#259 The good kind of stomach butterflies

Neil Pasricha

Flap, flap, flap.

It’s gut check time.

Scientists suggest the fluttery feeling of buttery flies in your tum tum just comes from blood flowing away from your digestive system and zooming everywhere else in your body. Yeah, you know how it goes: your beady-eyed pal adrenaline starts playing that fight-or-flight soundtrack and suddenly it’s fists at ready, legs at the ready, everything else on standby.

Ten hut!

Ears awake, eyes open, deep breaths in bed, let’s get all systems ready for the big day ahead.

Because when you get the good kind of stomach butterflies it means you’re burning and buzzing about a big day. After rehearsing for months your play finally comes, after that electric first kiss you’re dreaming about bliss, after practicing all year the big game is here.

Yes, when your mind opens up, when your path starts to clear, when you know where you’re going, when you start to get near… well those are the moments we live for and those are the times to go long, yes those are the moments to go for and those are the times to be strong.

AWESOME!

The Book of (Even More) Awesome comes out tomorrow!

Join as at the book launch tomorrow at 7pm at the Indigo Bay & Bloor in Toronto !

— Email message —

“I’m currently backpacking around the world and finally met up with some friends from home during Songkran in Thailand. Songkran is Thai New Year and what does the entire country do? Break out into water fights for 3 days (some places, even longer), all day long! The best part is EVERYONE gets involved, young people, old people, even some of the monks! How often do you get to raid a mass water attack on complete strangers and have them shoot you back with a huge smile? AWESOME.” – Corissa

Photo from: here and here

38 thoughts to “#259 The good kind of stomach butterflies”

  1. I LOVE the good kind of butterflies! Those happy, something-good-is-about-to-happen, tomorrow-is-a-big-day kind are the best!

    I am SO excited about The Book of (Even More) Awesome coming out TOMORROW! I’m excited for you and your success, I’m excited for me to be able to devour it and hand it out as gifts, and I’m excited for the world to be able to read it. YAY!

  2. ive had butterflies in my tum since yesterday and me no likey. ive never liked tummy butterflies. this isnt awesome 4 me but glad it is for some ppl

    1. I haven’t had good butterflies in many years. It sucks because the days I should be excited about feel like any other day. What fun is that? I only get the bad kind when bad things happen. No fair!

  3. There’s also the good kind of butterflies when you first start dating someone you like – that’s definitely an awesome feeling.

    1. I agree, they are the bestest, I’ve had them for over a year and still they are awesome :)

    2. I’ve been away from my boyfriend for a while, and I have had the good kind of butterflies in my anticipation to see him again next month. They increase more and more everyday as the date approaches!

  4. I agree in the ‘first dating’ butterflies, completely awesome :) Except for me, they don’t seem to be ‘butterflies’ as much as giant mutant moths from space or something. Wow.

    1. Like the glowing green moth in the Lunesta commercial? That moth has always creeped me out for some reason.

  5. I can’t remember the last time I had the good butterflies. I was actually thinking about that feeling not long ago. I was wondering if I was ever going to feel them again, I miss it.

    1. Me too! I clearly remember, just before the curtain went up before the final performance of The Pajama Game in high school, everyone was talking about their butterflies and I realized I didn’t have them. It was disappointing.

  6. I got those butterflies the moment I realized my fiance was proposing to me. Reminded me of how it felt when we first met.

  7. You must be determined how you are going to spend your day whether it is speaking in front of a large crowd or just preparing to defend yourself in a fight, you have to be prepared for whatever life throws at you. Whenever you are nervous it is always good to practice ways to calm down because that is when you get butterflies in your stomach. Staying calm, thinking positive, and looking your best in front of a crowd is the key to avoid these bad butterflies and having the good feeling.

  8. Whether a “Very hungry caterpillar”, working on wings,
    Or in Costa Rica, “Blue” butterfly hunting,
    Dominican Republic, Marabal sister’s~ honoring,
    For “The Man Who Cried”, Gypsy bon-fire dancing…
    In Spain for the festival of tomatoe throwing,
    In Songkran Thailand for a 3 day BLAST of water fighting~
    The flight of the butterflies are really something,
    Whether crossing Canada, or internationally,
    they remind us we’re REALLY alive and celebrating,
    this “Butterfly effect” together, on this spiritual journey~
    And for “growing these big, brilliant, colourful, witty and positive wings”, as he takes to each and every stage…let us holla, hail and sing,
    “For he’s a jolly-good fellow… Hip-hip-hooray for Awesome Neil!!!”

    1. p.s. Astragalis is a good support for the adrenaline glands too, AND not really killed dead, but live nutricious, delicious, nourish, soul food!

  9. Just read the full page article on you in the newspaper. Good butterflies indeed! Enjoy that new book smell while you’re signing all those autographs tonight Neil. :)

    1. Magda, could you send a link to the article, PLEASE!!!
      YES…Isn’t he a beautiful butterfly~ so blessed to “know” and be a part of all this Good, good, good, vibrational fluttering Awesomeness!!!

    2. Yes, I am also interested to see the newspaper. I get the Toronto Star. Was it in the Globe and mail or some other paper ?

          1. (From the article)
            ‘Oh, rubbing someone’s newly shaved head, or seeing old people holding hands. Or, fixing electronics by smacking them.’

            Rubbing someone’s newly shaved head!!!! YES!!!!!! My step dad is bald, half by choice, and I use to rub his head everytime he shaved it… great memories.

  10. the worst kind of butterflies…

    when you’re in fight or flight mode with nobody to fight and nobody to run away from. self inflicted fear. NOT awesome haha

    1. False
      Evidence
      Appearing
      Real…
      FEAR
      Great books: “Feel your fear and do it anyway” and “The gift of fear.”
      Faith is fear that does gentle diligence; has compassion for oneself, says its prayers; lives by and flies with the grace of butterflies~Awesome…Amen

  11. I was in Bangkok many many years ago for Songkran. Kids were walking along with buckets of water balloons, truckloads of teenagers were armed with super soakers and huge barrels of water. Business men would open up a briefcase and pull out a squirt gun and ambush a child who wasn’t watching out for a man in a suit. It was amazing.

    I came back to the US telling all my friends about the holiday and how great it would be to have anything like that here. The very first comment anyone made was “someone would get sued.” I hate that my corner of the world is that jaded, because I know they’re right. Someone’s precious piece of technology or overpriced clothing would get wet and it would ruin it for everyone. I’ve wanted to go back to Thailand for the celebration for almost 20 years now just to have that much fun again.

  13. I remember on may first kiss i had like billions of butterflies in my tummy ;) So Awesome

  15. I’ve been seeing a therapist after being told I would become depressed if I didn’t get help. I was really sad one day, so I searched ‘things that make you happy’ and this website came up. I read for ages all the little posts about loving little things. Every day one of them happens and I’ll smile and think about this site. Every day I seem to feel a little better after I read your posts. There really aren’t words to describe how helpful you have been, even if it was indirectly. So, on behalf of me and everyone who’s days are brighter because of these little things, thank you. You are awesome.

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  23. Inside the shell, a change was going on,
    The form of the caterpillar now is gone.
    When the shell opens, what comes out?
    A beautiful butterfly fluttering about!

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