The 3 A's of Awesome

When I was looking for an inspirational TedTalk for my blog I thought I had stumbled onto a winner when I discovered that I could order the videos by most "inspirational". I thought that I could pick any one of the videos, not really pay attention, write a short blog about it and be done. What I didn't think would happen was that I would find such a captivating and truly thought provoking video as this.

Neil Pasricha is the Canadian son of two immigrants who has had a few set backs. He starts his talk by introducing his parents and explaining their wonder in all the new things they were experiencing. He then moves on to talk about his wedding and a road trip he took with his two best friends and does all of this in such a lighthearted and funny manner that I found myself smiling and laughing throughout. This is when things changed. He explains that in 2008 and 2009 two things happened that would change his world. Firstly, his wife came to him one day and told him that she didn't love him anymore. Secondly, his friend Chris, with whom he went on the road trip, took his own life. It is clear to me that even during the talk the thought of these events still hits Neil. He talks with such sincerity and honesty about how these things made him feel and it is very hard not to be drawn into his world and feel a huge amount of sympathy for him.

One day he told himself that he needed a way to start seeing the positives in life and thus started a blog. Neil's blog, 1000 Awesome Things, documents all the little awesome things that happen in everyday life which people either miss or take for granted. These awesome things are the true wonders of the world and, as Neil explains, make you feel a little bit better at a time. Little things such as putting on warm underwear or the cashier opening a new line for you are things that help you get through the bad times.

In the next segment of the talk Neil introduces the notion of the "3 A's of Awesome". These A's are: Attitude, Awareness and Authenticity. Neil introduces each one and gives a description of their benefits. He explains that everyone will hit a road block in their life. Everyone will have something happen to them that stops everything and hurts like hell. At this point Neil believes we have 2 choices; give up and mope forever, or you can grieve then face the future with newly sober eyes. Neil believes that having the right attitude to your problems in life can help you move on and see the positives once again as he did. This is something I love about this talk. Neil has been through the bad experiences and has come out the other end a more 'Awesome' man. he can speak from experience and you can tell he feels so strongly about what he is saying. 

The second A, Awareness, is introduced and is described as embracing your inner 3 year old. It is about noticing the first time you experience things like walking past a bakery and smelling that air or hitting a row of green lights on the way home. It is about not letting those moments pass you by because you're too busy or too high strung to acknowledge them. A 3 year old can wonder about the smallest things for hours on end and if we all did similarly we'd be a lot more awesome.

The final A, Authenticity, is all about embracing yourself. Neil uses the example of 'Rosey' Grier an absolute monster of a man who was feared throughout the NFL. Mr. Grier however had a rather peculiar hobby for a man with such a tough persona, and that was needlepoint. Neil uses this example perfectly to show how, to live a more awesome life, you must do what makes you happy. You should have no heed for what dissenters may say because being authentic to yourself allows you to follow your heart and fulfill your every dream.

As a closing thought Neil applies these 3 A's to his parents. The wonder of his father when he stepped off the plane to a welcoming feast and the sheer distance Moroccan dates travel to be sold for 25 cents. This just emphasizes the fact that the if you; come into things (travelling to a new country) with the right attitude, having the awareness of a child (being astounded by the dates) to be enthralled my the littlest of things and being authentic to yourself (researching Morocco) and doing things that make you happy can help you live a more awesome life.

On the face of it this talk seems like a cliche story about overcoming adversity, but it is much more than that. This talk isn't just about being strong in the face of trouble, it is about embracing everything that this world encompasses and not letting the things get in the way of you being awesome. This talk has really opened my eyes to the little things that are so wondrous in everyday life and I can't wait to go out and experience them with new eyes.

And that's why I believe that if you live your life with a great attitude, choosing to move forward and move on whenever life deals you a blow, living with a sense of awareness of the world around you, embracing your inner three year-old and seeing the tiny joys that make life so sweet and being authentic to yourself, being you and being cool with that, letting your heart lead you and putting yourself in experiences that satisfy you, then I think you'll live a life that is rich and is satisfying, and I think you'll live a life that is truly awesome.