Hey everyone, See if this little poem gives you a smile like it did for me. It’s one of many funny, strange poems in the book ‘ Serious Concerns ’ by Wendy Cope. Neil The Orange by Wendy Cope At lunchtime I bought a huge orange— The size of it made us all laugh. I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave— They got quarters and I had a half. And that orange, it made me so happy, As ordinary…
Hey everyone, Leslie and I wrote an article for CNBC! I'm sharing it with you below. Neil Happiness is a choice, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. When we’re stuck in a constant loop of fear and negativity, it can be tough to cultivate a positive mindset. I’m constantly thinking about the small, intentional things we can all do to make our communities more positive, content and resilient. Often, it…
Thank you, Prime Minister Mark Carney @MarkJCarney ! Thank you, Minister of Transport @stevenmackinnon ! Thank you especially to @NoJetsTO , @NormsWorld , @ChrisGlover , @JessicaBellTO , and @MaritStiles for your incredible advocacy and tireless efforts. Thank you to every single person to mailed a letter to their MP, came to a protest, donated to the campaign, or put a 'No Jets TO' sign on their…
Hey everyone, Team Human is slowly winning the war against social media and cell phone addiction! There was the landmark verdict in March where Instagram and YouTube were found liable for social media addiction . Countries like Canada and England are following Australia ’s lead to ban social media below age 16. Progress! Slowly. But we’re making progress. I loved this recent email I…
Hey everyone, We have World Cup fever in Toronto! Last night my kids played soccer with a professional Angolese football player outside a subway station. On the way there we met a raucous group of South Korean superfans on the train. (“Cheer for Son !”) Giant displays going up everywhere. Signs popping for parades, road closures, and parties. Our first ever World Cup home game ... ever! ...…
So, uh... Last year I bought a 750 square foot painting. 10’ tall, 75’ long, on a lonnnng strip of curved concrete outside a busy downtown subway station. Few months earlier I was walking on a freezing night with my friend Michael Bungay Stanier when we stumbled on a stunning spraypainted Hooded Merganser. I was shook! I noticed a small word in the corner—Sweetman—and then googled “sweetman…
Click here to read the full text of ‘You Can’t Kill The Rooster’ Hey everyone, One night last week I just couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t! I could not sleep. I did all the proper evening routines, too. No food and no screens a few hours before bedtime. Dark room. Cold room! I know so many evening routines . Even had my new CPAP mask Darth Vadering onto my face ... No luck. No dice. I just couldn’t…
Hey everyone, How’s your April going? Feels like every day there’s a new challenge out there. I’m getting notes from you telling me about feeling overwhelmed by the news, relationship frictions, battling addictions, and feeling generally overwhelmed. I hear you! I feel it, too. I’m right there with you. A couple weeks ago I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister protesting our Premier’s…
April 4, 2026 Dear Prime Minister Mark Carney, I was on the Toronto Ferry last year staring at our majestic waterfront. I saw paddlers, kayakers, dragon boaters, sailors, windsurfers, fishers, paddleboarders, water taxis, and cruisers all sharing the space in harmony. When we docked at Hanlan’s Point on the Toronto Islands I was surrounded by hikers, joggers, cyclists, birders, picnickers,…
Hey everyone, Sloppy AI spam is turning my inbox into a travesty. I am spending more time deleting, blocking, and filtering than ever before— You too? I honestly wondered about abandoning email completely! Do I run away from the spammer monsters and retreat back into my Cave of Texts? But then again ... they’re there, too! No. I need to stay. I need to fight! One weapon in the ongoing battle are…
Pitas aren’t waterproof. Crusty bread sacs are not built for vast swirling ponds of garlic, tahini, hummus, and hot sauce pooling at the bottom of your heavy two-handed shawarma. You know this. I know this. The guy sawing the moist crunchy chicken off the spit knows this. Everybody knows this! So what do we do? Assemble armors of twisted wax and tissue papers, tight aluminum foils, and skinny…
Hey everyone, Years ago I stumbled upon a wonderful collection of commencement speeches given by Kurt Vonnegut called ‘ If This Isn’t Nice, What Is? ’ Although Vonnegut’s fiction never really hit me—I’ve only read ‘ Slaughterhouse-Five ’ and ‘ Breakfast of Champions ’ at the behest of Elan Mastai and Daniels —this collection of speeches really did. Vonnegut was clearly a master of…
Hey everyone, I think happiness is a skill. I think there really are simple things we can do to help cultivate more positivity in our brains. Here are five of my favorite practices! Neil We can choose our own happiness by engaging with habits proven to promote greater feelings of well-being and positivity. Studies show these "happiness habits" do slowly shift our brain to being more positive. Over…
Hey everyone, The news is currently dominated by expansionism. Russia wants Ukraine, U.S. wants Greenland. I try to focus my attention on books, books, books—"Read not the Times, read the Eternities", said Thoreau—but I do inevitably put my head up and periscope around, too. I’ve been thinking a lot about our shared humanity. The community and connection between all of us. "Close relationships,…
Hey everyone, Happy new year! I was recently interviewed by the Smith School of Business (my alma mater!) about my thoughts on gratitude. I thought I'd share it with you below as a way to refresh some thoughts as we get into the new year. Neil Why Gratitude is a Leadership Superpower Interview by Deborah Aarts Neil Pasricha, BCom ’02, knows he has plenty to be thankful for. Yes, there’s the…
Hey everyone, Here are The Very Best Books I Read In 2025. (And here are my Best Of 2024 , 2023 , 2022 , 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 , and 2017 , too.) I don’t collect kickbacks on any links. Buy from your local indie ( US / CAN / UK ) or wherever you like! Sending you energy, empathy, and some loving reading friendship in the run-up to the holidays... Neil 20. Small Things…
Hey everyone, I love December. I love the sound of the word! I love looking forward to the first snowfall . I love the streets getting one then two then seven then twenty houses with Christmas lights glowing . I love getting buried under piles of heavy blankets on a cold night . I love wishing strangers happy holidays . And since I became a birder five years ago I certainly love the…
Hey everyone, Anyone else been mainlining Phil Spector's Christmas ? I have it in a cracked jewel case on CD and it's been splitting time in our van lately with some Blue Jays talk radio and the very occasional moment of absolute, perfect silence . For those interested in which of my books I recommend here's a quick gift guide. My books and journals focus on happiness, gratitude, resilience,…
Hey everyone, The Blue Jays were two outs away from winning their first World Series in 32 years on Saturday night. I was 14 when the last one happened and I stood there, in the upper deck, now age 46, my face painted blue and white, screaming myself hoarse after every strike, hoping I wouldn't have to wait 32 more... But it was not to be. The Dodgers tied it up and despite loading the bases in…
Hey everyone, Today is my birthday! As I’ve been doing for a few years now I’m sharing a list of completely unsolicited advice. You can read my three previous birthday lists here , here , and here . Remember: Lists like these are preachy by nature so just take what you like and ditch the rest! Here we go: 1. Celebrate publicly. Criticize privately 2. When you drive past someone slow on the…