Five Things Making Me Happy (One-sentence journals / A blind date with a book)

Hello,

A few weeks ago, while talking to some friends, I was astonished to learn that three of them had saved someone’s life—two saved someone who was choking, one saved someone from drowning. I’d always assumed that the opportunity to save a life was extremely rare; if you’d asked me if I knew anyone (other than a doctor) who had saved a life, I would’ve said no.

Ever since then, I’ve been asking around, and it turns out that saving a life is far less unusual than I’d supposed. People have told me about calling an ambulance, pushing someone out of oncoming traffic, doing CPR…I’ve also talked to several people who had their own lives saved.

Have you ever had your life saved? Or saved someone else’s life? I never have, but I’m signed up to be an organ donor, so hope that one day I’ll be able to save a life that way.

Onward,

5 Things Making Me Happy

Naturally, I’m a big fan of Happier in Hollywood, the podcast that my sister Elizabeth co-hosts with her writing partner Sarah Fain. As I was listening to episode 279, I was delighted to learn that Sarah found my One-Sentence Journal and Don't Break the Chain Journal helpful as she was trying to get back into healthier habits.

I’m a big believer in keeping a “one-sentence journal,” because writing one sentence, every day, is something that most of us can manage. A thoughtful reader sent me this fascinating TikTok where someone shows the one-sentence diaries that his grandmother kept for decades.

Proverbs of the Professions make me happy. Last week, I heard a great proverb from the world of football: “Don’t outkick your coverage.” What are some other proverbs from sports? “It never rains in just one lane.” “Iron sharpens iron.” Send them my way! Or proverbs from other areas or professions; I’m collecting them all.

Research shows that the design of mugs can influence our enjoyment of a beverage, and I’m a huge consumer of coffee and tea. So I’m happy to announce the delightful new Happier with Gretchen Rubin mug. Bonus: I have a holiday gift for every member of my family.

As someone who loves to read, I was intrigued to learn about the trend of having a “Blind Date with a Book.” A bookstore, library, or friend (or Etsy) wraps a book in paper to conceal the title and author. Readers select a book not knowing what it will be—though sometimes, the mystery book is labeled by genre or short description. While I can understand why someone could enjoy this kind of book grab bag, it doesn’t appeal to me. How about you?

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