Awesome is Everywhere

“Awesome is Everywhere” – Neil Pasricha

The world we live in is truly awesome. How you see it is all about your perspective.

If you were stuck in traffic today, did you get annoyed and stew about how you were going to be late? Or did you notice a funny license plate, a flower or an animal that you wouldn’t have seen if you were driving faster?

Often we get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget to experience our lives. What did you miss today because your mind was somewhere else, while the present moment slipped away, unnoticed?

There is so much beauty and joy in the world, if we’d only take the time to notice. Young children know this instinctively. Watch a school yard full of children sometime and watch as they laugh and play, pick flowers or watch a squirrel climb a tree. Children are fascinated by the world around them and aren’t afraid to share their enthusiasm.

Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we lose that sense of enthusiasm and delight. We stop thinking that the world is awesome and just see our obligations and responsibilities. But awesome things are all around us no matter where we live or what time of the day it is. We just need to take the time to notice them. To live our lives in the present moment more often.

When we do this, time seems to slow down. We savor things. We smile more. We relax and let go of our worries. We experience curiosity, delight and joy.

So here’s your challenge for today. Make a list of all the things that are awesome to you. Small things. Silly things. Pretty things. It doesn’t matter. Just make a list of all the things you can think of, past or present that make you smile or gasp in awe or experience joy.

Here are a few awesome things from my list to get you started:

  • Eating ice cream under a tree
  • Hearing laughter
  • Seeing a deer in the woods
  • Adding the last piece to a jigsaw puzzle
  • Eating dinner with your family
  • Building a fire
  • Playing tag in the yard
  • Seeing the first snow of the year
  • Birds chirping in the morning
  • The sound of rain on the roof
  • Diving into a swimming pool
  • Looking up at the stars
  • Watching a sunset

You get the idea. Now get started on your own list.

If you want bonus points, carry your list with you and start checking off all the awesome things you experience each day. You might also add additional items as you think of them. Make this a game. A treasure hunt. A constant reminder that awesome is all around us, if we just remember to look for it.