters most to you, you, or you.

For me, I know I’ll have more dark days, and I know my friends will too, but I like thinking that snow days, steamy buffets, and the cool side of the pillow will always cheer me through to the other side.

While polar ice caps melt, while health care debates rage on, while buzz saws chop down forests, while wars go on and on, I hope there’s always a special place we can click online in the darkness or flip open for a few minutes to turn off that bright light, snuggle right on up, and get comfy to chat about the sweetest parts of life.

Thank you for letting me take a break to share personal stories about myself and behind The Book of Awesome this week. The comments and emails have been achingly beautiful and wet my eyes many times. I am so incredibly thankful, lucky, honored, and excited to keep going down this road with you.

Thank you for letting our stories all tightly twist together as we all keep moving forward and we all keep moving on.

AWESOME!

Pre-order The Book of Awesome

This post is part 5 of 1 2 3 4 5

Photos from: here, here, here, here, here, and here

157 thoughts to “#565 Moving forward and moving on”

  1. Pingback: Top 5 – 1000 Awesome Things « Top 10…Everyday

  2. This is truly a beautiful post, and all these comments have described everything wonderful about it. I agree that this blog is indeed Awesome!

  5. Thank you! I start my every day from reading your e-mail and it makes me smile and reminds me that the life is AWESOME! you are AWESOME!

  8. I reeeealllyyy, really really hope that this will be in the book. It meant a lot to me :)

  9. This is a great site – I’m 18 wks pregnant and on bedrest b/c my water broke at 16 weeks (and my sweet baby boy is still fighting and kicking!) and it really is about find those little things that are so awesome that help make each day a bit more bearable! Thanks!!

  10. Pingback: In praise of being ordinary » 1000 awesome somethings

  11. I discovered this blog today, on what has probably been the most emtionally draining day of my life. I. Am. Tired.

    Thank you for making me smile, its just what I needed.

  12. This honestly just made my day just that much better, I take life for granted everyday of my life. This truly makes me realize life is AWESOME and nothing, nothing can get in the way of happiness. At the end of the day, it’s the little things that count, the little things that are awesome in life that make the rough day worth fighting through. Through the good and the bad, there is always the little things that can make any day better.
    Thank you for this blog.

  13. This is, quite simply, the most touching and uplifting thing I have ever read. Thank you for writing this. I have long been a proponent of the view point that the world, no matter how dark and unfair it may seem, is full of things that are tear-jerkingly, heartbeat-skippingly, smile invokingly awesome. And you sir and your little blog have just entered my list. Thank you.

  14. Being in grade 12 and going through the stressful and crazy times of graduating highschool, your website has become a blessing. Between crazy parents, loony friends, boyfriends and just pure craziness 1000 awesome things has become a place where I can just sink into what is good in life. The pure happiness in the little things and being reminded of how great life really is, we need to be reminded of this more often. So thanks for brightening my day once again. :)

  15. This site has restored my faith in humanity.

    I intend on purchasing the book as soon as I get my next paycheck.

    Thank you. Thank you so much.

    Hadi

  16. I’ve been reading your blog all the way from #1000 for a few days now, and lately your posts have been totally spot on. More than once I’ve forced all my roommates to listen to me as I read a particularly inspirational or eloquent post aloud. I still giggle every time I think of the phrase you used to describe the results of the shower nose-blow (something about squeezing the life out of a baby jellyfish).

    I’m in college and school is doing a real number on me, but your posts have really made a difference in the way I look at the situation. So thank you. I can say with confidence that your insights have helped me along this long and winding road of a double major and unemployment combined with a bad case of senioritis. I’m making an effort to see the advantages of my situation and to make the best of them.

    So keep on keepin’ on. Can’t wait to reach #1! :)

  17. Pingback: “1000 Awesome Things” … Well, It’s Simply Awesome « The Epicurean

  18. Wow, I love this. Sometimes we all get stuck in a dark “funk” which can be hard to get out of. I find the physical (yoga, running) and conversations with friends help, I’m just not so great at getting myself out of it on my own.

    Sasha @ The Happiness Project London

  20. I really love this book. This book had helped me to have a more positive outlook in life without expecting anything in return or having the most grandiose thing in the whole wide world. Right now, I can say that I’ve learned to appreciate even the smallest, tiniest things in my life. I think that the most important thing for me about reading this book is that I learned, I laughed and I live my life to the fullest…What else should I say…AWEWSOME!…

  21. Neil, this is one of my favorite posts, and when I’m having a bad day (like today), I come back and re-read this one. It’s always the pick-me-up I need to focus on the awesome things in life rather than the not-so-awesome ones.

    Thank you!

  22. Thank you for this one. This one especially. I am just recently divorced. My wife decided that she did not love me anymore and felt nothing for me. It has been a rough transition and there are moments where it feels like the world will never get better for me. It takes time to heal, that I am learning. Every once in awhile, though, I feel this certain ping of awesomeness. It comes in the friends who have my back through all of this. It comes in the job that, while I may not make millions this way, I love it and feel lucky to have it. It comes in the rekindled love for the art that got me through high school and college. It comes in going places and doing things I was unable to do during my marriage. It comes when I look at the new life I get to lead. My days are on a course to become more and more awesome when I can get through this emotional hump on an everyday basis. That day will come. For now, I will continue to read up on all things awesome, smiling to myself when I find the many that are parts of my days. For this entry, though, the light at the end of the tunnel, I thank you. It will get better and I will move forward.

  23. Thankyou. You saved a life today. I have just found your blog and spent hours reading it. You made me realize that life sucks sometimes, but there are so many wonderful things to back up the crappy times. I respect and love what you are doing and I look forward to reading your future posts.

    You are an amazing person.

  24. you honestly just turned my life around! reading this post has given me a whole new, awesome outlook on life :) i seriously love you!
    as of this moment, i’m moving on :) thank you so much!

  25. Reading this blog is like…coming home. I’ve always been the family optimists, the one that notices the little things, the one that writes “100 little things I love about you” notes to cheer up friends and family, and yes, sometimes, the one that everyone else thinks is insane for being so cheerful in the face of an overwhelming world. Thank you for this blog, reading it has let me know that I’m far from being the only one who takes pleasure in the little things.

    My “awsome” for today: The cozy hum of the space heater, and the warm stream of air blowing over me while I sleep. It’s absolutely delicious in the middle of winter to have it warm enough for a nap without being weighed down with too many blankets.

  26. Pingback: 1000 Awesome Things - Evan's Blog

  27. This just may be a new word for all time to describe what has positively changed in my life;in my world; both day and night…since Dec.31st. 2010…it is beyond remarkable…
    so I hope you take this with the most sincere compliment…Neil, you are not just endorphinism to my life anymore…
    You are the morph!

  28. This is so true, this is how the world works, we will have good days, bad days but in order to make it through we must be in control and remember the little awesome things that make life.. Oh so special!!

  29. A friend recommended The Book
    Of Awesome to me as a great reason to smile. Wow was she right. I never knew that other people really and truly think like me. More to post later. :)

  33. People today are always obsessed with unawesome stuff like money or the economy… But they never take a pit stop on the highway of life and smell the flowers along the way…this world is full of little awesome stuff… For example, your eyes is like an ocean in a stormy night, sure, its full of unawesome stuff like thunderclouds, deadly tsunamis, but if you clear all the unawesome stuff out of the way… all the awesome stuff becomes even awesomer. Let this be lesson, dont let the darkness of others destroy the light in you.

  34. I am just recently going through a tough and upsetting break-up at this blog is exactly what I needed right now! Helps me keep my chin up and look forward to all the days ahead of me!

  37. Pingback: 1000 Awesome Things.......... | infoplanetarium.com

  38. this is the only blog that i go on everyday and you’re doing everyone a huge favor by reminding us of the little things in life that put a smile to our face and bring a little happiness to us

  39. I discovered the blog a little late, but as I’m reading through, I find myself going back to specific ones that really resonated with me. I’m drifting back to this one now, as I recently went through a really tough relationship and then break up. It’s really hard to keep going and “see the big picture.” So I gotta say, “THANK YOU!” for this blog – it has really helped me keep perspective.

  40. Good info and straight to the point. I am not sure if this is really the best place to ask but do you guys have any ideea where to get some professional writers? Thx :)

  41. I think I just realized how important this blog is for me. Best joy/price ratio on earth.

  42. Hi Stephen Elliot. I just got a letter dated 1/19/12 from Lorelie Lee in an envelope from you. We have no idea whatsoever how I got on your list. But I’ll write Lorelie again (a real letter, even), because it was pretty fucking brave of her to write that.

  43. I have been browsing online more than 4 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours.
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  44. Wiadomo, odkąd studia zostały na przeważającej części kierunków podzielone na studia dwustopniowe – licencjackie albo inżynierskie i magisterskie, na rynku pojawił się trend, jakim jest pisanie prac licencjackich za pieniądze. Zaś taka praca licencjacka Kraków kosztuje różnie, zależnie od jej długości, trudności tematu jak i listy wykorzystanych pozycji książkowych. Dlaczego jednak pisanie prac licencjackich przez fachowców w tej materii w innych miastach cieszy się tak ogromną popularnością? W szczególności ze względu na oszczędność czasu. Oprócz uczęszczania na wykłady, zwyczajny student jeszcze zazwyczaj musi pracować, by zdobyć gotówkę na utrzymanie albo też kupno pomocy naukowych . Samo prace licencjackie to zawód wymagający wielkich nakładów czasowych. Wszak to właśnie z tego względu sporo ludzi decyduje się na skorzystanie z usług ludzi, którzy żyją z pisania podobnych prac dyplomowych. W dzisiejszych czasach zapotrzebowanie na tego rodzaju usługi jest w całej Polsce bardzo duże, a szczególnie większych miejscowościach takich, tak jak Lublin, Wrocław czy też Rzeszów, gdzie zlokalizowanych jest wiele szkół wyższych.

  47. Every day comes with it’s own challenges. I think I walk a fine line between being overwhelmed by them and dealing with them. A lot has happened in the last few years which make me nervous for the future. Taking these moments to recognise the small yet great feelings in every day life, grants me a little perspective to focus on the good. Thank you for 1000 awesome things and everything you’ve done to share the good in life.

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