1000 Awesome Things is just a time-ticking countdown of 1000 awesome things. Launched June, 2008 and updated every weekday. Full story here.
Also, I share the inspiration this site in this TED Talk:
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Some thoughts and reviews from around the horn:
“1000 Awesome Things might be described as optimism for the rest of us. Sunny without being saccharine, it’s a countdown of life’s little joys that reads like a snappy Jerry Seinfeld monologue by way of Maria Von Trapp.” – The Vancouver Sun
“Neil Pasricha is the guru of small joys.” – The Toronto Star
“None of what Pasricha shares is philosophical or heady. Similarly, his style is not a pontification on a single universal truth on how to live a more positive life, regardless of one’s personal circumstances. It’s absent of prescriptions that assume only changing the way we think will result in better outcomes. He merely brings to life — and reminds us about — the small occasions that will likely have you saying to yourself, “yes, that is so right. Why didn’t I think of that?” Pasricha doesn’t mandate a way to live well. In many simple ways, he just reminds us that we already do.” – The Huffington Post
“Pasricha finds fun in frustrations, going from grit to wit.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“Strangely heartwarming… perfect for rainy days.” – The New Yorker
“Laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with just enough sarcastic nostalgia…” – Wired.com
“Honors the little joys of life.” – USA Today
“Consumer angst has turned western civilization into a morass of grumpy old men moaning about shoddy battery life of iPhones or the annoying omnipresence of accident claims adverts when you just want to watch a daytime quiz show. So sometimes, it’s nice to remind yourself of life’s sweeter side and the pleasures to be had from the small things — like peeling the thin plastic film off new electronic gadgets or sneaking your own cheap snacks into the cinemas. 1000 Awesome Things deserves its recent Webby Award; life really is awesome after all.” – The Guardian
“1000 Awesome Things is the #1 awesome website.” – Frank Warren, PostSecret
“Laugh out loud. You feel like you’ve thought of these things a thousand times but just haven’t stopped to write them down.” – BBC South America
“A lovingly beautiful blog. It’s like being a three- or four-year-old and looking at the world for the first time again. Read it and you’ll feel good about being human.” – Jim Hedger, Host of Webcology, Webmaster radio
“Unrelentingly optimistic without being sappy. It’s less about awesome things than it is about seeing the awesomeness of the everyday.” – The Toronto Star
“Cool Site of the Day!” – The Kim Komando Show, #1 Weekend Talk Radio Show in the US
“One of the Top 100 Blogs of 2010.” – PC Mag
“One of the Top 100 Web sites of 2009.” – PC Mag
“One of the Top 50 Blogs of 2009.” – PC Mag
“Given the hectic nature of our lives, it’s easy to overlook the little things that make it all worthwhile. Thank goodness we’ve got this new site to remind us of life’s small pleasures. They’re just getting started with the list but we’ve already identified a few favorites including that pile of assorted beers left in your fridge after a party, locking people out of the car and pretending to drive away, and finding money you didn’t even know you lost. – The Record (San Joaquin County Daily Newspaper)
“A simple but brilliant idea.” – Fox News
“… the most optimistic, sunny blog online. You have to test your cynicism against this affirmation of all things and see if you can actually handle it.” – CBC Radio
“Sleeping in your own bed after a long trip, being able to carry all the groceries from the car in one swoop, that miracle of science when the amount of toilet paper left on the toll is the exact amount you need – these are just some of the quietly awesome things in life at 1000 Awesome Things.” – Mental Floss
“Best of 2009.” – All My Faves
“1000 Awesome Things should put itself on the list of 1000 Awesome Things. I’d hit it.” – Cheezburger Ben Huh, I Can Has Cheezburger? & FAIL Blog
“1000 Awesome Things is where the modern world stops to smell the roses.” – Ben Mercer, CFRB 1010
“Reading your blog always brings a smile to my face & I feel like I am talking to you.” – Email from author’s mother, January 12, 2009
“One of the best Pop Culture Blogs on the Internet.” – Make Five, “The Best Pop Culture Blogs”
“1000 Awesome Things is a case study on how to create an amazing contribution to the blogosphere. ” – Wikinomics, “How to build an amazing blog”
“1000 Awesome Things is absolute, pure joy.” – Q107, Calgary, Alberta, “The Terri and Patti Show”
“There’s something riveting about 1000 Awesome Things that makes you want to keep coming back. Aside from the great humor, it reminds you of the little things in life, and how awesome they can be.” – Zen Habits, Leo Babauta
“Internet humor is basically pissing all over things just for the sake of pissing on them, even if they don’t particularly deserve it. Fake outrage gets a little wearisome. 1000 Awesome Things, on the other hand, is taking the road less traveled and showing that loving things can be just as funny as hating them.” – Man vs. Clown!, Peter Lynn
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And now for the legal stuff: Use of this website is for personal, non-commercial purposes. Any other use is expressly forbidden. The authors of this website own all content together with any comments and suggestions, including those sent in by electronic means. Users choosing to make any suggestions or comments thereby release any rights to them. The authors are free to use, adapt or ignore any suggestions and are not required to acknowledge them in any form.
Hi Neil, Just watched your talk on TED- it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me roll out of bed from under the cover where i’ve been hiding in an intolerable sadness for more days than less. The sun is shining outside :) Thank you so much. Bless!
Neil, coming out of the cocoon of a difficult time, your book is a blessing and I think it will be to fortunate so many others in the future. I can’t believe I found it via a TV coffee commercial. I hope you will be happy to know that in the east end of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in a traditionally French part of town, in the francophone institute of “la Bibliotheque Nationale” (Quebec has fought to be a nation of its own while it remains part of Canada) — there are at least 4 copies of your book on its shelves. Bless you. And bless you for saying we just gotta get through the bad days too. That’s what it’s all about.
The book has the Chinese one ??
hey, your blog is awesome! i’d like to translate this blog into my language .. but i think it would be illegal .. :/
Where I am from (New Zealand) we say that 1000 Awesome Things and the awesome story is ‘o for awesome!!!’
Awesome Book !
So I just picked your first book up at the store the other day because it looked, well, AWESOME! and I have to say I’m loving it, it inspired me to start my own list of awesome things I last stopped count somewhere around 60, and I’m not usually the most optimistic person so that’s kinda big for me! I’d love to be able to send you the entire list so you can see because you’re book just completely inspired me to see the AWESOME in life and I haven’t even finished it yet! When I’m done though I’m gonna have to get my hands on that second book, so thanks for making me laugh and inspiring me to see all that is awesome.
Keep on being awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Neil,
I LOVE reading your blog everyday. I am can’t wait for the 2012 “The Calendar of Awesome”. Have you ever considered selling other kinds of merchandise like t-shirts or coffee mugs, or do you already? I would love to purchase some!
Driving down the highway in my red convertible with the top down, listening to classic rock with the volume cranked way up, singing at the top of my lungs, and no one’s listening!
AWESOME.
Hi Neil,
I was at the MML Convention today… really enjoyed your presentation. Just wanted to let you know you missed a great opportunity. Each year the guest speaker sells his book outside the ballroom. I went with great haste anticipating your arrival outside the door. To my disappointment, you did not show. From the feedback I heard all the rest of the day, you could have sold several boxes. Just a suggestion to push the book at the next event… not for your sake, but for ours!
Be at peace!
Wayne H Thomas
Hey NP…just read your story in the QSB magazine summer edition for 2011…so glad to see you’ve stoked that creative fire that was clearly present during your BComm. And here’s an awesome moment from me to you….You go to a dinner party and find a bowl of cheesies and a bowl of gummy bears in the midst of salad, salmon, fruits and other nomal nibblies. And within a short time, everyone else moves to the yummy bowls instead of those more-boring snacks.
JP@Queen’s
I love this blog how is it I have only just stumbled on it?
Genuis!!
Having a relationship end out of the blue while my mom was in the hospital, I definitely find your awesome things simply awesome. Keep on keeping on and touching the lives of others.
You are my hero. Thank you for making my day better. I will buy your book because you are so awesome.
Hello.
I saw a report about this blog at Readers Digest. I’m from Brazil. This website is going far. Love it…. It’s really interesting. Congrats. Keep it!
love this!
Hello,
I am running a small website in Poland called talenta.pl and we agregate the best blogs from around the world to inspire Polish people to do in their lifes what they love and simply be happy. We would like to add your blog to our Planet. Would you be happy for us to do that?
Many thanks for letting us know.
Kind regards,
Karolina
Email: info(at)talenta.pl
talenta.pl
When you need insurance for your cars these days, you are so much smarter if you will just do it over the internet. You may not think of it in these terms, but you are actually saving yourself a lot of money in the process because you don’t even have to waste time or gas in the process. And the fact that it is makes online car insurance that much better.
I’ve dedicated a gratitude journal type of a blog to you and a few other proper nouns I like, this comment is for you.
The first book is AWESOME!!!!!!
I read it in a day tommarow I am going 2 read the second one!!!
AWESOME!!!!!
(P.S. I am a total NERD)
“The Quest for Love”, a song from Arthur and the Invisibles; inner peace and harmony; a sanctuary from the cruel misunderstanding’s of the world, is why I visited here frequently and it was beautiful for the most part.
A commenter mentioned “The backhandedness”, of a recent post and in my opinion, nailed it!
I never imagined I’d find some of the things I have here.
Gullable, naieve and from another time…I am.
I have survived much adversity, displacement and loss, compared to war torn, in a “civilized” nation. This is someones story, everywhere!
In search for solace and compassion, one should not discover more conflict.
My personal plight is to hold on tight with all my might to some form of connectedness, to a somewhat united loving family, moment to moment, breath of life sustaining…FAR beyond milestone to milestone.
Fortitude, awareness, attititude and authenticity saved my life, by the grace of God, from a very early age…I had nothing until my children. My children gave me life.
I was raised in a “time and spaces”, to speak of self was vain, narcisistic and was punished! I have many accomplishments, but no paper could surpass how proud I am of my children.
My life is not small.
My frame of reference today was to say, “I’ll never cannon-ball, but the best I’ve ever seen have always been by my step-son…who is now 27, awesome:)
My children and grand-children; all the little and big, even elderly children I’ve ever known are beacons of love, light and hope.
My life is large.
My heart song is what I share, vulnerably, freely and passionately.
I am authentic; it was suggested, and I thought I could be… here.
Thanks for your blog…it’s really awesome :)
I am a mental health and substance abuse counselor. I learned about your blog, book and website from one of my patients. Later, I heard an interview of you on the radio. I work with people who struggle with suicide, chemical abuse/dependence, eating disorders, self-harm, relationship problems, etc. I was doing a group with teens and told them about your work with this and how it came to be as I was educating them on how our brain pays the most attention naturally to negative emotions, events, etc. I invited them to take note of their awesome things in the next week to share. I’m participating as well :) what a great way to combine mindfulness and resilience! Thanks for the inspiration!
I am certain there are millions of more pleasurable occasions ahead for individuals that read carefully your blog.
AWESOME!!!
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You know when you are eating one of the best most delicious chocolate bar ever. You enjoy it so slowly that you don’t want this bar to finish! Well that is exactly how I feel about the book. Congrats Neil! One of the few books I don’t want its pages to finish.
Well, don’t know if anyone cares, but I do!
Since I made everything else I had to say very public, I just want to say here and now, how sorry I am for ever disrespecting “your space” and anyone who visits here.
My world was falling apart and I came to depend on something other than faith. All is well now and clearer than ever.
I appreciate all that you share so freely and generously… so much no words can express.
After all……….. thanks for letting me stay.
Sincerely, I thank you… Wendy
My favorite website and homepage : ) Thanks for the GREAT idea to create this “awesome thing”!
Thanks for this excellent. I’m wondering should you were preparing of publishing related articles to this one. .Maintain up the excellent posts!
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I am a theatre teacher and was wondering how do I contact the author about doing “A Night of Awesome.” Our class has read The Book of Awesome everyday to start off class and it has begun a great time everyday, with the new year looming we are looking at our spring play and a thought came into my head about doing our favorite selections from the book and performing a “Night of Awesome.” If you have any advice please let me know. I am very interested in asking for the rights to perform it.
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I was at your presentation at OSLC… love your blog! Especially “Strategic trick or treating”!
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one of the most AWESOME-ST sites ever !!
Hey Neil I am currently reading your holiday version and I am loving every page of it. I have also read the book of awesome and even more awesome. Please publish more your words and insights are incredible! Thanks for sharing with the world :)
I’m a big fan, so much so that I’ve nominated you for The Versatile Blogger Award!
Hi Neil
This is a little random and not related, but I couldn’t find another way to get in contact with you. I’m contacting you because I am currently doing a project called A Year of TED (www.kyliedunn.com) and I am using your TED talk as the inspiration for my next 30 day Activity.
The blog contains a page about the project and I will be putting a post up on Sunday outlining the inspiration I have taken from your talk, how I aim to apply it and what I hope to achieve from the 30 days.
The reason for the contact is that I feel it is appropriate for me to contact the people whose talks I am using a) to let you know that your talk has inspired me and I feel it was definitely an idea worth sharing, and b) I guess just out of common courtesy.
So thank you for your TED talk and the inspiration that they have given me.
Regards, Kylie
I love your posts! I’m so glad i found this.
are those books translated in French?
will there be anymore books of awesome after the holiday one? let me know cause i need sumthin to look forward to. that would be AWESOME!
Hey everybody! Can I have your attention please!
Let’s stop thinking about our selfish selves. Let’s think about Neil Pasricha for a while.
Okay, let’s not while away too much time, count downs moving fast.
Awhile’s up!
How can we let Neil go from all this attention; such a full life; filled with so much love?!*
Seriously folks, what will *he* ever do without all of us in his world, every single week day?!*
Now, after everything he’s done for us, we should do something for him!
What you all say we keep this awesome going, in the name of Neil Pasricha!
Imagine! But not for too long. Best to take action!
“All we are saying is give peace a chance!”
Coming to school and realizing that you are on time!
AWESOME!