Happier With Gretchen Rubin

Winston Churchill was an extraordinary presence on the world stage, and among his strengths, he had a tremendous gift with words. Here are just a few of the powerful, insightful, or hilarious observations he made. Resources & links related to this episode: Secrets of Adulthood  Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill Episode of “A Little Happier on one of Winston Churchill's most famous lines Painting as a Pastime by Winston Churchill (Amazon, Bookshop) Winston Churchill Didn't Hesitate to Show His Emotions Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Roundtable Series tackles the subject of parenthood. With parenting expert Dr. Becky Kennedy and comedian Samantha Bee, we discuss the most helpful lessons we’ve learned, big challenges we’ve faced, the anxieties that we sometimes feel as parents, and more. Resources & links related to this episode: Dr. Becky Kennedy  Samantha Bee Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss how creating before-and-after photo books of renovations or improvements can bring satisfaction and preserve memories. Our happiness hack suggests visiting your local library (or museum) for the first time; that first visit can be surprising to make. We also share listeners’ strategies for handling a spouse who asks too many questions at inopportune times. Resources & links related to this episode: Order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood Read 25 in 25 Bookshop Pledge to Read 25 on June 25th  Visit The Happiness Project shop for Father's Day gifts Elizabeth is reading: All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert (Amazon, Bookshop) Gretchen is reading: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Amazon, Bookshop) Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on t

I love book titles, and when I finally tracked down the book attached to one of my favorite titles, I was astonished to learn where I heard about it. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss why it’s interesting to consider our longest continuous non-family relationships. We spotlight a tool for spring: the Five-Senses Quiz that helps you discover which of our senses might be neglected. Plus, we explore how authors like Stephen King shape their creative landscapes from personal memories, and how viewing the own past through different literary lenses—Jane Austen, Judy Blume, Tolstoy—can reveal new perspectives on our life experiences. Resources & links related to this episode: “Sketch and Paint Brooklyn” with Samantha Dion Baker Take the Five-Senses Quiz Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss a fun summer challenge of focusing on a specific theme or goal. We also include a few helpful, fun hacks, and we share some of listeners’ favorite words—a delightful collection of language. Resources & links related to this episode: Order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood Read 25 in 25 Design Your Summer Reading List in the Happier app Elizabeth is reading: When Stars Align by Melissa de la Cruz (Amazon, Bookshop) Gretchen is reading: Aflame: Learning from Silence by Pico Iyer (Amazon, Bookshop) Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our perception of smells depends on context—the same scent is experienced as delightful when labeled "Parmesan cheese" but revolting when called "vomit." Our interpretation of our circumstances often matters just as much as the circumstances themselves. Resources & links related to this episode: Life in Five Senses  Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We bring you my interview with NPR's Life Kit where I discuss that the key to happiness is actually to know yourself better and what questions to ask yourself.  We also discuss my Four Tendencies framework and one of my favorite "try this at home" hacks: the one minute rule.  Resources & links related to this episode: Four Tendencies Quiz One-minute rule Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss why it's valuable to identify your "exceptional advantages" in both work and personal life—those unique blessings or abilities you might take for granted but actually set you apart. We also share a hack that can save you time and frustration when going somewhere, and a simple, revealing question that can help you know yourself (and other people) better. Plus, we consider a different interpretation of Secret of Adulthood: "Working is one of the most dangerous forms of procrastination.” Resources & links related to this episode: Order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood Elizabeth is reading: The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James (Amazon, Bookshop) Gretchen is reading: Look Back with Love by Dodie Smith (Amazon) Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in

Drift—the powerful force of making decisions by not deciding—can shape our lives without our conscious participation. Resources & links related to this episode: Secrets of Adulthood If you’re wondering if you’re drifting, I created a checklist Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk to the brilliant Suzy Welch about her new book, “Becoming You,” and her Values Bridge quiz which can tells us how we rank fifteen core values—and we explore why knowing our values is such a key element to creating happier lives. Resources & links related to this episode: Becoming You by Suzy Welch (Amazon, Bookshop) "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver The Values Bridge quiz  The Four Tendencies quiz List of some of my favorite graduation books  Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss why it’s useful to dust off unused items--and either start using them or give them away. We also share a happiness hack from a listener who explains why it can be very valuable to give physical therapy another chance. Finally, we explore the Secret of Adulthood about cultivating friendship, and we answer a listener's question about how and why fictional characters often embody the Four Tendencies framework. Resources & Links Related to this episode: Order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood A Little Happier: Easy Answers or Hard Truths: Whom Do You Trust? Organization Hub Take the quiz for the Four Tendencies personality profile Elizabeth is reading: King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild (Amazon, Bookshop) Gretchen is reading: Pick the Lock by A.S. King (Amazon, Bookshop) Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Fi

Distinguishing helpful from unhelpful criticism is a challenge that every creative person faces. No formula exists for knowing which criticism to heed; we must each develop our own discernment. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss how regret and reflection can help us make better decisions in the future, and increase our happiness. Regret can be a hard thing to talk about. Many people who actually prefer to avoid using the word. By anticipating future regret, we can make better choices in the present, and by reflecting on past regret, we can think about how to do better moving forward. Resources & links related to this episode: How Regret Can Make Us Happier  Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore why making a list of your favorite words ("whimsy," "crackle," "latibulate") and using them can boost happiness. We share a simple hack that makes packing easier, and we reflect on a dog-related Secret of Adulthood. We also tackle a listener question about how to manage Obliger-rebellion when facing increased workload after coworker layoffs. Resources & links related to this episode: Order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood Sign up for the Happier in Hollywood Substack newsletter Happiness Hack: Ratio method of 3:1 Quiz for the Four Tendencies personality framework I Want You to Know journal  Elizabeth is reading: Lights Out by Navessa Allen (Amazon, Bookshop) Gretchen is reading: The Catastrophe Hour by Meghan Daum (Amazon, Bookshop) Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the epis

Certain moments inspire my "America feeling"—a profound connection to the ideals of the United States. For instance, the formal words of the opening ritual for a session of the United States Supreme Court reminds me of the value of justice. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk about the happiness, rewards, and challenges of having a new dog. Resources & links related to this episode: Support your favorite indie booksellers and enjoy a fun perk from Bookshop Follow me on Instagram for photos and videos of Taffy Read Secrets of Adulthood Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re excited to introduce you to Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan, a new show from Lemonada Media. As Meghan, Duchess of Sussex builds out a business of her own, she’s getting advice and insights from a handful of amazing women who have scaled small ideas into successful companies. These fly-on-the-wall conversations will no doubt inspire anyone who’s interested in turning their own entrepreneurial dreams into a reality and anyone else who just wants to hear what really happens behind the scenes.  In this episode, you’ll hear Meghan in conversation with Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First—and a recent guest on our friendship roundtable. The two reunite to talk about redesigning workplaces for women and how to make the hard choice to put your health (and yourself) before your work. After you listen, be sure to follow Confessions of a Female Founder wherever you get your podcasts, or head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/confessionsofafemalefoun

We discuss why arriving right on time for events makes it easier to have fun and to network (especially for introverts or newcomers). We also share the benefits of using an ordinary weekly pill organizer, and explore research supporting the Secret of Adulthood: “One of the best ways to find friends is to make friends with the friends of our friends.” Plus, a listener asks for suggestions about how to request support from family and friends after her recent diabetes diagnosis. Resources & links related to this episode: Order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood Happier in Hollywood Substack newsletter More discussion of networking in Happier in Hollywood episode 413 Elizabeth is reading: After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Amazon, Bookshop) Gretchen is reading: An Accidental Man by Iris Murdoch (Amazon, Bookshop) Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Coll

When we’re trying to make a point, it’s often more effective to tell a story than to deliver a lecture. Example: an episode from the popular TV show “Better Call Saul” memorably illustrates the important truth that we’re probably better off assigning a complex problem to the person who acknowledges the difficulties rather than to the person who offers suspiciously easy answers. Resources & links related to this episode: Secrets of Adulthood  The Four Tendencies  Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.