I visit the Metropolitan Museum every day, and without specifically intending to do it, I’ve added “museum person” to my identity. I’m on my book tour now, and when I saw that my hotel in Washington, D.C. was right next to the National Portrait Gallery, I decided to run in. (Side note: All WDC Smithsonian museums are free!) The first portrait I saw was this one, of Benjamin Franklin. Ben Franklin, a/k/a/ “Poor Richard,” is one of the patron saints of all who attempt self-improvement and also those who write Secrets of Adulthood. Here’s one from Franklin that I quote all the time: “Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.” Seeing that portrait felt like an auspicious sign.
Onward,
5 Things Making Me Happy
One great joy of having Secrets of Adulthood out in the world is that I get to learn what secrets resonate most with other people. Do they agree or disagree with the secrets; do they have their own way of interpreting them? For instance, when I was talking to my old friend Jonathan Fields on his excellent podcast, Good Life Project, he brought up the “secret” of “We care for many people we don’t particularly care for.” I was fascinated when he put his own twist on that idea: “We care about many people we don’t particularly care about.” Celebrity gossip, social media snark, online reviews… yes, I agree, we care about many people we don’t particularly care about.
I’m a big fan of using the calendar as a catalyst for reflection: New Year’s Day, birthdays, Halfway Day, Mother’s and Father’s Day. A useful date is coming up on April 10—it’s 100th Day. If there is something you wanted to start or pursue in 2025, this date marks a good time to evaluate. How’s it going? If it’s going well, give yourself some gold stars. If it’s not going well, consider trying a different approach. There’s still plenty of time in 2025 to get a lot done. I’m giving myself a gold star for my daily watercoloring.
Speaking of dates, if you live in the United States, another important date is coming up: May 7. After that date, we need to have a Real ID in order to fly, or if you’re like me and haven’t gone to the DMV to get your updated Live ID, you’ll need to bring your passport or other kind of identification. I haven’t even tried to get a DMV appointment yet…
As a “museum person” (see above), and also as a lover of whimsy, I got a big kick out of this collection of painting and sculpture look-alikes, where people stand in front of an artwork that resembles them. So fun. When I visit the Met, I also enjoy looking for celebrity look-alikes. For instance, there’s a painting in the Met that features someone who looks a lot like John Mulaney.
I was fascinated by the article “Why children perceive time slower than adults” because I’ve noticed that in the past few years, I perceive time moving faster. Ten minutes seems to pass faster than it used to. But I don’t understand exactly what this means or how it’s even possible! It reminds me of the time my eye doctor said, “You’re extremely nearsighted, so when you look through your glasses, you’ll see things smaller than they really are.” These seem like Steven Wright jokes.
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This week on Happier with Gretchen Rubin
PODCAST EPISODE: 528
Improve Your Hedonic Forecasting, Hacks for Reading More, and Mystery Revealed (Name of New Dog)
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