<p>A double anniversary (of a wedding and of a life-saving medical cure) inspired this toast—with allusion to Gertrude Stein, Wendell Berry, and “The Office.”</p> <p><strong>Resources & links related to this episode:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/articles/today-is-one-of-the-happiest-days-of-my-life-2/">The most purely happy day of my life</a></li> </ul> <p><br>Get in touch: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p>Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/"> Gretchen's website</a> to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the <em>Happier </em>app.</p> <p>Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>We bring you a conversation with my friend Zibby Owens on her podcast Totally Booked. Taped in front of a life studio audience, we discuss my new book, Secrets of Adulthood, the beauty of frameworks, and why you should label your next email "confidential."</p> <p><strong>Resources & links related to this episode:</strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://zibbymedia.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo-AMKroEM2zSbhyOctmXnR8wIzgHwDGJKctG8_4IQMnmGw05UK">Zibby Owens </a></li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://zibbymedia.com/pages/podcasts">Totally Booked </a></li> </ul> <p><br>Get in touch: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p>Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/"> Gretchen's website</a> to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the <em>Happier </em>app.</p> <p>Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>We talk about why it can be helpful to set a tripwire for making a decision or moving forward. We also discuss a Secret of Adulthood that’s very relevant to the practice of keeping a storage unit (even one that’s not really needed), and a know-yourself-better question related to the use of gadgets and gizmos.</p> <p><strong>Resources & links related to this episode:</strong></p> <ul> <li><em>The Murderbot Diaries</em> by Martha Wells (<a href="https://amzn.to/4kLdqNx">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9781250389824">Bookshop</a>)</li> <li>Order your copy of <a href="http://happiercast.com/secrets"><em>Secrets of Adulthood</em></a></li> <li>I'm partnering with <a href="http://bookshop.org/">Bookshop.org</a> for Read 25 Day!</li> <li>Pledge to Read 25 on June 25th and head to <a href="http://happiercast.com/read25day">happiercast.com/read25day</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3ZDOIWO">Snuffle mats</a></li> <li>Download <a href="http://thehappierapp.com/">The Happier app</a></li> <li>Elizabeth is reading: <em>Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America</em> by Bridget Read (<a href="https://amzn.to/43QcPTq">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9780593443927">Bookshop</a>)</li> <li>Gretchen is reading: <em>A Chance Meeting: Intertwined Lives of American Writers and Authors </em>by Rachel Cohen (<a href="https://amzn.to/4dSpn1o">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9781681378107">Bookshop</a>)</li> </ul> <p><br>Get in touch: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p>Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/"> Gretchen's website</a> to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the <em>Happier </em>app.</p> <p>Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Becoming a parent can be one of the most transformative, and instructive, experiences of our lives. These four “Secrets of Adulthood” examine some of the most important lessons parenthood can teach us.</p> <p><strong>Resources & links related to this episode:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/forecast-your-foibles-a-big-life-change-amp-the-correct-way-to-load-a-dishwasher/" data-wplink-edit="true">Open-door stage</a></li> <li><em><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/books/secrets-of-adulthood/">Secrets of Adulthood</a></em></li> <li>A version of this piece was <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/11/i-am-a-mom-and-happiness-researcher-life-lessons-about-how-to-be-happy-parents.html">originally published</a> on the CNBC site.</li> </ul> <p><br>Get in touch: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p>Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/"> Gretchen's website</a> to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the <em>Happier </em>app.</p> <p>Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>James Taylor and a new puppy are making us happier. We also explore the question of whether it’s common these days to have perhaps unrealistically high expectations from the people and organizations in our lives, from marriage to work to friendship. Plus we discuss an intriguing question: Do you love to "provision,” to stock up on essential items?</p> <p><strong>Resources & links related to this episode:</strong></p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://insighttimer.com/">Insight Timer</a></li> <li><a href="http://happiercast.com/giftquiz">Take the Gift-Giving Quiz</a></li> </ul> <p>Get in touch: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p>Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/"> Gretchen's website</a> to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the <em>Happier </em>app.</p> <p>Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>We discuss the idea of the  “familect” and why it might be fun to create a  dictionary for our own familect. We also talk about a hack that makes it easier to use a smartphone, and we share dozens of listeners’ thought-provoking  “Secrets of Adulthood.”</p> <p><strong>Resources & links related to this episode:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Order your copy of <a href="http://happiercast.com/secrets"><em>Secrets of Adulthood</em></a></li> <li>Join <a href="http://secretsofadulthood.substack.com/">Secrets of Adulthood on SubStack</a></li> <li><em>Look Back with Love</em> by Dodie Smith (<a href="https://amzn.to/3ZCAUMv">Amazon</a>)</li> <li>Elizabeth is reading: <em>All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation</em> by Elizabeth Gilbert (<a href="https://amzn.to/3SEQiUt">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9780593540985">Bookshop</a>)</li> <li>Gretchen is reading: <em>Modern Friendship</em> by Anna Goldfarb (<a href="https://amzn.to/43t2uN0">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9781649632081">Bookshop</a>)</li> </ul> <p><br>Get in touch: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p>Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/"> Gretchen's website</a> to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the <em>Happier </em>app.</p> <p>Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>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.</p> <p><strong>Resources & links related to this episode:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/books/secrets-of-adulthood/"><em>Secrets of Adulthood</em></a></li> <li> <em><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/books/forty-ways-to-look-at-winston-churchill/">Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill</a></em></li> <li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/a-little-happier-winston-churchill-didnt-hesitate-to-show-his-emotions/">Episode of “A Little Happier</a> on one of Winston Churchill's most famous lines</li> <li><em>Painting as a Pastime</em> by Winston Churchill (<a href="https://amzn.to/4jvkJY5">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9781906509330">Bookshop</a>)</li> <li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/a-little-happier-winston-churchill-didnt-hesitate-to-show-his-emotions/">Winston Churchill Didn't Hesitate to Show His Emotions</a></li> </ul> <p><br>Get in touch: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p>Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/"> Gretchen's website</a> to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the <em>Happier </em>app.</p> <p>Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>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.</p> <p><strong>Resources & links related to this episode:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.goodinside.com/about/">Dr. Becky Kennedy </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.samanthabee.com/about">Samantha Bee</a></li> </ul> <p><br>Get in touch: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p>Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/"> Gretchen's website</a> to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the <em>Happier </em>app.</p> <p>Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>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.</p> <p><strong>Resources & links related to this episode:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Order your copy of <a href="http://happiercast.com/secrets"><em>Secrets of Adulthood</em></a></li> <li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/articles/join-us-for-read-25-in-25/">Read 25 in 25</a></li> <li><a href="http://bookshop.org/">Bookshop</a></li> <li><a href="http://happiercast.com/read25day">Pledge to Read 25 on June 25th</a> </li> <li>Visit <a href="http://happiercast.com/shop">The Happiness Project shop</a> for Father's Day gifts</li> <li>Elizabeth is reading: <em>All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation</em> by Elizabeth Gilbert (<a href="https://amzn.to/3SEQiUt">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9780593540985">Bookshop</a>)</li> <li>Gretchen is reading: <em>The Picture of Dorian Gray</em> by Oscar Wilde (<a href="https://amzn.to/3ZkzZ2M">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9780141439570">Bookshop</a>)</li> </ul> <p><br>Get in touch: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p>Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/"> Gretchen's website</a> to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the <em>Happier </em>app.</p> <p>Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>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.</p> <p>Get in touch: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <p>Visit<a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/"> Gretchen's website</a> to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the <em>Happier </em>app.</p> <p>Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>