Tag Archive for 'Neil Pasricha'

SuperForest Interviews: Neil Pasricha Brings Us Even More Awesome!

heather published on May 16, 2011 in zeitgeist. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

A while ago, SuperForester Carla interviewed Neil Pasricha, creator of the blog 1000awesomethings.com and author of The Book of Awesome. Now Neil has Even More Awesome to share! I met up with him at the Ottawa International Writers Festival to chat about life, SuperForest and his new book!

SuperForest (SF): Do you find yourself looking for awesome things all the time, or has it become automatic at this point?

Neil Pasricha (NP): As soon as you start deciding to look for awesome things, you see more of them. It’s not a new idea, but I do keep track of them by making notes in my cell phone and writing them on bus transfers as I notice [the awesome things].

SF: I get a general theme of gratitude from your blog and your books. How has being consciously more grateful helped you in your life?

NP: At the end of your fragile, delicate lives, we will look back and remember the high highs, but those will add up to maybe 5 or 10 days of your life in total. As soon as you realize that, you think to yourself, ‘How do I stay happy for more days?’ The idea of looking for small [awesome] things becomes very appealing.

SF: Have you noticed a change in the collective consciousness with respect to positivity, gratitude and love since you first started your blog?

NP: Yes, but it’s not because it’s changed, it’s because I focus on it now. I still see negative things in the newspaper, but now because of my blog, I’ve been exposed to TED and this event (The Ottawa International Writers Festival).

SF: What are some of your favourite books?

NP: (Without hesitation) Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar, Naked by David Sedaris and Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.

SF: How do you think your message relates to the SuperForest Humanifesto and the environment in general?

NP: I agree with the SuperForest philosophy. Seeing awesome things in your life helps you see and perceive the beauty of our environment, which makes you more engaged in it and makes you want to preserve it.

Thanks, Neil! SuperForest officially thinks you’re “awesome”!

Yours in Awesomeness,

SuperForester Heather

 

Midweek Moment of Meditation: “A Record of Life”

carla published on June 2, 2010 in art and zeitgeist. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Good Morning, SuperForest!

As many of us are approaching final examinations and the end of another academic year, it’s pretty easy to get caught up in the tumultuous atmosphere that is school and start stressing out. I’m about to finish my final spring quarter of college and every time I start to think about it and the uncertainty of what is to come afterward, my heart begins to race and I even start to get a bit nervous. Now, it’s easy to get caught up in the emotions and let “fear” or “anxiety” take the driver’s seat and rush about trying to get things done, but a fun little trick I like to do every once in a while, inspired by Neil Pasricha’s The Book of Awesome, takes the opposite route, and that is: to pause and take a quick moment to appreciate everything that has led up to whatever moment you are currently experiencing.

For example:

Right now, I’m writing this blog post. In order for me to write this right now, there was a whole network of coincidences, friendships made, and people met that brought me to this current event.
Right now, you are reading this blog post and similar encounters and coincidences probably brought you to this very moment, as well.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We could crank things up a notch and think about how many people had to meet, fall in love, make love, have babies, and raise them for us to be here. And that means we are currently at the end of a really long line of survivors.

Here’s a brilliant animation by Owen Gatley and Luke Jinks that demonstrates that very journey:

Think about it, you are the most modern and brightest spark the world currently has to offer and you are surrounded by other beautiful and bright sparks. To acknowledge and be grateful for this process, and to be grateful for whatever situation you might be in (good or bad) makes us part of a special group of optimists and love-minded individuals. And when I think about that, I’m able to completely forget about the stress and go about my day with an even deeper, more profound, sense of purpose.

Because I am right here, you are right there, and you know what? When I take a moment to think it over, that makes us pretty lucky.

Love!

Carla

SuperForest Inverviews: Neil Pasricha of 1000 Awesome Things Blog!

carla published on April 15, 2010 in celebrity and zeitgeist. 8 Comments Tags: , , , .

Good Day, SuperForest!

Neil Pasricha is a man with an incredible super power. He is able to take regular daily events (ones that have surely occurred to each of us once or twice) and turn them into extraordinary causes for celebration and gratitude. It didn’t take long for us here at SuperForest to realize that he was onto something really special with his blog, 1000 Awesome Things. Then, after keeping in loose contact with him via email, I soon realized the sentiment and enthusiasm he is able to project through his words is 100% genuine. And a few months later, after reading his book, it didn’t take me long to realize that his entire life perspective was enough to have a significant impact on my own life.

Needless to say, he is a fabulous being with a kind heart, and he was nice enough to answer a few questions for us!

SuperForest: What prompted you to start the 1000 Awesome Things blog?

Neil Pasricha: The news! I started up 1000 Awesome Things on a whim back in June, 2008 because everything outside my window was just doom and gloom. Polar ice caps were melting, hurricanes were swirling in the sea, wars were raging around the world, and the stock market was teetering on the brink of collapse. Inside my window things weren’t great either — my marriage was crumbling and my best friend was battling a massive depression.

1000 Awesome Things is just my break from the sad news and bad news around us everyday. It’s a brief moment to stop and smile at popping bubble wrap, snow days, and the cold side of the pillow.

SF: How has your creation of this blog affected your mindset and perspective on life? Were you always an optimistic person? Did you notice an improvement in your mood and outlook?

NP: It’s definitely improved the way I see the world. Honestly, it’s hard for me to go more than an hour or two without seeing something awesome! I’ve had readers email and tell me the same thing. I mean, within the past hour alone I’ve moved all my clothes from the washer to the dryer without dropping anything, heard the sound of ice cubes cracking in my drink, and put on a pair of brand new socks.

SF: How did your work affect your relationship with your family and friends?

NP: I’ve been lucky because everyone’s been really supportive of my writing about awesome things. I’ll be out for dinner with my parents and my mom will say “Awesome thing! The separate compartment in your stomach for dessert!” or I’ll be at work and a coworker will stop by my cubicle and say “Awesome thing! The leftover cake in the office kitchen after somebody’s birthday.”

These things are pretty universal and it’s fun talking to friends about mastering all-you-can-eat buffets, playing on old dangerous playground equipment, or when a friend calls you just as you’re thinking about them.

SF: Do you believe global peace and harmony are achievable goals? If so, what is standing in our collective way?

NP: Wow! Well, I definitely think it’s always fun to ask and debate questions like that. I do think we’ll all be slightly better off if we focus on the 3 A’s of Awesome and start pushing a bit more:

i) Attitude. Life’s not always pretty — whether it’s buzz saws chopping forests, suicide bombers, or unemployment rates zooming sky high, it’s just really heavy. And a lot of us, including myself, have personal issues on top. And I sorta think that we’ve always got an attitude option in dark times: wallow in gloom and doom forever or grieve and face the future with newly sober eyes. Being awesome means you’ve got that moving forward and moving on attitude.

ii) Awareness. I love hanging out with three-year-olds. Honestly, I just love the way they see the world — whether it’s staring slack-jawed at their first baseball game, leaning over a baby robin on the sidewalk, or grabbing a handful of milk thistles for the centerpiece at the family dinner. I love how full of wonder they are when they’re seeing the world for the first time. I think being awesome is about seeing the wonder in the little things and just remembering we’re the only species on the only life-giving rock with so many awesome things around us — whether it’s guitar jams, candied hams, foreign architecture, local agriculture, Grandma hugs, or sidewalk slugs.

iii) Authenticity. Being you and being cool with it. I mean, I think when we come into our own skin and really let ourselves be ourselves we end up experiencing so much richness. We go where we want, say what we want, and are comfortable being ourselves — and by doing that we meet folks we find interesting, have great conversations with, and form great connections with.

SF: Currently, you are at number 526 in your blog, you’ve already created a book, what comes after you hit number 1?

NP: Well, the Internet certainly is a magical place full of hidden staircases and buried treasures. I started this website in ten minutes, for no money, with no experience and it’s somehow become an award-winning 10-million hit book deal coming out in a bunch of languages around the world. So I guess what I’m trying to say is — this is awesome enough, you know? This is beyond my wildest expectations. This is beyond my dreams and beyond where I ever thought conversations about the smell of gasoline and the last day of school would go.

After this I’ll probably start a blog called World’s Greatest Volleyball Bumps and it will get 14 hits.

SF: I know people must ask you this all the time, but…do you have a favorite awesome thing?

NP: It’s always hard to pick them! How about these for a random top 5?

5. When the cashier opens up a new lane at the grocery store
4. Getting called up to the dinner buffet first at a wedding
3. Peeling an orange in one shot
2. Fixing electronics by smacking them
1. Slipping through a door as it’s shutting without touching it

Pasricha’s book, The Book of Awesome, hits stores everywhere today. If you’re in the mood for cheerful, fun, and touching literature, be a smart cat and pick up or check out a copy. You can read my review, here!

Epic congratulations and gratitude goes out to Neil for all he’s done and accomplished. SuperForest tips its hat to you, fine sir!

Love from your “fellow awesome lovers”,
Team SuperForest

SuperForest Fresh Reads: “The Book of Awesome”

carla published on April 8, 2010 in art and zeitgeist. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Hello, SuperForest!

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in my car, reading a book, as I was waiting for a friend to get out of class. Tears were gently streaming down my face as I was turning through the final pages for at that moment, I felt nothing but upmost gratitude and joy. The book, fittingly titled The Book of Awesome, was mailed to me by Neil Pasricha (and his publisher) and being that I am a big fan of his blog (which was introduced to us, here), I was very excited to read it and had nothing but high expectations.

The title of both the book and the blog are quite literal. In both, Pasricha presents his readers with “Awesome Things”. For the most part, these things are every day occurences, but with his positive flavor, Neil is able to describe them in a way that makes you laugh, cry, and nod your head to those blissful moments that are worthy of acknowledgement and celebration.

I took the book with me wherever I went, reading it’s witty and comical words at any moment I had a break and it didn’t take long for me to understand that this was more than just a “funny” or “happy” book. The Book of Awesome is very much a “guide” that teaches you a very important and very very valuable skill: How to observe your everyday surroundings in the light of gratitude and positivity. Many times while reading it, I’d see something that reminded me of an awesome thing mentioned in the book  and it didn’t take long for the frequency of these observations to grow and intensify. Before long, it seemed as if everything I’d see through this shiny new “positive lens” was in need of acknowledgement or celebration.

  • The excitment that occurs when you hear your favorite song on the radio (despite having it in the CD player): AWESOME!
  • Thinking about someone, and then as if by magical powers outside the realm of “natural”, receiving a message from them at that instant: AWESOME!
  • Coming home after a long and difficult day and reading brilliant writing on the world’s greatest positivity blog: DOUBLE AWESOME!

Truly, Pasricha has a gift of genuine enthusiasm and joy. He does an excellent job of sharing that through his words and after all the practice of “positive lens” vision and after recognizing tons and tons of awesome things, I’d say the gift he gives us in the form of a delightful pageturner of a book can truly only be described with that one beautiful word…AWESOME!

If you haven’t already done so, please check out his 1000 Awesome Things blog. His book, The Book of Awesome, goes out on sale in one week (April 15th). Stay tuned, SuperForesters, because in celebration of the release, we’ve got a fabulous interview to share with you in which we ask Neil questions that delve into the deepest parts of his soul.

I’m just kidding.

…Or am I?

Love to Mr. Neil Pasricha for his inspirational work, and his kind and generous ways.

And love to you, too!

-Carla