“My marriage was heading in the wrong direction and my best friend was battling a major depression. I came home from work and said to myself ‘I need a way to focus on the positive,’” he told CityLine.ca. “So I started up 1000awesomethings.com as a way to focus on the positive – and started writing about warm underwear from the dryer, popping bubble wrap, and flipping to the cold side of the pillow.”
His solution to finding the good in his life was to write about one of his life’s simplest joys, every single day on his blog 1000awesomethings.com, eventually gaining millions of readers internationally.
Following the success of his blog and his original book, The Book of Awesome, Pasricha’s second release – The Book of (Even More) Awesome – is chock-a-block with his must-read “awesome things,” including exclusive never-before-seen moments.
“I was lucky when 10 literary agents came to me after 1000 Awesome Things ended up winning a Webby Award for ‘Best Blog in the World.’ Believe me; I was most surprised of all. I had no idea The Book of Awesome would be on the bestseller list for two straight years.”
The Book of (Even More) Awesome focuses on down-to-earth and everyday stories, highlighting the art of living well.
Readers will find the book very relatable, with many anecdotes most have experienced first-hand –including letting go of the gas pump perfectly so you end on a round number; when your windshield wipers match the beat of the song you’re driving to; waking up to the smell of sizzling bacon; and simply napping with the one you love.
When we asked Pasricha about how one can start to find the small joys in life, he said, “It’s simple.”
“Write down one awesome thing every single day. That’s it! Keep the list in your desk drawer, beside your bed, or on your fridge. Just add one a day. Did you see the same car you had as a kid on the roads? Did you get a spontaneous massage from your husband? Write it down! The list will serve as your own Book of Awesome and looking back at it will remind you of good times when you’re feeling low,” he advised.
The Book of (Even More) Awesome is also very funny, and should bring many smiles to readers. As for where Pasricha channels his humour from, he says that “perhaps growing up with a different perspective on the world lets us make fun of ourselves a little easier.”
After hundreds of blog posts, Pasricha will be bringing his blog to a close on April 19th, 2012. He says jokingly, “I plan to smash a smoke bomb into the sidewalk and disappear completely.”
“But honestly, I look forward to taking my own advice, stopping to smell the awesome, and living a simple life where, day by day, I keep focusing on awesome things.”
He’s looking forward to enjoying the small things in life like cooking, riding his bike, and spending more time with his friends.
We concluded our interview by asking him, “If there was one thing you want readers to pull out of the book, what would it be and why?”
His response was simple: “You are already living an awesome life.”
The Book of (Even More) Awesome is available in bookstores now, and you can preview the first twenty pages of it, here.
