Gretchen Rubin is an expert on happiness, and she's spent her career helping people build the habits to achieve it. But she assumed that if something works for her, it should work for just about anyone. A series of chance encounters, and a healthy helping of curiosity, makes Gretchen realize that maybe there isn't one path to happiness after all. That there' ... Show More
Nov 18
Magic is a serious business, by Gracia María
<p>Gracia María is a modern-day medicine woman, practicing community rituals in the tradition of her Peruvian ancestors. In connecting with her ancient roots, though, she realizes she also needs to rebuild the bonds with her immediate family, in order to share with them the perso ... Show More
38m 23s
Nov 11
The strength we seek is all around us, by Mirna Valerio
<p>As a runner of marathons and ultramarathons, author and advocate Mirna Valerio knows a thing or two about finding reserves of power within herself. When she makes the decision to leave her job as an educator and build a new career around inclusivity in the running world, she m ... Show More
37m 8s
Nov 4
What holds the world together, by SG Goodman
<p>As a young girl, mowing her neighbor's lawn in the Kentucky heat, SG Goodman learns many important things: how to avoid running into the chain-link fence, the art of blowing the grass away from the house ... and the way these small, regular acts of community become the glue ho ... Show More
29m 15s
May 2020
Small Ways to Improve Your Everyday Life Right Now | Gretchen Rubin
I call Gretchen Rubin the "Swiss Army Knife for Happiness." Present her with a problem, and she will flood you with practical, customized solutions. I love having Gretchen on this show not only because she's smart and funny and we're friends, but also because she provides some co ... Show More
53m 16s
Mar 2022
Little Happier - The Danger of Finish Lines, According to Kurt Vonnegut
Setting a finish line can help people reach a goal, but it can actually can undermine the process of forming a habit. In a letter to his son, renowned author Kurt Vonnegut explains why finish lines can be risky for writers.Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gr ... Show More
1m 57s
Dec 2023
Little Happier: A Story That Moved Me as a Child, and Moves Me Still as an Adult
As a child, I was deeply moved by this story of a child’s wish to do a good deed, and how she fulfilled that wish, despite making many mistakes. As an adult, I’m even more moved by it.Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.comFollow on social media:@GretchenRubin on YouTube@Gretchen ... Show More
4m 28s
Aug 2022
Little Happier: Why I Remind Myself, “Get a Hold of Yourself, Meredith.”
I’ve always remembered a story that I heard fourth hand—from my roommate’s friend’s sister—and use it to remind myself to buck up. “Get a hold of yourself, Meredith!”Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.comGet in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin ... Show More
1m 17s
Jun 2023
Little Happier: It Might Be Boring to Read About the “Land of Happy,” But It’s Probably a Nice Place to Live
People sometimes assume that happiness is boring—but as philosopher Simone Weil points out, while that may be true in literature, it’s not true in real life. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.comFollow on social media:@GretchenRubin on YouTube@GretchenRubin on TikTok@GretchenRu ... Show More
3m 29s