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.
“When you run wires from your computer to your TV / surround sound and it works!”
It’s a big deal to find the right wires and choose the right holes (there has to be 100) and then with a remote in each hand, and some pixie dust – your computer is coming through in 49″ glory! Anyway, that’s what I did this morning and coincidentally, the first thing I watched was your TED talk about the book and blog. LOVED IT!
Thanks for bringing back those little memories that help remind us of all the awesomeness in our lives every single day!
That happened to me too. Thank you. Peace
Curiously…not to rain on your parade…but rather to find out for a fact…is it copyright-ok to link your photos directly to other sites like that??
PS: found you & your book from your TedTalks video… :)
no! it absolutely is not!
I find you absolutely fascinating. Thank you for your blog and for thinking of this wonderful project. I wish more people thought like you. Your TED talk was also quite inspiring.
Cheers,
Simi
Just finished the book- for the first time. Love the blog. Our school is creating a book of awesome with contributions from students and staff. And we’re in Canada too- British Columbia. Awesome!!!
how can we contact the author?
One clean poops.
Glad to find you through your TED talk; what a great blog! I’ve just ordered the book and look forward to sharing it with family and friends.
Liked what you said on Ted about seeing thru the eyes of a three year old. in a crazy world this makes us all a little more gentle-ier.
Thank you
In a world where we rarely stop to consider our good fortune — this site sheds some much needs light on the daily joys we often overlook. Thank you!
Hi!! the thing written in the website is so awesome, I would like to share them with Indonesian people. If I translate them and put them on facebook, I’m not sure how to put the credit.
should I just put the website address ( or author’s name) under a paragraph that I translate?
When my Russian grandfather thought something was exclaimably remarkable; extremely and highly valuable… you just knew you’d done good and received the highest awarded rank in his heart when he directed this comment to you…So, without any further ado, I evoke as much enthusiasm cyber wires can do… for you:
“MILLION DOLLARS, NEIL PASRICHA…MILLION DOLLARS!!!”
YOU ARE SUNSHINE TO THE SOUL:)
hey mr. Neil Pasrichas! I read about your book and blog on the january issue of the reader’s digest asia, and I think you’re awesome!! I am currently working in Saudi Arabia, and whenever I have a bad day at work, I just read your blog, and it makes me feel better! I really want to buy your book but we seldom go out, and I haven’t been inside a bookstore here since I arrived! Thanks for this great idea! and Good luck!!
Hi,Neil!
First,I want to say that what you do is AWESOME.It helps so many people to adore little things in life (when they probably think that there’s nothing left to be excited about). I’d say, one should never neglect those little things,because our life consists of them.
I am just wondering whether you are planning to translate that AWESOME book into other languages. Because me, being Russian and having Russian firends, have to translate all those AWESOME things written here so that they could join me in admiring those AWESOME. (I am ready to cooperate in translating AWESOME)
Thanks again!
Regards,
Lilia
is there an app for this? lol, but seriously. consider it :)
After you have a crap day, and you find a really cool website that makes you smile.
Awesome!
And thank you. *hug*
i really enjoy reading this blog. thank you!
i like it
Very Interesting! :) I Like it!
sick
I live in K.S.A. and I want the book of awesome
how can I get it? and when?
Great site! Great idea!
When translated in spanish ?
Late to the finding of this website. But, better late than never. Awesome
I love your book. It’s AWESOME and really inspiring. ^-^ It’d be really cool..and awesome if you checked out my blog: jaseyxrae.wordpress.com
Thanks Neil!
Waiting for #1 – the ‘awesomest’ thing ! Isn’t that awesome enough for a ranking?
Hi, Neil…is there some way I can share your blog with my readers on my blog Acorn Pies? I would love to reprint “Old, Dangerous Playground Equipment,” with your permission. I would also link to your blog. I love your site. It’s funny, and it cheers me up and helps me focus on life’s little joys and chuckles. sincerely, Beth
Hello from France Mr. Awesome,
Still reading you with pleasure after several months! Here is my Spring stuff…
* the first few early evenings of DST, when in spite of yourself you are still somehow surprised and delighted by the amount of light.
* the colour of new leaves
I just heard your TED talk and now I found your site. Love it! Keep the awesomeness coming!
I have another awesome thing: Finding Easter Eggs after Easter!!!
cuz everyone loves a chocolatey surprise
Haha, sooo true!
OMG i laughed so much when i picked this up in the shop I had to buy it!! I love it thank you for making my day
Just started reading your blog, and I must say; I REALLY LIKE IT. Read about it in this Norwegian magazine for women ( my mom’s, haha), and threw myself over the computer to find it! Keep up the good work! You’re AWESOME.
Great Your Idea !!! perfect info share in the post . nice article use so thanks
GOSH!! this is great, this must admit is the most AWESOME thing today, knowing about your sit
GOSH!!! this i must admit is the most AWESOME thing today, its great to know about your site
I was feeling really down, and I stumbled across your blog – last year, I tried to kill myself. Shortly after, I started a “Daily Gratitudes” list, you know, things that are unappreciated – like the guy in the Psych ER who was running around getting snacks, blankets, and juice for us miserable people waiting. It got a bit bigger, and I turned it into a project and started sharing my idea in some of my classes. I am really thankful that you have taken the time out of every day to blog about this and give everyone somewhere to go when they just need something to hold on to! :} Keep thank you alive!
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful gift. God bless you.
Hi Neil, I just wanted to say Hi and share some thoughts with you. I am not sure if you are reading this although I hope you are. I heard about your book 2 weeks ago from a friend and actually picked it up a few days ago. After reading some of the book I read more about you and the situations that you went through in life. Watching your speech at the Ted Conference made me realize that my life experiences are somewhat similar to yours. The funny thing is I am about your age 29, my parents came from india about 40 years years ago, I also got married and went through a divorce in 2008 and last but not least I have the same educational background as you, my commerce degree from the university of alberta.
Watching your speech at the Ted Conference helped me relate to you in a way I have not been able to relate to anyone honestly. After graduating from university in 2005 I have been going from job to job and deciding whether to go back to school and do something else with my life. In that time I got married in 2008 and divorced the same year. In 2009 I actually lost my job due to the stress of the divorce. I have worked my way back finding a job again however still unhappy about my career choice though so I am still debating whether more school is the answer.
Reading through your blog and hearing your story and being able to relate to you has been really helpful I must say. Just keep up the good work. Send me a message if you like wouldn’t mind chatting.
Cheers!
Hi Neil
I heard you on the today show. I’d be interested in talking with you what you did to get your blog out there so you got a lot of hits. How long did it take?
Thank you
William Sokolic
Hello,
I’m sure that you get a lot of these sorts of replies, but I wanted to tell you in any case how amazing your website is. Depression runs in my family and out of my immediate family, it affects 3 out of 4 of us. There are a lot of days where we are just “out of sorts”, as my dad puts it. I used to be out of sorts a lot and sometimes it would get so bad that I would just sit in my car and cry. I made some changes though, and one of those changes was starting to follow your list of 1000 Awesome Things. It has changed my life for the better and I always feel 1000 times happier after reading what you’ve written. When my dad’s birthday rolled around, I got him the first Book of Awesome and it’s changed his life as well. He has started having his own awesome moments (like filling a glass up to the very top and not having it spill over and also emptying the bottle it came in). My sister has also benefitted as well from the book. I just got your second book as well and I’m going to pass it on to the rest of my family after I write a few of my own awesome things in the back. Thanks for creating this website. We appreciate it more than you know.
I have been reading your book and it has been reminding me to take joy in the small things in life. And that is
AWESOME
Awesome :)
Absolutely love this site! Thank you for #240 :) !!!