Get out of here.
Lights flash, bulbs blast, and twisted thoughts race around our brains. But handshakes and smiles tire after a while and sometimes all you want is chill time on your own. That’s when it’s time to trade dress pants for sweatpants, sweatpants for less pants, and screaming babies and bosses into reflection and peace.
Me Time is great for a few big reasons:
1. You are here. Did your music teacher having a tuning fork? Mine did and she’d smack that thing on a desk to get it singing. I remember sitting in the front row of the band holding my clarinet and getting mesmerized by that fork — with the prongs shaking back and forth so fast, like a hummingbird’s wings. Well, sometimes life feels like we’re shaking like prongs in the tuning fork. Me Time helps the music stop playing so we can slow down in a bath, on a couch, or at a show.
2. No holds barred. Okay seriously, what do you do with your Me Time? Listen to guilty pleasures, dance naked, or just scarf spoonfuls of mayo over the kitchen sink while snorting a lot? Well, you don’t have to tell us, because we’re not telling you. And that’s the point! Me Time is an escape from everything … it’s a place you indulge in your favorite activities with one person we guarantee will have a great time. (Note: Do not spend Me Time watching “No Holds Barred” starring Hulk Hogan.)
3. Getting to know you. I had a boss who said self-awareness was the most important attribute in people. He liked asking people their strengths and weaknesses in interviews — not because he cared what they were, but because he wanted to see how aware they were about them. Self-awareness only goes up when you have time to look under the hood. Me Time gives you a chance to figure yourself out. (And knowing you, that might take a while.)
Time zooms by so fast when everything is swirling but Me Time lets us hang on before the world sends us hurling. Because we’re not here forever, we’re not here very long, so give yourself a break, before the break time’s gone.
AWESOME!
— From Twitter —
RT @SarinaTracy Oh, god. The countdown is getting smaller. I’ve been reading @1000Awesome for four years and I cannot believe the end is nigh. #SoMuchLove
RT @jsmoke180 theres only 23 things left on 1000 awesome things. i legitimately dont know how im going to survive when theyre done
RT @bcre8uv @jsmoke180 Maybe the last awesome thing will be 1000 more awesome things?
RT @paperdreamland Oh no@1000awesome is nearing zero. Wonder what will happen when he does? World implosion?
RT @KNiCKER_BoCKER There’s WAY more than #1000Awesome things people. Relax. There’s more where that came from. Start looking 4 ur own awesome!
RT @marcoverga86 @Ayyelle I hope he’ll start a new blog “another 1000 awesome things”
RT @gingerbeardman The #1 Awesome thing has to be the@1000Awesome fans. What could possibly be more awesome?
yes, i desperate need some me time now :)
Neil, just got turned onto your blog through a reference in an article. Very cool concept for a blog. I can’t wait to catch up on all the posts I’ve missed from you.
i make sure that I have even just a little bit of me time everyday. I’d go crazy without it.
I make sure i wake up just that bit earlier and get to the train station about half an hour before I really need to be there. Then i sit in my car (dont worry, theres a hell of a lot of people doing it in all the other cars around me) and just listen to the radio. nice and peaceful. :)
my excuse for getting there early is to get a good car park, which is very true cause it fills up pretty quick – but to myself and for me only – its my time just to be alone & relax :)
only 19 left. :(
I agree with @KNiCKER_BoCKER … but it is just so nice to zone out for a little bt each and every day and see another persons perspective on life & how awesome many of the things in life are in it.
Niel. you are truely an amazing person to be able to stick with your blog for so long & be so consistent and post something each & every day! you are an inspiration to so many & even when this blog does reach it finale… I hope it will never disappear from the world wide web. One day I want to show my kids this site & show them what one amazing man could do. something so simple, but yet so profound and be able to inspire millions! I want them to know it doesn’t take much to reach the world and make it a better place. one step, one day at a time.
You have made my world a much better one. Without this blog, I wouldnt be able to appreciate all the small things in life & everything would have just flown by. You have allowed me to stop and smell the roses.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Even though it will all be over soon… I will never forget you & your amazing blog :)
Ditto! :)
I have been reading every1’s posts and have been too shy to write before, but wanted to contribute in some way before the big reveal… number 1!! Not long to wait now :)
Simone what you said was spot on. neil is truly an amazing person to have had the patience to cr8 such a site. Your dedication neil is phenomenal, and should be celebrated by keeping the site active for my kids and everyone else’s kids be able to appreciate as they get older and are able to understand more.
Most important message i want to get out there is that i every1 on this site is AWESOME!!
Welcome to the party, shy guy! :)
And Amen to everything you just said — specially the bit about my awesomeness. ;)
What am I going to do with my mornings when I get to work when we reach #1?
The thing that I’ve loved the most about this blog is that I am not alone in so many things that I thought I was. I’m not the only one that likes weird food. I’m not the only one that hates wet socks. There’s a thousand things and more that thousands of people have in common. I think that’s very awesome.
And thanks Neil for opening my eyes to a brand new world. I now take in every day and appreciate every moment. I find smiles around me and have found the kid that’s been living inside me all this time. Your blog has helped me through tough times. You’ve made me cry, made me laugh, made me realize so many things about myself and this world we all live in and share. I can never thank you enough for YOUR awesomeness.
& without this blog – I never would have met you! & your awesome blog!
ahh so sorry for the lack of e-pal emails! – My hotmail is now blocked at work & I have no computer at home! – I’m working on a way on getting around it! :)
I know the feeling, its cool. I have no computer at home and when work blocks the sites I regularly visit, it sucks. I never really want to get a computer at home, but hubby is insisting that whenever we move, we are going to get one.
This is probably my #1 most awesome thing, or at least the most important.
“…pants for sweatpants, sweatpants for less pants…” I LOVE it! Just a big smile! Really, after #1, how can I be expected to get through the day without these captivating turns of phrase?! I’m anticipating mass work call-offs due to the sudden jolt to our systems. I predict work stoppages will bring services to a halt (I suggest stocking up on milk and bread as well as disposing of garbage in time to avoid any problems)! I know it may not seem fair to hold you responsible for this Neil, but truly it IS your responsibility. You MADE us adore your lovely lilting phrases and now we’re addicted! It has become our literary mood crack and you expect us to go cold turkey?! I suppose I could use my AWESOME books to ease myself off the habit of your daily posts, maybe even attempt to find my own awesomeness each day (that’s asking a bit much, doncha think?!), but what will make up for the camaraderie? Tell me, just what will take the place of laughing at another addict’s posts? Crying at a shared memory/experience? I ask you, how can I be expected to function after #1 and the countdown celebration, complete with banners and jousting, are but memories? What happens once the loot bags have been dispersed and the confetti’s been sweeped up???
YEAH! What happens?! We blame you!
;D
No No No!! Its getting over!! Will the 1000 countdown of awesome things start again after this one ends??
I don’t know, but I think Neil is a religious man. He hasn’t really pushed it in these awesome things, but he’s hinted at it. I think it would be the awesome of awesome if he put God as the #1 Awesome thing,because, without Him, there wouldn’t be anything awesome.
rtr
I sincerely hope he puts something more inclusive and universal at #1
I still think #1 is going to be love. There is nothing better than love in any of its many forms.
this could not have been more perfectly timed! awesome!
I hope that you keep on Blogging even after the Count Down. Your Posts are Great!
I think that frequent daily “Me Time” is very important. I start with a few minutes of “Me Time” in the morning and end with a few minutes of “Me Time” at night.
During the day….as needed (& it’s mostly needed)….I take 3 deep long breaths…to get me to the present moment OR to Now. This is most helpful.
Reblogged this on pepp8.
Me time? What’s that? I’ve also heard of something called sleep… what’s that? No, I kid… the only me time I have is on Mondays after the kids go to sleep and hubby heads over to the fire station for the weekly meeting. I’ve been using the past few weeks to use this me time to watch The Walking Dead and The River from my DVR. But with season finales and whatnot, I gotta find new shows or I’ll read or something. I really enjoy Mondays now. I look forward to my ‘me time’
Are we seriously on #20? How in the world did that happen?
Ooooh.. just a thought. Maybe when we reach #1, Neil will start counting back UP to 1000!
What an AWESOME idea!
After reading the twitter comments, I see there are others who think the same thing. Maybe I’ll remember to read the entire thing before I comment from now on!
Me time is awesome.
The thought of eating mayo from a spoon makes me want to barf, which is not awesome.
When I was about 13 or so, I remember doing something kinda evil to my younger brother. He was about 5 or 6. I had a big spoonful of mayo and yelled for him to come here. He came running. I told him it was a big spoonful of white icing and gave it to him. He stuck the whole thing in his mouth and pulled the spoon out before he realized it wasn’t icing. I was dying laughing while he was gagging and spitting it out and crying. Other than this ( a just a few more evil moments) I was a great big sis.
jen325, eating mayo from a spoon while snorting was just strange enough for me to believe it is actually Neil’s way of spending me time. (Truth is stranger than fiction.) But yeah, I also think it’s pretty gross.
I am almost as addicted to reading the comments section as much as reading the actual blog! I agree with Bekah in that it’s so nice to find others who bask in seemingly idiosyncratic things. I can’t count how many times I have referenced this blog in conversation or have given the book as the perfect gift.
Neil, it is inspiring to see how positively you have impacted people’s lives with the power of words. Thank you a 1000 times over.
Yes! I agree completely! Being a part of this amazing, insightful, hilarious, caring, diverse, wonderful blog community has enriched my life in countless ways. I love you guys! Thanks so much!
Neil, you da bomb. Don’t go changin’.
It really feels like a little family here, for sure!
OK, I only got as far as the intro, and had to skip down here to immediately post: “trade sweatpants for less pants” is the best line I’ve ever heard.
Alright, I’m going back up to read the rest now. ttfn
Oh my gosh, the rest of this post just kept it coming! “eating mayo from a spoon over the sink while snorting”, “Don’t use your me time to watch “No Holds Barred” starring Hulk Hogan.”
And in with all that hilarity, some insightful truths. Excellent, excellent post.
That’s his style, isn’t it? Hilarious, true, relatable, sincere, heartfelt … all rolled into one.
But have you heard of dress pant sweatpants? Check out Betabrand’s web site. They even have horizontal corduroys!!
http://www.betabrand.com/gray-dress-pant-sweatpants.html
good idea! Stop reading posts and go outside for a nature walk. thanks
It is so sad to be near the end, but one of my favourite quotes is ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, Smile because it happened’ I think that fits the best for this awesome blog. Thank you Neil for opening our eyes to all these wonderful things in life. And also, Thank You to simone and Bekah and Freddo and lovethebadguy and all other commenters (but especially you guys because you always comment and I love your comments). Your comments are so funny and so true and add so much to the posts. After I read the awesome thing for the day, I always read the comments at the bottom which make me smile more. Thank you everyone in the awesome community for all this awesome. Smile!
you are more then welcome :)
this site has got to be one of my favourites I have every come across & the amazing people I have met on here I will never forget – even though I’ve never met them in person!
Love the quote ….. “we’re not here forever, we’re not here very long, so give yourself a break, before the break time’s gone.”
well said so true ….
Neil,
I’ve been following your blog for a year or so now after seeing you on a Maxwell House commercial celebrating optimism, and I can truly say that you have changed my life. I my outlook on life has taken a complete 180, and I have no one else to thank but you, and only you. So I give you thanks profusely, for making me realize that there is many more than just 1000 awesome things out there. :)
Me time rules. Again, I’m surprised this one didn’t rank higher, but good work nonetheless!
Wendy. Where are your comments? They are usually the highlight of this blog! You’re taking some ‘Me Time’? Enjoy it, but we miss you!!
I had some really good me time this morning. I played the piano really loud and sang my little heart out, and for some reason, when I sing alone, I can reach those reeeeeally high notes I can never really get in music class…
It is truly overwhelming how many bloggers predict their suffering once number 1 is over with…neil we all owe that to you. With a heavy heart, I too will have to cope without these daily inspirations. But fear not my fellow friends, the sun will continue to rise each day as it has every other day, and life will go on, IT MUST GO ON… We all know that we are better people for the joy neil’s post have brought into our lives and I truly feel blessed to have been able to share this site with you all. And the love and inspiration that this site has provided me with has transcended into the lives of every1 I come into contact with, there’s no denying that it has shaped me into the person I am today :-) I’m sure there are many others out there that will know what I’m taking about, because they have felt it too :-)) What worries me a tiny bit is that there are so many people out there that don’t even know about the revolution that is 1000awesomethings.com imagine how much more of a better place the world could be if more people were aware of this site. There’d be more awesomeness in this world thats for sure! Good morning everyone have a pleasant day and don’t forget to smell the roses… ummm Neil have we already had that as awesome thing???? If not, i think it’s important that it’s on the list.
Big smile! So happy to see you!
It’s our job to spread it! In the time after 1000 Awesome Things (aka post-apocalyptic times), we need to share the awesome with as many people as possible in order to keep it alive and growing :D
I just wanted to come back to this post and comment. My anniversary is tomorrow and I plan on spending most of the day catching up on some serious me time. While hubby is at work, my daughter is at the beach with her father, I’m taking my son to day care… and I’m napping, eating junk food, watching movies I’ve been dying to see and getting my hair done. I’m so excited for me time.
I can’t see what I’m typing right now. The box isn’t moving. My name and email adress, in thos boxes, are over what I’m typing firhg tnow. What’s up WordPress?