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.
My group of friends decided to go bowling this weekend and one friend was willing to pay for all of us. I thought, “Man… I have a rich friend… awesome.”
Love your site. It’s honestly the funniest blog out there.
Hi Neil, it’s Mike Jones’ Mom.
Mike sent me your blog and I haven’t stopped laughing yet. You are soooooooo funny, clever and in a word, Awesome!
Memories of “Golden Words” for me.
The “stinky” bathroom one had me weeping with laughter. Of course it’s never happened to me!!!!!!
Thanks so much. I’ll continue to enjoy it.
Love “Mom” Cheryl
Great blog. I really get tired of all of the negativity online and I find your blog really refreashing. I am adding it to my bookmarks. Keep up the great work.
I’m experiencing my childhood all over again! Actually, just the good stuff. Awesome!
As you’ve read dear Chris Pearson, your blog is a wonderful, much needed optimistic view on the world, which is much needed right now. I was wondering if there was any specific inspiration for this blog ?
Thanks,
Ryan
You definitely got my vote for the 2009 Webby awards. Excellent blog! I truly enjoyed reading through all of these and look forward to more.
Reminder: I love yoooooou! xoxo
simply aweeeesoome…. keep blogging..u got my vote for the webbies..
really great blog, definitely inspiring to see the awesomeness in the little things around us…
thank you for that!!!
J
PLEASE ADD: OLD PEOPLE FARTING
old people are cute and funny
and farting is funny
golden awesomeness, come on!
Inspiring blog! Thanks! :)
my suggestion:
when you’re alone in the flat and during the tv adverts you put on the hip-hop swagger as you go to the toliet.
just drop that left-shoulder and roll the other one right over. bling optional.
This site is fantastic. Brings a smile to my face every morning. The sliding through the door just before it closes post really touched me.
How about this:
“Memorizing the words to the 30-Second iTunes sample of a song”
You hear that familiar beat fading in. You know it somehow, but you can’t put your finger on it. Like a mystery novel you search through the files of you memory to figure it out until that voice comes in.
AH YES.
The rapper’s voice that’s been on the iTunes top ten for 3 weeks, that you’ve heard for a guilty 30 seconds of every day while you hover over the “Buy Song” button with your gently shaking cursor, only to speed away to the Foo Fighters or Incubus window. Real music. You wouldn’t be caught dead downloading that pre-seasoned-microwavable-TV dinner music on the radio. But then the next day you listen again. The same 4 lines keep playing over and over again in your head, as much as you want them to disappear. You regret ever clicking it, that is, until now.
Now you wait for that verse, patiently like a lion in the Savannah, ready to strike as soon as you hear the first word from your vivid 30 second memory. As soon as it happens, you spout out lyrics like a Biggie, weaving rhymes in perfect time like Luda, putting on that eye-popping show-stopping performance before your car audience for 30 seconds and 4 full lines of unmatchable glory until the chorus comes on and the group enters full singalong mode.
An onslaught of wows and high-fives ensues, and you, my friend, are a lyrical genius.
AWESOME
Congratulations and Keep up the good work! It’s so nice to see someone taking the time to appreciate the little things that make the world a happy, fun, AWESOME place to be. Lots of people go through their days with cynicism, only picking out the things that make their days more difficult and things that bug them, so it’s refreshing when someone takes the opposite approach in life and wants to share it with everyone they know (and everyone they know, and everyone they know, and so on)! I will continue to check back whenever I need a little pick me up to get me through the rest of the day.
It is so refreshing to read the writings from someone who has such a natural way of getting his message across. Finally a blog that is not self-serving and full of ads or asking for a hand-up or a hand out.
Thank you for the best-ever blog……This blog is definitely on my list of ” Awesome” !!!! Pls keep it up, as you have my mood….You rock!!!!!:)
Take care
TSDS
I love your site, and I hope you don’t mind if I make a parody? If this offends you at all, let me know, and I’ll take it down!
http://1000suckythings.blogspot.com/
I thought a parody was supposed to be funny.
Hey there, N….
This is how I start my day:
1) Drink coffee
2) Read 1000 Awesome Things
Both are necessities to my day. And both get me all peppy.
Remember when I was the Birthday Fairy and put Tomek in a shower cap and a hula skirt? It’s like that, except about 1000 awesome times better.
Thanks for making simple human observations into mini works of genius. And for creating inspirational, smile-inducing musings that are totally not cheesy. You’re….awesome.
Aloha,
Marisa W.
the ice cream on the lid of the ice cream container..that is the best part!
throwing an empty pen! this is so rare!
getting up and finding someone made your lunch for the day (funny how a jam sandwich made by the kid can be just fine for lunch!)
Pretty funny stuff!
I heard you on CHUM FM this morning and as soon as I heard some of your awesome things… I immediately thought of this morning… “getting up in the morning KNOWING you forgot to make coffee .. only to realize someone else remembered”.. Truly awesome!
Good Morning! :)
I just heard you on the radio. Kudos to you my friend – you ROCK!
One of my favorite things is when one of my boys laughs so hard a little pee comes out, you know thas squeally, can’t stand it, laughter that shakes the moment.
It usually happens at the strangest times.
Great job on life, keep doing your thing.
Leigh
What an awesomely awesome list of 1000 Awesome Things! My cheeks kinda hurt though from smiling practically the entire time I read it! :oP
Thanks for the list…have a great day!
-Elif
Hi Chris,
I am a documentary filmmaker and I am very interested in developing your story into a short festival bound film. I heard you on the radio yesterday ( the first time I heard of your blog) and I think your perspective is addictive and your idea innovative. I think it would be very interesting to bring your “Awesomeness” to filmic life.
Would you be interesting in meeting?
Upon your response (and hopefully interest), I will forward you my reel.
Thanks for your time,
Anthony
Yes! I hope you go for it, Neil. This blog in film form could be fabulous (and awesome). A film, a book, a daily inspirational calendar, a stage reading…and then…the sky’s the limit (Oprah and Ellen for sure)! I think this blog means more things to more people than you have ever imagined.
Kudos to you.
Vicki
Can I get tickets to the Webbys cocktail event? Two tickets please…
An awesome thing:
When an automatic toilet actually only flushes at the right time/when you’re finished.
Hola from Chile,
I heard you the other day on a radio show. Now I’m addicted to your site.
Gracias
Monica (Santiago, Chile)
You should definitely make this into a book. If Christian Lander likes it , you can’t go wrong. Also I think you can keep going with more than 1000 awesome things.
Congrats on one year of awesome things!
hey Neil,
Great site. Congrats on the awards. Keep in touch.
Will
The little happy face in the corner is AWESOME!
1st time site visit just now..redirected from postsecret. com… saw that lil’ smiling guy in the top right within a few seconds. Something made my had then scroll directly to your post!
so Awesome I had to comment!
I just saw Tyler Kennedy, centre for the NHL-winning Pittsburgh Penquins, share the Stanely Cup with too-many-to-count young fans.
Watching 8 year olds kiss the Stanley Cup with stars in their eyes – Awesome.
Cheers and thanks for the smiles,
Sherri
i was listening to 103.1 this morning on my way to work and i heard about this website, i think this is an awesome thing to do, cause im usually at work going on CNN and other news websites and its always bad news and never anything reallly good, so this is a new way to start off my mornings! thank-you and keep up the good work!
this site rocks! i am constantly looking for the positive things in life and also for new ways of finding the positive things… your entries are really helpful!
keep up the great work!
man alive
Now Ive’ found a wonderful way to start my day. And to appreciate life. Its wonderful. NO awesome :-)
This website is great! Check out the post I wrote about it.
http://panicbuttonblog.com/2009/08/14/could-you-repeat-that/
Sam
What exactly did they get a webby in?
Your web site is beautiful. I wish you continued success.
I’m hooked to the blog since i first visited it..a fresh and innovative approach, no wonder its growing leaps and bounds..people get to know the feelings they are not able express while experiencing these awesome things.
I would like to share one of my experiences:
“You are late and try to catch up the late night/last subway/metro and you manage to enter the last coach, huffing and puffing, and the doors just slam behind you. It’s awesome”
What a great idea! love everything about this blog!
really REALLY good one fella’. I luv it!
May I just say, I love you to bits and pieces, whoever you are. You have me in shits and giggles every weekday.
I. Love. This. Site. I’ve been following you since the beginning and I can’t get enough! I’m totally hooked…every morning I check my email, the weather, and 1000 awesome things. Way to make my days totally AWESOME! Thanks!
What a clever and refreshing idea!
fantastic site! you bring smiles and a sense of relief to me each and every time I read your latest entries! thank you
I look forward to your website every morning. I get up and think, “I wonder what today’s awesome thing is?”, then I get on with my day. And when this stuff happens to me in life, I take the time to appreciate it. The other day I found five bucks in an old fanny pack, and I thought about your site. About a month ago I realized they had put paper towels in all the washrooms at my university, and I actually walked in the washroom and yelled out “AWESOME!” without even thinking. So thanks for writing this site, I love it!
I totally love your blog. You bring smiles to anyone who reads them. We love you