Ep 133: Our Book of Awesome with Neil Pasricha
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Ep 133: Our Book of Awesome with Neil Pasricha
Episode 133: Show Notes
You don’t need to lose 15 pounds, visit the seven wonders of the world, go on lavish wellness retreats, or earn a six-figure salary to be happy. In fact, Neil Pasricha believes that it’s much, much simpler than that!
Neil is a leadership keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and positive psychology researcher whose work focuses on gratitude, happiness, failure, and resilience. Ranked as one of the most inspiring TED Talk speakers of all time, Neil has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the world about cultivating a positive mindset using daily gratitudes.
His now wildly popular blog, 1000 Awesome Things, started as an attempt to pick himself up after his divorce and a close friend's suicide, and has evolved into a series of internationally acclaimed books and a deeper understanding that happiness is a journey, not a destination.
Today, you’ll gain some insight into Neil’s backstory, from his struggles with self-confidence to how he turned his side hustle into a successful career as an “intentional living guru,” plus so much more! No matter who you are or what your journey is, you will find valuable nuggets of wisdom in today’s episode.
Sometimes, it’s easy to forget the unassuming things that make us smile. But in a world that is often overwhelming, Neil Pasricha reminds us of the power of celebrating the simple, awesome things that are all around us; if we’d just take a moment to notice them.
Key Points From This Episode:
Insight into the “yet” philosophy that was echoed in Neil’s household growing up.
How his father became the first high school physics teacher in Oshawa, Ontario.
Invisible racism and the low levels of self-confidence that Neil struggled with.
What the concept of success looked like in his immigrant family.
Why Neil advocates for carving your own path in life.
Finances, failure, and getting into a post-grad program at Harvard Business School.
The discipline and critical thinking skills Neil gained from the “case method” of learning.
Why some of Neil’s most valuable relationships are with people in “different worlds.”
Neil’s relationship with his best friend Chris, who ultimately took his own life.
How Neil started 1000 Awesome Things in an effort to cheer himself up.
What the second law of physics has to do with Neil’s blog gaining traction.
The power of cultivating a positive mindset, simply by focusing on positive things.
How Neil turned his side hustle into his full-time job (and how you can do the same)!
Using the “deathbed test” and the “plan b test” to determine what you want to do.
Insight into the mechanics of becoming a New York Times bestselling author.
How Neil met his wife, Leslie, and the inspiration behind his book, The Happiness Equation.
Why Neil attributes much of his literary success to community, gratitude, and kindness.
What it means to fall to the level of your systems, not rise to the level of your goals.
Tips for increasing productivity, reducing anxiety, and cultivating a positive mindset.
Defining what Neil calls a “failure budget” and how it can help you try new things!
How having lunch with his wife plays into Neil’s definition of success today.
Tweetables:
“[For my] East Indian immigrant parents, success was defined with one word, my friend: doctor. All paths lead to med school.” — @NeilPasricha [0:15:57]
“To this day, some of my most valued friendships and most valuable connections are people that are living in completely different worlds than mine and that's what makes it so special.” — @NeilPasricha [0:27:49]
“The hardest part often is to start these things. Sometimes, when they start, the momentum, and the motivation, and the capability that you think is in your own head, that comes after.” — @NeilPasricha [0:42:02]
“If you don't consume news media and social media and you have a bookshelf at your front door, you don't have a TV, what else you're going to do? [You don't have much else to choose from]. I'm really careful about what I ingest, not just through my mouth but through my brain.” — @NeilPasricha [1:23:27]
“Cultivating a positive mindset is the lead domino. It’s almost everything. You don't necessarily need to listen to this and say, “Oh, I’ve got to write a daily email like Light.” Or “I’ve got to write a daily awesome thing like Neil,” but there’s got to be something. There's got to be something that you do, where you look for positive things every day. You can put it on a pen and paper. You could do a two-minute morning journaling practice. That's another thing I'm a big advocate for. You could write it on your phone where no one sees it. But if you do that practice, you're cultivating a mindset that will lead to massive benefits for you” — @NeilPasricha [0:47:16]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: