Read Online The Book of Even More Awesome by Neil Pasricha - Free Book Online Page B

just happen overnight. No, it’s more like softly falling into a slow romance with a new friend ...
    Stage 1: The First Glance. There are plenty of fish in the sea and they’re all eager for your attention, but you slowly pick one out. Maybe it’s the big coffee cups, the wrinkly newspapers on the counter, or the late night hours that keep it open when you can’t sleep. Something made this coffee shop stand out and you felt at home right away.
    Stage 2: They Like You Too . Slowly your favorite spot gets more and more of your time. You were a bit of a coffee shop tramp before this, dashing through drive-thrus and grabbing quickies from the vending machine in the cafeteria. But without realizing it, you’ve started giving this new place your time ... and they noticed. One day you see the server crack a little smile when you walk in and give a quick nod before you place your order.
    Stage 3: The First Date . Suddenly the cold market forces warm into a little cloud of human connection. It’s the same guy behind the counter but now there’s recognition and an opening line. Maybe “Did you like the extra nutmeg in your cappuccino yesterday?” or “Blueberry scone, extra butter, right?” or “I think I saw you playing downtown yesterday. Brian, was it?” When your coffee shop puts itself out there, make sure you accept it with open arms. “That’s what it was? Delicious!” “Yeah, not that I need it!” or “Oh cool, do you hang out there often?” will do.
    Stage 4: The Courtship . Now you start smiling and taking care of each other. You’ve got exact change ready to go, the server’s got your cappuccino with extra nutmeg. Head nods replace verbal orders and you smirk and smile together at other customers, kind of like you’re behind the counter too. There’s some nervous anticipation when you walk in the door: Who will be working the espresso machine this morning? Will they still have the Sports section? Will the cookies be warm?
    Stage 5: The Living Together . You fall into a warm and cozy comfort that’s beyond words. Hellos and how-are-yous fade into chats about whether you should get a dog or advice on dealing with a new boss. You get your order your way, right away, every time, and sometimes even skip the line. You start sharing tables and newspapers with other regulars and making little jokes with them like “Oh, you always beat me on Saturdays!” You’re now in the cozy zone of the inner circle. Welcome to paradise.
    Stage 6: The Almost-Breakup . The change happens quick and it jars you senseless. Maybe your favorite cashier moves away for school or the shop closes for three weeks for major renovations. The shock hits you hard but you resolve to get through it. Maybe you decide this is just what you needed to keep things fresh, so you dig deep and change yourself. Suddenly you’re getting black coffee instead of lattes, getting to know the new cashier, and loving those new paper towel dispensers in the bathroom.
    Stage 7: The Future . Time moves by and things change but your souls remain connected. Sometimes you think about the past: Remember when they got new chairs? Or the time the power went out and they gave away cake? You’ve been through so much together that you’ve actually become part of the place. You helped set up their Internet, fixed the wobbly table, and co-invented the chocolate chip peanut butter cookie.
    In these anonymous days of big-box stores, gated communities, and rampant Interneting, there’s something special about becoming a regular and feeling human connection in your human heart. When you visit your favorite joint it’s like welcome back to your corner stool, welcome back to your favorite table, welcome back to your perfect order.
    Welcome back to being a regular.
    Welcome back to love.
    AWESOME!

When a friend starts randomly giving you a massage
    There’s a few