
Something Making Us More Happier
- Elizabeth: Planning a trip to Hawaii…without planning to take a trip to Hawaii. We mention the Happier in Hollywood podcast.
- Gretchen: The GloFX Flow Ring is an excellent “kinetic bracelet.” I like this toy as much as the Rainbow Twirler Spinner. Inexpensive, well-made, lots of fun.

I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You
I told Elizabeth about how thrilled I was to create order out of my messy-looking scent collection.
I mention my book Outer Order, Inner Calm.

Spotlight on a Tool
The podcast is now on YouTube! With captions! If you’ve ever wondered what Elizabeth and I look like, now you can take a look. Check it out and subscribe.
Elizabeth’s question: How do you avoid having a ring light reflecting in your glasses?
Unforeseen Consequences
Elizabeth told me that these days, she keeps having to wash her robe, because it gets muddy every morning when Nacho jumps on her. Nevertheless, she has realized – to her surprise – that she’s a real dog person.

Quotation
Grownups! Everyone remembers them. How strange and even sad it is that we never become what they were: beings noble, infallible, and free. We never become them. One of the things we discover as we live is that we never become anything different from what we are. We are no less ourselves at forty than we were at four, and because of this we know grownups as Grownups only once in life: during our own childhood. We never meet them in our lives again, and we miss them always.
Elizabeth Enright, Doublefields, “The Walnut Shell” (Amazon)
As I mention, Elizabeth Enright has written so many excellent, outstanding novels for children. I’ve read them dozens of times. The Saturdays (Amazon, Bookshop), The Four-Story Mistake (Amazon, Bookshop), Gone-Away Lake (Amazon, Bookshop), and more. So, so, so good.
LATEST EPISODES
We discuss the seven deadly sins of disconnection—the habits that push others away. We also share an easy hack for making an environment more appealing, and answer a listener’s question about reality TV.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Try my new “Happiness Helpline” on gretchenrubin.com by clicking the icon in the bottom right-hand corner, or find it in the Happier app.
- Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections by Anna Goldfarb (Amazon, Bookshop)
- Dimmer switches for lamps
- Use this guide to set up your No-Spend Month
- Elizabeth: The All-or-Nothing Marriage: How the Best Marriages Work by Eli Finkel (Amazon, Bookshop)
- Gretchen: All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore (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.
