Five Things Making Me Happy (A hidden corridor / “Onward and upward(s)”)

Hello,

My new book, Life in Five Senses, hits the shelves on April 18, a date which feels both very far away, and also uncomfortably close, as these things often do.

In ye olden days as a writer, this time—between finalizing a manuscript and publication—was pretty quiet. In fact, it was during this period before publication of Forty Ways to Look at JFK that I asked myself, “What do I want from life, anyway?” My answer: “I want to be happy.” “If that’s the case, I should do a happiness project,” I decided, and because I had the mental bandwidth and the free time to head to the library to start a bunch of research, I soon realized that The Happiness Project should be my next book.

These days, however, this period is very busy.

For one thing, it’s my duty to remind people whenever possible that pre-ordering a book is the best way to support its success. I so appreciate those pre-orders! Pre-order here—you’ll also get access to the exclusive series of videos I recorded for pre-orders.

I’m finalizing details for my book tour. If you live in DC, SF, LA, NYC, San Diego, New Canaan, Seattle, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, I’m coming your way.

I’m writing a six-part newsletter on LinkedIn about using the senses in life and at work. And I’m recording the audio book—which is one of the most interesting parts of publishing a book.

My one-word theme for 2023 is “Wave,” and I can feel the wave gathering beneath me. Onward!

Onward,

5 Things Making Me Happy

When I started writing Life in Five Senses, one question I had was, “Why is everything billed as ‘immersive’ these days?” Now I know! We love engaging with the world with our five senses. I certainly love an immersive experience, and I love the TV show The Office, and I desperately want to visit “The Office Experience”—“immerse yourself in your favorite mid-level regional paper company.” I’m so curious to know how a physical visit would change my experience of the show. (Also, maybe I can finally grasp exactly where the Office kitchen is.)

I’ve always been fascinated by the pyramids, and my many visits to the Egyptian Wing at the Metropolitan Museum have made me want to learn more about ancient Egypt. I was thrilled to read that with non-invasive technology, researchers discovered a 30-foot hidden corridor inside the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza. It’s exciting to think of all the new knowledge we might gain. Fun fact: The Great Pyramid was built around 2560 BC, and it remained the tallest human-made structure in the world until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was built! That’s a long, long time to hold a record.

I still can’t stop thinking about Get Back, the documentary about how the Beatles wrote, learned, and performed an album’s worth of songs in three weeks. A thoughtful listener sent me a fascinating article by journalist Ian Leslie about why this documentary is so illuminating about how creativity works.

After finishing Breaking Bad, my husband Jamie and I are watching Better Call Saul together as our big TV undertaking. I got a big kick out of seeing Saul tell Omar, “Onward and upward” – the tag line for the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast (though I say “Onward and upwards”).

I’m always interested to learn about how people engage with their surroundings and their possessions, and I loved this story about making a home—and then leaving it. With some clutter-clearing thrown in.

This week on Happier with Gretchen Rubin

PODCAST EPISODE: 420

We discuss many of our own favorite hacks for using the five senses, and we share terrific suggestions from listeners.

We also announce the winners of our giveaway in honor of our eighth anniversary. More hacks!

Listen now>

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Tara Schuster

Tara Schuster is the author of the forthcoming Glow in the F*cking Dark, and the runaway hit, Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies, a finalist for Goodread’s Best Non-Fiction Book of 2020.