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.
Hitting every light green and being waved in at every merge when you are late.
Running late is one of the worst feelings in the world. People can interpret a late arrival as disrespect for their timely attendance. In truth life happens for those of us who leave the house in two different socks and cannot read clocks.
Keeping a beautiful woman waiting knowing that her personality appeal and smile will draw competitors like flies.
Keeping busy colleagues speculating on what could be more important to you than their time.
Keeping a friend in need struggling without your support. (Ever loaded a couch into a u-haul alone?)
Knowing a lovingly prepared meal is growing cold and rubbery.
Your foot itches to slam the accelerator to the floor yet visions of cops drinking from your precious seconds with slow penmanship and admonishments of social irresponsibility. The pedal bouncing up and down as your anxiety battles your common sense.
Then, the universe senses your trauma and tolls up the dogs you have petted, the elderly you have assisted, the litter you have reclaimed and decides to pay up in full!
http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/CA22018.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=A5C9C13351D9C3B7E0B7B0A013229D3765C4042C382003E728752E1C7FC4B16B
With popping of each light and the swooshing of each hand your astonishment mounts. You seemingly crawl closer and closer to your goal, your green hope grows. The cherry on your karma cake placed with care and consideration of parking a mere lung burning sprint away.
Your hand on the door, on time.
AWESOME!
My awesome event today….
Taking out a large, smelly bag of rubbish (fish etc) and not only has the rubbish truck not been…there is plenty of room to fit it in the bin. As I walk away the truck rolls up the street.
AWESOME !!!
Having your son give you a book to read.(The Book of Awesome).You read it and laugh out loud one minute and have misty eyes the next.. What can I say thats just AWESOME
I absolutely love your book, man. I love it so much, that I bought a copy for my music teacher, Mr. Parker, because he’s awesome and I knew he’d like it. I’m spreading the awesomeness!
AWESOME!
i was listening to the song “someday” by rob thomas and he sings the line: “’cause sometimes we don’t really notice just how good it can get”
it reminds me of this website so much :)
Stumbling upon your site….AWESOME
Great site. Thank you. I really like when photos accompany the blog.
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I Love your work. you are a truly an inspiration.
I am going through a rough phase in my life, its nice to see your work
Thanks & Love
Jacueline
would love to have daily updates of the blog. what a delightful way to add a smile to the day!
Awsome blog i must say.. these all r really good things and we can feel our childhood always.. Thanks for reminding us the childhood again which is gonna missing these days somewhere..
Awsome blog i must say.. these all r really good things and we can feel our childhood always.. Thanks for reminding us the childhood again which is gonna missing these days somewhere..keep it up :)
hi neil
your very brilliant….
two thumbs up………..
-Chipotle’s cups with stories in them. I read them every time. They’re silly but so easy to relate to…in a silly way. I think those are a pretty awesome plus to dining out experience.
-Oh and when a stranger compliments you. With all the hate in the world and especially out at bars and clubs between young adults, it’s pretty awesome when a girl walks by and says “I like your shoes!” It gets your night goin’ right.
Absolutely love your blog. My mom just bought the book and I can’t put it down. Keep ’em coming please!!
interesting news brother
The most awesome thing ever is when you go to switch the laundry from the washer to dryer and you have psyched yoruself up to fold the stuff in the dryer. You open the dryer door and voila…NO CLOTHES! Freedom for another 40 minutes until the next load is done! Awesome! (Esp. as a parent who does endless laundry!)
my friend told me about this book. His girlfriend got it for him after his mom passed. We were at a trainging camp for sea cadets this summer when he spotted it at walmart. he picked it up and told me it would be the best thing that i would ever read! a couple days later i found my self looking at it and decided to buy it. i had been having a hard time and thought it might make things a little easier. it has since been the best thing i have ever spent my money on! that you for creating a simple ray of sunshine that applies to everyone. i hope you come out with another volume =]
Hello dude,i liking Your website very much. accomplish u allow suggestion for my website? thanks being A New attention
Loved the old playground equipment! Have to add one. Teaching your kid there first knock knock joke and having them go tell their friends and completely mess it up but everybody laughs anyways because they’re five and everything’s funny when you’re five.
Finding love at 50 when you thought you were too old to fall in love.
Heard about this blog about awesome things and liked it enough to buy the book. Something eerily familiar about the author and the writing process. Turns out I worked with the you Neil @ Digital 4Sight (Toronto). Found this out while attending a session with Mike Dover (Wiki-brands.com). Now that is awesome! Congrats Neil on your success!
When your hair elastic fits around your ponytail the exact right amount of times and holds all of your hair…and fits perfectly around your wrist…AWESOME.
Yes! Because if it’s the wrong size then it’s either too loose, or you have to REALLY twist it to force another loop over your hair, and that NEVER results in a good ponytail!
Thinking you finished the whole back of candy and as you start making a ball out of the bag to through it away you feel a little bump. That’s right, there’s one more unexpected piece left. You reach in with your fingers, take out the last piece and there’s nothing quite like it. That was easily the yummiest piece in the bag and luckily you saved it for last. AWESOME!
Hay Friend , i love with u blog. LOL Please come to my blog
This blog is the best. I’m going through a break-up, but when I read this, it brings a little bit of sunshine in my life:-) This is heartwarming. Keep going, you’re great!
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Can’t wait to get the new one every day!
You’re awesome! Love this site :)
When you get the Peanut butter to Jam ratio right in a PBNJ. AWESOME. I can’t believe that there are no PBNJ related posts yet haha
All about Life and what we cherish…….. as human beings from any part of the world……… wow…. We have to be united……… forget our differences…..
Welcome Earthian Website…….
I’m not sure how to subscribe except by posting…
and then I go spell my email address wrong, so have to add another useless post. This is not an awesome thing, apologies.
A wonderful evening. Thank you.
Just discovered your blog. Great work. Thanks for making my day.
It was great meeting you and listening to your inspiring talk at the Word On Street 2010.
Please take a peek at the photos and also a movie (made from the photos) at:
http://maxharoon.org/events/wordonstreet2010
Love to get your response.
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Awesome thing: Getting the Milk / Cream & Sugar ratio perfect in your coffee.
New page about Tom and Jerry by Chuck Jones on Facebook. Check it out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-and-Jerry-by-Chuck-Jones/134116636617490
You need to be my best friend, quite simply, since you seem to understand what I ramble about and get weird looks for.
Seeing customized license plates on the highway and spending minutes trying to figure out what they say. So, so awesome.
Also, driving in front of or behind a car on the highway for a really long time, losing sight of them, then meeting up again about twenty minutes later. It’s like you’re unofficial buddies. Awesome.
The Histerical Opposite….
Keep the awesomeness coming!
http://www.1000miserablethings.com
The Hysterical Opposite….
Keep the awesomeness coming!
I LOVE this site – it’s my latest home page
Love it so much I mentioned it here: http://hanxious.wordpress.com/good-things/
Kudos!
I love the site, and absolutely devoured the book! Thanks a bunch!
Something I find awesome is when I’m in the car with my family and everybody suddenly just starts belting out “our song” (I’m a Believer) at the top of our lungs. Doesn’t have to be in tune, all the lyrics aren’t always right, but it’s a lovely feeling of togetherness. I wonder if any other families have their own little theme song like that?
http://samedifferenceonceagain.blogspot.com/2010/10/appreciating-awesomeness.html
omg Neil u are the GENIUS OF AWESOMENESS!!!!!!!
please subscribe me, thanks
Hi! The first thing I want to say, it’s: “I’m from Quebec and I speak French, so my english is not very nice. Sorry…” Second thing, I bought your book in french version, and I very like it. I go to CÉGEP (grade of school before university and after high school in Quebec) in civil engeneering, and when I have a bad day, this book make me smile. I will try to practice my english on your website, because I like your historys. I’m 18 years old and I just want to congrulate you for your work :)
Have a nice day!
Passez une belle journée!
Martine xxx
so nice to hear from someone who likes it in another language ( in this case French). Tres bien, c’est vrai ?
Oooh! Je suis heureuse de pouvoir communiquer avec vous en français! J’ai fini le livre: “La vie est cool” ce matin, et j’en étais presque triste! J’ai voulu aller sur le site pour voir les autres capsules qui ne sont pas dans le livre, mais je devrai sortir mes capacités en anglais! Haha! Un peu de pratique ne me fera pas de tords… Ces capsules me redonnent le sourire quand les jours sont plus gris…
Le travail accomplit est excellent!
Martine xxx
AWRSOME!!
When you some how flawlessly beat Zelda after not playing it in a long time, not only getting that biggaron sword, but yes you know it, beating your record game playing time
AWESOME!