Simplify Happiness: NYT Bestselling Author Gretchen Rubin Says You Do You

Welcome to the very first episode of Simplify. In it, you’ll hear co-host Caitlin Schiller talk to Gretchen Rubin about how you can get happy — and fast! Can it really be that simple? We think so. Listen to Rubin speak about her approach to happiness, habits, and self-acceptance, and how you can apply the ancient idea of “know thyself” to your fast-paced 21st-century life.

“When you envy someone, it’s actually a super helpful emotion, because it tells you that somebody has something that you wish that you had yourself. And a lot of times, once you acknowledge that truth to yourself, you can take steps to get it.”

— Gretchen Rubin

This podcast is all about the idea that the best way to do anything is usually the most straightforward one. From something as seemingly elusive as happiness to more quantifiable goals like getting more productive, we’re going to break it all down and show you how to simplify your life. By the end of the episode, you’ll understand Gretchen’s #1 best-selling approach to happiness and how you can make it count for you!

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Who’s Gretchen Rubin?

Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, and Happier at Home. Her books have sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, in over thirty languages. She also has a popular weekly podcast, Happier With Gretchen Rubin where she discusses good habits and happiness with her sister, Elizabeth Craft. If that’s not enough for you, she’s also gotten the thumbs up from Oprah and once walked arm-in-arm with the Dalai Lama.

What’s Simplify?

Simplify is a podcast for anybody who’s taken a close look at their habits, their happiness, their relationships, or their health and thought “There’s got to be a better way to do this.” We talk to bestselling writers, productivity wizards, sex geniuses, and happiness experts to find it for you. Life is complicated, but living it better doesn’t have to be. Simplify.

Simplify is made with love by Blinkist. Click here to try Blinkist free for 14 days with the voucher code: youdoyou

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Who made this?

Your hosts are the very wonderful Caitlin Schiller and Ben Schuman-Stoler.

Stellar research and production assistance by the outstanding Nika Mavrody.

Thanks to Nico Guiang for our awesome intro and outro music. Listen to more on Soundcloud or check him out on Facebook.

Sound and editing by Ody Constantinou who is genetically engineering a new kind of hokkaido pumpkin, which he claims will end obesity and heart disease.

Got links?

Gretchen Rubin’s podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen’s book The Four Tendencies is due out in September 2017

The Innovation Show

Photo of Francis Bacon’s studio

Huge Lane Gallery in Dublin which contains Francis Bacon’s studio.

Samuel Johnson’s Collected Essays

The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell

Extra credit reading: