Living an AWESOME! Life

After going through a divorce and dealing with the loss of a close friend, Neil Pashricha explains how he pulled through his distress by focusing on the awesome little moments in his life. He started a blog and would record the special moments he was grateful for during the day. For example, he realized the value of waitresses and waiters that brought him drinks and food while he just sat and relaxed. He cherished the moment of putting on warm underwear from the dryer and being the first one in a newly opened check-out line at the grocery store. His blog eventually received thousands of views and was increasing in popularity rapidly. I think that it became so popular because everyone could relate to the awesome nuances in their own lives. It is refreshing to hear about a person that took the sorrow in his own life and taught himself to take a new outlook. Realizing the small positive parts of his day, Neil began to change his perspective for the better. I love this idea because even in the worst life situations, you can always find a tiny bit of a good thing. For me, this also ties into my faith and how I believe that everything in my life happens for a reason. Even in times of sorrow, I know that God has a greater plan in mind. I tell myself that this one event must occur to teach me a lesson or show me a different side of myself. I love the message Neil is sending to the world. If everyone learned to take a different outlook when life is rough, then our world would be a much more peaceful place. He explains the three A's vital to living a happy, content lifestyle: attitude, awareness, and authenticity. One must possess a positive attitude about the future. Although, it is easier to wallow in our own hurt and pain, we must take a proactive approach to change the way we view the situation and mentally get through it. Neil's tip about focusing on the happy moments is a good method because it causes you to gradually replace the issue with happier thoughts. I think that if people kept a journal of the happy moments and referred back to it when in a bad moment, then the bad moment would be shortened and people would develop a different mindset. Awareness for me refers to searching for the great moments. In my life, I don't want to float through time just waiting for the good times to come, but instead go out and seek them. Therefore, I can live a rewarding, interesting life. Not that the bad times won't occur, but my mind will be mentally ready for them to come. In my opinion, another benefit to Neil's message is that if people use it effectively, they will be less likely to blow their sorrow out of proportion. Many times, I think we tell ourselves that our hard times are much harder than they actually are. We feel bad for ourselves many times. But by looking out for the goodness in our lives, we won't place as much self-pity on ourselves and therefore can be more positive. Authenticity is important because those who follow their hearts and make beneficial choices will live with passion. One must grab life by the horns by seeking fun, exciting adventures. Neil points out that life is full of things to be happy about and humans only have 100 years to enjoy it. I completely agree! Let's live life in the moment and when the moment turns bad, find other moments to be happy about. See the tiny joys in life and be joyful to live life.