Hello,

Lately, as one does, I’ve been thinking and reading a lot about the dangers and downsides of technology—which are all too real. But yesterday I experienced a brief, minor, deeply satisfying reminder of how great technology can be, as well.

I love a great quotation, and I have lines running through my head all the time. I was waiting for a connecting flight in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, and I had the urgent desire to recall some lines of…how did it go? Was it a poem, maybe by Borges? “You Speak?” “You Know?” “You Say?” Something with flowers. I remembered that the lines were beautiful, and they were right at the edge of my memory, but I couldn’t quite recall them. It was making me bonkers. Then I pulled out my phone. The relief!

From “You Learn” by Jorge Luis Borges:

So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

Thank you, internet.

Onward,

5 Things Making Me Happy

As someone who both writes books and hosts a podcast, I’ve found that people who listen to Happier seem to feel a more direct connection to me personally than do the people who read my books. And I’m not alone: when Elizabeth and I were launching Happier, many people told us that podcasters have an unusually deep bond with their audiences. I was fascinated to read some research that explores how and why this is true.

A reader shared this fascinating article about the different ways people celebrate summer solstice around the world. My favorite way to celebrate? Each year, I ponder some lines from The Great Gatsby that have haunted me for decades: “Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and them miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it.” (I do love a great quotation.) This year, I managed not to miss the longest day of the year. I was lucky enough to be in Aspen, Colorado, which was a great place to observe the solstice.

Ever since I worked at an asphalt plant during one summer in high school, I’ve had a great appreciation for a freshly re-asphalted street. An avenue near my apartment was recently covered, and I stopped to admire the view.

On the Happier podcast, my sister Elizabeth has been talking about how she’s trying to start flossing regularly at night as well as in the morning (her doctor has told her that she should). Several listeners suggested that she try using floss in unusual flavors, to make the process more fun. So I gave her a sampler of four kinds of flavored floss. We’ll see if it helps!

One Tree Planted, a nonprofit organization dedicated to global reforestation, has reached the extraordinary milestone of 100 million trees planted around the world. This year, our goal for the “Go Outside 23 in ‘23” Challenge is to make a donation to One Tree Planted when we reach one million entries in the Happier™ app. Learn more and join the challenge today.

Updates

• Join me for a virtual Meetup Live event about immersing yourself in the senses to feel happier. The event is free and takes place on Tuesday, June 27th at 12pm PDT. Click here for more details and to attend.

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