Neil Pasricha's Blog, page 215

What is The Happiness Equation?

When I’m with my son nothing else matters.

He sees the world as we should always see it. Staring at stars. Soaking in the smell of rain. Frantically reaching to touch the moon from his stroller on our morning walks.

Before he was born, I spent a long time writing him a letter. I was propelled with an urgency I hadn’t felt before. I put everything I had into writing something to leave him after I was gone. A place to go if there is nobody to guide him. A map to finding answers inside when he’s looked everywhere else.

I am really excited to share that letter with you today.

It’s called The Happiness Equation and it contains nine counterintuitive secrets to living a happy life.

I hope you like it.

Neil

 

 

THE HAPPINESS EQUATION – LIVING PRESS SUMMARY

MAGAZINES: AARP, Chatelaine, Costco Connection, Fortune, Glamour, Macleans...

BLOGS: A Life of Productivity, LinkedIn, Live Happy, PostSecret…

PODCASTS: Adventures in Happiness, Unmistakeable Creative…

TV: Canada AM, Global News The Morning Show…

The post What is The Happiness Equation? appeared first on 1000 Awesome Things.

#34 When you officially become boyfriend and girlfriend

Kids make things easy.

Back in third or fourth grade I remember our tiny eight-year-old dating circle well. Basically, if a guy asked you out, and you said yes, then you went on the slides together, you were boyfriend and girlfriend, and life was simple. No flowers, no dating, no stress — just eight-year-old love on the seesaws.

Times have changed.

These days dating is twisted into invisible spider webs of questions: Is this a date? What should I wear? Are we friends or does she like me? Do I tell her I like her? Wait, do I like her? Do we kiss at the end? Should I touch her arm? Wait, that’s weird, why did I just think that? What about a hug? Do people hug? Does he want to kiss? If he wants to kiss, he should kiss me, I’m not kissing him. Should I text her tonight? Should I text her tomorrow? Do I call tomorrow, do I call in two days, does anybody call anymore? How long so I don’t seem desperate … but not uninterested? What should I say? Wait, is this a date, because now I definitely think this is a date.

And on and on and on.

When you think about how tricky dating is it’s a wonder any of us end up together. I suppose once in a while some combo of spinning electrons, random nights, and crackly connections ends up turning flickering questions into interesting reflections. Dates grow into dating, dating grows into more, and just after you think that nothing’s happening… it’s happening now for sure.

Holding hands on wintery walks, big plans on Saturday nights, showing up together at parties, and feeling like everything’s all right. Yes, it’s a beautiful time when your questions turn into confidence, sparks grow into flames, and all those glowing embers in your heart start telling you… it’s time to fall in love again.

AWESOME!

—

Hey everyone,

The Happiness Equation comes out tomorrow!!! This is my brand new non-fiction book containing what I believe are the nine secrets to happiness. I have been working on it for years and it feels so good to finally share it with you. Check out the trailer, read the first two secrets, and, if you like what you read, please buy a copy!

Thank you so much for your support,

Neil

PS See what Fortune, Macleans, and Canada AM think…

 

Photos from: here, here, and here

The post #34 When you officially become boyfriend and girlfriend appeared first on 1000 Awesome Things.

#35 Your birthday week

One day is not enough.

Seriously, the name birthday itself implies that annual celebrations of your life must be squeezed into twenty-four hours. Just one day? That’s not nearly enough time to celebrate good times, come on:

1. Besties dinner. It’s the intimate night with your closest pals — a quiet dinner in the corner of a classy restaurant, potluck at your girlfriend’s, or maybe your two oldest friends laughing over childhood memories at three in the morning.

2. The Wild Party. Midnight shots! Glittery plastic tiaras! Spin the bottle in the basement! Okay, maybe I’m outdated but the wild birthday party opens up your celebration to everyone you know, and everyone they know. Roc boys in the building tonight.

3. Fam Jam (Feat. Grandma). Sunday dinner with mom’s spaghetti, grandpa’s jokes, and beautifully wrapped presents from people who know you best. Try not to be hungover.

4. The Rogue 1 on 1. This is the birthday dinner with that one friend who for some reason isn’t friends with any of your other friends. They knew you from that high school you went to for one year, the office you don’t work at anymore, or maybe nobody gets them but you. For whatever reason, you guys have a great tradition during Birthday Week.

5. The Office Party. You don’t gotta be the raccoon on your birthday. Just enjoy your balloon covered cubicle and afternoon sugar rush in style.

Yes, life is short, life is fast, and the only birthdays we got have memories that last. So I say make your birthday a birthweek, throw three parties instead of one, and let’s have enough flaming cakes and paper hats for a lifetime of

AWESOME!

—

Hey everyone,

The Happiness Equation is finally here! This is my brand new non-fiction book containing what I believe are the nine secrets to happiness. I have been working on it for years and it feels so good to finally share it with you. Check out the trailer, read the first two secrets, and, if you like what you read, please buy a copy!

Thank you so much for your support,

Neil

The post #35 Your birthday week appeared first on 1000 Awesome Things.

#36 When there’s ice cream left at the bottom of the cone

My friend Allison is obsessed with The Last Taste.

Out at a restaurant, sitting on a deck, over at a friend’s for a potluck, it doesn’t matter. “No meal should end with anything less than the best taste possible,” she’ll say, while devouring the pink and juicy inner-cube of steak she’s saved on her plate during the entire meal. “It’s not worth the risk.”

I admit at first I found it odd, but over time began to admire her strong-willed ability to resist further nibbling. Me, I typically capped off a slice of fancy cheesecake with a bite of a cold, tough dinner roll from an hour ago without even thinking about it.

But not Allison.

No, she doesn’t mask the last bit of Big Mac with the stray ribbons of sauce-smeared lettuce lying in the box. She doesn’t chase the sticky brownie paste in her molars with a glass of watery skim milk. And if we’re dining out in style, she won’t taste-test anyone’s dinner after she finished her own. “There’s no way that’s better than my ravioli,” she’ll say, shrugging. “I want to keep tasting ravioli.”

So keep tasting ravioli she does. Because that’s what Last Tasters do, people. They find a taste they like and they stick with it.

Now, Allison isn’t the only Last Taster out there. Stop for a second and look at yourself, just look at yourself. What are you, lying in bed, sitting at a desk, reading on the couch? And are you nodding along? Sure, there are plenty of you even if you don’t wear buttons or meet in chat rooms. Basically, if you make sure there’s always a perfect crust of toast left for that last smear of egg yolk, you’re one of them.

But don’t worry because it’s a good thing.

Yes, that kind of Eat Planning is something worth respecting and something worth believing in. You come, you chomp, you go home happy, your mouth slowly savoring those final fleeting fumes of that last bite of deliciosity.

Nothing wrong with that.

But sadly, even for those in the biz, it’s not all sunshine and sweetness out there. No, there are some foods that can trip up the best of the Last Tasters. There’s the plain nacho at the bottom of the cheesy salsa tower, the meatless bread at the back of the sandwich, and perhaps most dreaded of all: the hollow cardboard bite at the bottom of the ice cream cone.

Oh I know the ice cream looks innocent at first: a couple ice-steaming scoops sitting pretty atop a sugar-sweet cone. What’s not to love?

And maybe when you start eating everything seems to be smooth sailing. That napkin-clad cone lands in your hand and you start giving it a few light licks, not wanting an overly-aggressive tongue to topple the tower on the sidewalk. Once your scoop settles into the cone’s lippy grooves, you tend to get a bit more pushy. Broad, sweeping swirls do laps and sometimes you even punch in with a big bite or a lip-smearing kiss. Maybe it’s hot and you’re dripping so there’s no time for small talk because you’re just spinning that cone like a corncob.

Sitting on a picnic table by the dorms, watching the sun dip at the cottage, camping in the backyard with the grandkids, you lose your sense of time and just keep licking, licking, licking some more.

It tastes so good so you hit the top of the cone and fly by, passing the point where your ice cream creates a perfectly flat tongue-smeared strawberry-flavored land, bordered on all sides by soggy foam cone. Soon you take your first cone-and-ice-cream bite and relish those new sensations of sweet with bland, smooth with crunch, and cold with warm. Frozen, creamy nirvana makes you woozy and lowers your defenses until you’re almost done and it finally hits you like a hammer: Brother, you’re not going to make it.

Shocked, you stare down at the cone in your hand and notice it’s feeling a bit light. There’s more ice cream in there but not much, and you have a funny feeling those last few bites of cone are going to be hollow and tasteless if you don’t do something about it. So you weigh your two options:

1. The Vacuum. Knowing you’re almost out of time, some people decide to cut their losses form a perfect O with their mouth to speed-suck the remaining creamy plunder from the cone. This way you end up with a solid 100% ice cream finish and ditch the cone in the trash.

2. The Pusher. Here your tongue gets in the game and pushes the ice cream down and down deeper into the cone. You’re not giving up, you’re not sacrificing, you just making sure you end up with a great final taste. The earlier you perform The Pusher, the better for everyone involved.

Now it’s a tough choice, but I recommend you go for The Pusher. Don’t give up because the benefits really are worth it. I mean, it’s a great last taste when you’re holding that tiny little goblet of bubbly, melted ice cream and can just toss it back for a tasty cool and creamery finish. Instead of having empty and brittle cardboard fouling up your mouth, you score a soft and sugary delight.

People of the world, let’s face it: if you ace this move you are a true dairy queen.

AWESOME!

Wow! PostSecret The Show is touring now! Check out the video below and get your tickets here: (I’ll be going in Toronto!).

Wow! Thank you for over 2,500,000 views on The 3 A’s of Awesome TED Talk!

Photos from: here, here, here, and here

The post #36 When there’s ice cream left at the bottom of the cone appeared first on 1000 Awesome Things.

#37 Old people acting like little kids

Things to do when we get old:

Run up staircases.

Laugh so hard we snort and then laugh some more.

Make funny faces at little kids on the bus.

Run on snowy sidewalks and slide across frozen puddles.

Start laughing out loud when anyone farts in public.

Jump through sprinklers in the backyard with our arms out like an airplane and screaming.

Wear a birthday hat all day on our birthday.

Make up games that make sense for about ten minutes.

Build gigantic couch cushion forts in the middle of the living room.

Blow bubbles in our chocolate milk.

Go to loud concerts, get close to the stage, and sing along.

Wear mismatching socks with bright colors.

13. Paint our faces when we go see a big sports event.

Eat pizza and stay up late playing video games till our eyes hurt.

Stay in bed till noon on Saturday.

Chug Cokes and have burping contests.

Make sweatpants our Default Pants.

Play on old, dangerous playground equipment.

Cannonball into swimming pools.

Think wild thoughts and love all the little pleasures that make life

AWESOME!

—

Hey everyone,

The Happiness Equation is finally here! This is my brand new non-fiction book containing what I believe are the nine secrets to happiness. I have been working on it for years and it feels so good to finally share it with you. Check out the trailer, read the first two secrets, and, if you like what you read, please buy a copy!

Thank you so much for your support,

Neil

Photos from: here and here

The post #37 Old people acting like little kids appeared first on 1000 Awesome Things.

The Happiness Equation is now available!

Hey everyone,

The Happiness Equation is finally here! This is my brand new non-fiction book containing what I believe are the nine secrets to happiness. I have been working on it for years and it feels so good to finally share it with you. Check out the trailer, read the first two secrets, and, if you like what you read, please buy a copy! Pre-order offers below.

Thank you so much for your support,

Neil

–

OPTION 1: THE BEST DEAL! 

BUY 3 BOOKS, GET OVER $219+ IN BONUSES

FREE physical copy of your choice of New York Times / #1 international bestsellers  The Book of Awesome or The Book of (Even More) Awesome  mailed to your front door (Value: $20)
FREE enrollment into my  How To Find The Awesome In Your Life course, a complete guide on how to increase your happiness and productivity daily (Value: $49)
FREE signed The Happiness Equation bookplates (three of them – one for each book!) mailed to your front door (Value: Priceless)
FREE instant access to Secret #1 of The Happiness Equation, before anyone else (Value: Priceless)
FREE download of Frequent Flyer Master by my phenom friend and New York Timesbestseller Chris Guillebeau, the #1 “Do Anything” guide to travelling around the world (Value: $79)
FREE mailed copy of autographed limited edition postcard or book galley sheet from Frank Warren, the incredible six-time New York Times bestseller and creator of the phenomenal PostSecret project — which is the largest blog in the world! (Value: Priceless)
FREE $50-off giftcard to CreativeLive, an incredible online learning platform with high-end classes offered in a ton of different subject areas
FREE $20 giftcard to  SweetFlour , the absolute best and most delicious online cookie company (Value: $20) I eat the chocolate chip cookies from here like there’s no tomorrow. You’ll love them. (*Note: SweetFlour is based in Canada so for this perk you must be – or know! – a Canadian. If you don’t, you still get all the free books, classes, and guides above worth $199.)

LIKE THIS OPTION?

GET THE HAPPINESS EQUATION NOW FROM 800CEOReads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble,Chapters, iBooks, IndieBound, or Indigo

 

OPTION 2: THE SWEET AND SIMPLE!

BUY 1 BOOK, GET $129+ IN BONUSES 

FREE enrollment into Neil’s How To Find The Awesome In Your Life course, a complete guide on how to increase your happiness and productivity daily (Value: $49)
FREE signed The Happiness Equation bookplate mailed to you (Value: Priceless)
FREE instant access to Secret #1 of The Happiness Equation, before anyone else (Value: Priceless)
FREE download of Frequent Flyer Master by my phenom friend and New York Times bestseller Chris Guillebeau, the #1 “Do Anything” guide to travelling around the world (Value: $79)

LIKE THIS OPTION?

GET THE HAPPINESS EQUATION NOW FROM 800CEOReads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble,Chapters, iBooks, IndieBound, or Indigo

 

OPTION 3: THE ULTIMATE!

BUY 250 BOOKS, GET APPROX $2000 IN BONUSES

FREE flight to Toronto from anywhere in continental North America to spend a day with me as I tour you around the city and we talk about anything you like over great meals — from publishing and writing, to life and the universe. (Value: Approx $1200+)
FREE night for you to stay at Toronto’s most unique and best ranked hotel The Drake, located on trendy Queen West in the middle of Toronto’s cultural hotspots (Value: $350+)
PLUS every single item offered in Option 1 above… (Value: $219+)

LIKE THIS OPTION?

GET THE HAPPINESS EQUATION NOW FROM 800CEOReads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble,Chapters, iBooks, IndieBound, or Indigo

 

SO HOW DO YOU GET YOUR BOOKS??

It’s really simple and takes only a minute. You simply:

Go to your favorite retailer and order the book. Use any of these links or buy from your local independent bookstore: 800CEOReads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble,Chapters, iBooks, IndieBound, and Indigo.


Fill out this simple form to let us know you ordered the book. The form is also pasted below as well.
Rub your hands together while waiting for your books and bonuses! We’ll get back to you with details on all your bonuses. If you have questions while waiting, just contact Erin over at erin@globalhappiness.org and she’ll get back to you.

The post The Happiness Equation is now available! appeared first on 1000 Awesome Things.

#38 Earth

Best planet ever.

AWESOME!

—

Hey everyone,

The Happiness Equation is finally here! This is my brand new non-fiction book containing what I believe are the nine secrets to happiness. I have been working on it for years and it feels so good to finally share it with you. Check out the trailer, read the first two secrets, and, if you like what you read, please buy a copy!

Thank you so much for your support,

Neil

Photos from: here, here, here, here, here, and here

The post #38 Earth appeared first on 1000 Awesome Things.

#39 That one super nice guy at work

Work can be stressful.

Big deadlines and late nights, tough customers and tough fights, and killer projects that mean try as you might, you can’t get it right. Toss in confusing plans and traffic jams and sometimes you’re spinning, gninnips, spinning, dizzy and alone, in cubicle unknowns.

That’s what makes that one really nice guy at work so great.

Now, down at my office we’ve got Sam The A/V Guy.

Sam’s a bit scruffy, smiles a lot, and wears unbuttoned polo shirts and running shoes every day. He sets up sound and video, makes sure conference calls work, but really … he does so much more. He asks about your weekend and swings by Monday morning to see how it went. He smiles and laughs in the hallway and puts everyone in a great mood. He says yes all the time and breaks through office clutter to remind us the world is a pretty simple place.

Smile lots, say hi in the hallways, and treat everyone the same.

Because at the end of the day the best leaders might not wear the sharpest suits, fanciest shoes, or pointiest ties.

More often than not they’re just the really nice guys.

I say when we look back on our lives, when the company goes bust, when the rat race is over, it’s that really nice guy we trust. So love him today, love what he says, listen to him forever, and make sure to tell him he’s

AWESOME!

Photo from: here

The post #39 That one super nice guy at work appeared first on 1000 Awesome Things.

#40 The power of blankets

No offense fire, wheel, and printing press.

But blankets are the greatest technology ever invented.

Yes, there we were, running around naked in the plains — shivering in the rains, slipping in mud stains, losing heat from our brains — when one of our Cave Grandparents thought of just tearing off another animal’s fur and draping it over ourselves. Sure, maybe it wasn’t polite, but it sure did the job.

We used this new Blanket Technology for hundreds of thousands of years with literally no advances of any kind, except for chopping off the head, chopping off the paws, and the Snuggie.

To this day blankets offer us so much:

1. Instant protection. When you’re a kid blankets fend off monsters and prevent robbers from seeing you. Also, blankets give newborn babies a sense of security, warmth, and closeness that feels like the womb. Which is probably why most of us still sleep with a blanket every night … even when it’s hot out. We’re flailing, snot-smeared screaming babies without them.

2. Release the flame within. When I was a kid I didn’t realize our bodies were giving off heat until a teacher had us breathe into our hands to feel the warmth. We are all little fires — heating up rooms, beds, and planets. And blankets help us capture that heat and blow it back on ourselves. In a way, every piece of clothing we wear today is just a little blanket. Sure, they may be shaped into underwear, sweatshirts, and skullcaps, but they all started off as tiger pelts. Remember that.

3. Saving money, saving ourselves. Cranking thermostats drains our planet of natural gas, heating oils, and big buckets of coal. Since we don’t have enough to last forever a vote for the blanket is a vote for our future. And blankets don’t expire, fade away, or go bad. They don’t need outlets, batteries, or recharging. They just last a long time so we can last a long time too.

No offense fire, wheel, or printing press. Sorry computers, steel, and glass. No offense car, telephone, or microprocesser. But one invention has got you all outclassed.

AWESOME!

Photos from: here, here, and here

The post #40 The power of blankets appeared first on 1000 Awesome Things.

#41 Fixing electronics by slapping them

My bedroom was above the kitchen growing up.

Late at night while laying in bed I would often listen to the creaks and cracks through the vents and floorboards. Oven burners wobbled and popped, distant thumps echoed through the furnace room, and the fridge cranked its whirring motor whenever it pleased.

It was always funny to me that during the day the fridge didn’t put up much of a fight. If it started clinking and whirring, you just pounded it with your fist and it would stop. One hard knee to the groin of the thing and it just sort of whimpered and stayed quiet.

Like The Fonz kicking the jukebox on Happy Days, Grandpa smacking the TV during Wheel of Fortune, or a bandana-clad mom shaking the washer when the heavy towel load gets it rocking, there is something great about fixing electronics by smacking them.

I mean, for once our instincts work. That doesn’t always happen in nature. Slap a bear on the snout when it’s picking through your backpack and you might get a friendly mauling. Pull your brother’s hair when he steals your Nintendo controller and you could find your toothbrush tossed in the toilet. But when the CD is skipping in the car, a friendly smack might do the trick, so how about that?

Also, it kind of makes you feel handy. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know much about electronics. I have no understanding of how telephones work, how airplanes take off, or how radio signals go about their day. I have trouble putting the chain back on my bicycle, resetting the microwave, or starting the barbecue. You should see me out there, turning the gas on and off, tossing in matches and jumping away, half-expecting the whole thing to blow up.

But I’m not bad at smacking things. I can smack a computer, I can smack a dishwasher, and I’ve got a lot of experience if your fridge seems to be giving you trouble. So listen, if you’re with me on this one, throw your hand up for a smacking high five and give cheers to your inner handyman.

AWESOME!

The post #41 Fixing electronics by slapping them appeared first on 1000 Awesome Things.