#500 Making it halfway

Neil Pasricha

Maybe you’re running on the treadmill when you catch the clock tick past the middle of your sweaty jog. Maybe you’re reading late at night and notice you’re on the middle page where the left and right sides form one big rectangle of paper. Or maybe you’re on a long Sunday drive to visit a hometown friend when you pass that rusty gas station halfway down the highway.

Yes, it sure is sweet making it halfway anywhere. It means you got started, you gave it a shot, and now you’re doing it, baby.

When you make it halfway take a moment to smile and enjoy where you’re at. Because sure, there’s a lot in that rearview mirror, but there’s so much around the bend, too.

AWESOME!

We’re halfway there, everybody. Thank you sincerely for reading. – Neil

“Hi Neil, I was so excited to finally get the book of awesome and I was even MORE excited to get to one of my favorite entries – Your Colon.  Not only is it hilarious, but it also brings back some wonderful memories of reading the blog. I’m so excited to finally have a copy.  It is truly AWESOME!” – Andrea

Photos from: here and here

77 thoughts to “#500 Making it halfway”

  1. Happy halfway! It’s been fun and I can’t wait to read the next 500.

    :)

    P.S. Yay for leaving in “Your Colon”!

    1. Oh, I finally remebered to check the book…..
      having really, really good eyesight!! LOL…I missed that on my first time through, AWESOME!

    2. Not to be “that guy”, but technically “[you] can’t wait to read the next 499”, because that’s all that is left with this being post #500.. :D

      I think I’m going to regret you guys saying that you didn’t mind when I was “that guy”..

      Congrats on the accomplishment Neil! Well done!

          1. ‘Defriends’. Now that’s a word that wouldn’t exist without social networking.

            1. At first glance I thought it said “defends” but then realized it SO didn’t!

                1. Just because I can’t count (thanks Freddo, I guess your goal is to slowly squash my self-esteem. Need I say it? Not awesome.) doesn’t mean I can’t spell ;) ;) Hehe.

                  1. Am I the only one that noticed that “defriends” is an anagram for “Snide Fred”?

                    Are you trying to tell me something here, Laura?

                    1. HEY FREDDO … why don’t you get a life?!?!

                      Ooooooooh, burn!

                      Ok … just kidding, just kidding ;D

                    2. BAHAHAHAHA i just cracked up in the middle of InfoTech reading this chain of comments… but this comment in particular =P XD

    3. ha! i was reading this for a long time going….. what? untill i saw what number it was! that made my day!

  5. Whooooaaaaahhh, we’re halfway there :)

    Congratulations Neil! The first half has been truly awesome and I look forward to the future.

  7. I’m so sad that we are halfway over. :-(
    Well…I’m happy for Neil for this accomplishment, for sticking with this blog, for the book and for, well, everything. I just don’t want this to end. I know…all good things must come to an end….but…but….. my mornings just won’t be the same when the second half is over. *sigh*

    1. I know. I won’t know what to do with myself. I’m sure we’ll ALL feel that way. Sad.

    2. *this*!!
      your blog has become an awesome way to start my day every day. i’m so excited for you, the site, the book and all the publicity you’re getting! In a world so full of sad news, it’s refreshing to be reminded of the awesome things that surround us. happy half way!!

      my family’s favorite half way celebration is turning 50. Every time someone turns 50 we sing “happy half century to you!” instead of happy birthday :)

      1. When my dad turned 75, my brother gave him a “Happy 100th birthday” card with one-quarter cut off of it, and said he’d get the missing piece when he got to 100.

  8. I’ve been reading since the latest post was #958, and I’m thrilled to see how this blog has prospered since! I can’t wait to see what the Top 500 will bring!

    Also, Neil, I really liked your Early Show appearance. I do wish it was a bit…longer, though.

    1. rydash is in it for the long haul!

      I don’t know if “I’ve been here since “Being the first person into a really crowded movie theater and getting the prime seats” works for a T-shirt slogan, though.

      (we made “I’ve been here since Broccoflower” shirts for the Toronto event)

      1. I’ve been here since “Finding something you lost a long time ago after you already gave up looking for it”

        Technically, yes, I’m a young blood. But I still feel like a long time friend and fan.

      2. Nah – doesn’t quite roll off the tongue..

        But rydash is definitely an “early adopter” of Awesome.

      3. Is it so bad for me to want one of those shirts even though i actually HAVEN’T been here since Broccoflower? That is so cool :D I can’t remember when i came- I think I just passed it yesterday (ive read from the top, not following the most recent posts…)

        1. Ohhhhh that’s right :) After going up through the list again I remember I discovered this site at “That teacher.” Because I remember I read the emails from Stella and then I have been on the Top 1000 list ever since. Thank God I normally have a good memory!

  9. Halfway there! Good thing, because I always feel like I joined the AwesomeThings blog a little late, but now I have 500 whole things to look forward to!

    Thank you for all you’ve done, Neil.

    And thank you for everything you will do.

    2. I joined late too! And I now I want to chat with everyone in th responses, but I’m still not quite caught up, haha.

  10. It’s great that you’re halfway there, but this blog has kinda been my morning motivation ever since I found it. I’m gonna miss it when it’s gone.
    But hey, we’ve got plenty more to look forward to!

  12. Yay halfway day!

    Halfway is awesome ’cause the second half is that much easier!

  14. 500 more days that I get to “yessss” and pump my fist while reading your post to start out the day. And infinity more days that I get to make my own awesome things count. Happy Halfway and thank you (:

  16. i love when i make it anywhere reading,biking or anything else you do halfway.

    stay awesome

  17. Wow, almost 2 years of posting, 501 entries (take THAT, Freddo), a handful of Webbies, a wildly successful book, and more media mentions and appearances than you can shake a stick at are behind you, and I believe the BEST IS YET TO COME!

    Congratulations!

      1. As I posted before, the only possible reason that we haven’t seen a post about the Bat Boy is that Neil is saving him for the top ten.

        #weeklyworldnews

      2. Well, technically…

        *pauses to push glasses up nose*

        …there have been approximately 5000+ media references to either the Book of Awesome or 1000awesomethings.com in the past 2 years.

        Empirical evidence suggests that one would easily be able to shake a stick at this many media references without much difficulty. This is true regardless of the media format chosen (paper copies, audio broadcasts, TV appearances), as a decently sized stick and be shaken and cover a wide array of media-types.

        To paraphrase Archimedes: “Give me a stick, and a place to stand, and I can shake that stick at all the media references in the world”.

        So, technically, there weren’t MORE media mentions and appearances that you can shake a stick at.

        -THAT GUY

        1. Freddo – you might be the most silly, funny, charming, nerdy, “that guy” EVER. Love it! and Keep it up!

  18. Congratulations Neil, this site has been a joy to read and I look forward to the next 2 years.

  19. ‘Awesome’ is the beginning of my day and also the end of my day. I love reading your book. I’ve just bought two more ‘Awesome’ books to share with my daughters. We all think the book is AWESOME.

  22. I was reflecting on road trips before I realized this was an ode to your own halfway point. But then I decided the road trip analogy works with this hallmark blog moment as well:

    I love a good road trip, enjoy every second of the adventure of traveling long, winding roads, gazing at vistas and landscapes, spying something interesting in the distance when it’s least expected, and eating guilty-pleasure food along the way. The halfway point is only one pit-stop on this fun journey.

    So, too, with Awesome. Fun, interesting, unexpected. But still way more places to see, people to meet, things to celebrate!

    Congrats!!

  24. Congratulations! I read your blog every day and your book is by my bed…I can’t wait for #1 (and every entry in between!)

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  26. It went like this. 1) Open page. 2) See topic for the day. 3) start singing “Livin’ on a Prayer” 4) Scroll down and see a video for said song.
    Win.

  27. I love that you did this today! I made it halfway through my pregnancy – TODAY!

    1. :) My wife and I are expecting twins, and we just recently hit the halfway point. That’s the first thing I thought about when I saw this post…AWESOME!

  28. Today was my first time reading the blog after buying the book yesterday on a whim, and what a milestone I’ve come in at! Congratulations, Neil! Keep up the wonderful work and many thanks!

  29. Congratulations and thank you for reminding us of all the happiness around us all the time.

    May 21st also marks the midway point of my last year of high school, which is only bearable because of this blog.

    :-)

  32. This post is perfect! I just finished my second year of medical school today, great timing.

  33. Can’t believe it’s already half way!

    Also, the girl in the picture with the book looks like the girl in the last picture with a haircut.

  34. Bon Jovi, “Living on a Prayer” is a GREAT call, haha that was awesome. Whenever anyone says anything about “halfway there” I can’t help but think “living on a prayer”, so after seeing the title of #500 and then the video, that coincidence was just too cool.

  35. I have got 38 days left in the country I’ve been living in for the past year and in which I’ve got pretty much no friends at all and which I love dearly and will miss sincerely. I don’t know why that matters, but it just felt appropriate that I pointed it out before I said what I am about to say.

    Ok. This blog has kept me happy and hopeful in so many amazing ways. I don’t think Neil truly realises what he’s doing for thousands of people. But to be a part of it, to be another number on the counter reading this every morning, smiling, texting my friends on the other side of the world about stuff like ugly actors and picking your nose, to feel Neil’s joy with the release of the Book of Awesome and, finally, to celebrate this halfway mark, makes me feel like I’m a part of something for once, and it truly keeps me going at this time of unbelievable confusion, loneliness and excitement in my life. Those Awesome Things often make my day, those Awesome Things have made me cry, those Awesome Things have taught me – all of us – something crucial and utterly amazing about life, that I still can’t quite put my finger on, but I know that it’s with me, and that’s enough for now. I’m glad that I’ve been through this with all of you, guys. I’ll be with you until #1. And I’ll be with you missing this blog after it is over.

    Congratulations, Neil, and a big big big BIG thank you from all of us.

  37. Pingback: #500 Making it halfway (via 1000 Awesome Things) « Good For You. Good for the Earth.

  38. Halfway to any goal is exciting, yours certainly must be Neil!

    I’m a newcomer here and look forward to reading through the first “half” that got you to this point and beyond. What a gift you have given to the world! As one of your reviewers put it so perfectly: simple yet profound.

    Have an Awesome Day Neil. Your work and your light has touched my heart. Thank you!

    All the Good Things,
    Geraldine (BC Canada)

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  40. haha! no way! i used to live in Halfway, the place where that first picture is taken. i lived in the houses at the very left of that guy! that’s so weird!

  42. I’ve been playing catchup for the last few weeks.
    Halfway there.. or, actually, maybe, more like 3/4 the way there, …. you are, after all, on, about, like, 300 today!
    Love your site, can’t wait for the extra room in my budget to get my books, and the ones for my Mom.. my sister…..and so on.

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  44. Our favorite camp site and fishing space is Halfway Creek; precisely halfway from the Galena Bay ferry to the beautiful town of Nakusp, B.C.
    The precious presents of Awesome are perfect in the presence and I’m with you on “Living on a Prayer.”

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