Award-winning Canadian author and blogger Neil Pasricha visited Carleton on Jan. 17 as a part of the Student Experience Office (SEO) and Housing and Residence Life Service’s SOAR! leadership conference, speaking to a crowd of students and alumni on the power of appreciating the little things in life.
Pasricha was both the keynote and closing speaker for the conference, and his evening talk sponsored by the Campus Activity Board (CAB) was free for the public. As the author of bestselling title The Book of Awesome, Pasricha shared a personal story with his audience about using positive thinking to get through a difficult time in his life, and encouraged others to do the same.
At the door, attendees were given a pen and a square of paper, and were asked to name Carleton-specific “awesome things.” Responses included late-night shawarma, hitching rides on tunnel carts, and “when Louise [one of the food court cashiers] remembers your name.”
The theatre in the River Building wasn’t quite full, but the crowd was full of energy. Pasricha began cracking jokes as soon as he walked in the room, introducing himself as “Neil—like a small crouch,” and got big cheers on mentioning that he hailed from “a shady suburb called Oshawa.”
Nearly everyone in the room was familiar with Pasricha’s work—either his book or his blog, “1000 Awesome Things,” which won the Webby award for “Best Blog in the World.”
He spent about half the talk giving a speech, and then opened up the floor to a lengthy question and answer period, handing out books, calendars and the toiletries from his hotel to participants.
Pasricha also offered advice to students who want to get more awesome out of their lives.
“Desperately seek interactions with people much older or much younger than you. Volunteer at a daycare. Do something with old people,” he said. “It will totally help you, because you’re not just with people the same age, with the same anxieties. Suddenly those people aren’t worrying about those things—and you realize that you don’t need to, either.”
Kevin Nimmock, a third-year journalism student and CAB volunteer, said Pasricha was selected as a speaker for the conference because of his inspirational tone and what he stands for, elements that CAB felt would encourage students to get involved. “SOAR is about being the best leader you can be,” Nimmock said, “and about finding your place to make a difference.”
CAB volunteer Nancy Asante explained the conference was aimed at students who might feel hesitant about getting involved on campus, and to help build up their confidence. Involved in spoken word and event planning while pursuing a double major in communications and sociology, Asante said she wants students to know “there’s more going on at Carleton than just their classes.”
Third-year biomedical engineering student Mitul Patel, who attended the event, said it was much better than he expected it to be.
“I was expecting, like, the classic leadership talk—you know, ‘This is what it means to be a leader, this is how to be a leader,’” he said, but said he got more than he bargained for. “Being positive is something you can take on as a lifetime thing, not just a one-time thing.”
