Looking at the items in this list, I notice a strong theme of connection. That’s no surprise—after all, ancient philosophers and contemporary scientists agree that strong bonds with other people are a key to happiness. Lately I’ve been thinking about a line from Viktor Frankl’s extraordinary, brilliant memoir Man’s Search for Meaning: “The salvation of man is through love and in love.”
Onward,
5 Things Not to Miss
1
HAPPIER EPISODE 501
Turn Acquaintances into Friends, an Email Hack & a Happiness Lesson Learned from Our Parents
Listeners loved the list of tips for turning friendly acquaintances into friends, and many wrote in to share their own suggestions and stories. Making overtures of friendship can feel awkward, so remember: Research shows that we tend to like people better when we believe they like us, and usually, people respond warmly when someone makes a friendly gesture. So if you show you’d like to become a closer friend, it’s likely that the other person will be enthusiastic.
2
THE HAPPINESS PROJECT COLLECTION
Spotlight on My New Products
I had so much fun working on the new products in the The Happiness Project Collection—creating a physical product is a completely different way of engaging with material. If you’re looking to add to your happiness toolkit, each new product was designed to help you live a happier, healthier, more creative, or more productive life.
3
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
5 Ways to Create Joyful Daily Routines for Your Family
I’m delighted that some of my ideas are included in this article in The Globe and Mail about ways to make daily family routines more playful (and less of a grind).
4
My Inconvenience May Be Someone Else's Miracle
I posted this story from A Little Happier on social media, and it really resonated with readers. When things go wrong, it can be helpful to consider that someone else may have a different perspective.
5
MORE HAPPIER
Happiness, Self-Compassion, Meditation & More—with Elmo
October 10th was World Mental Health Day, and Yale professor Dr Laurie Santos of the Happiness Lab podcast assembled the “Titans of Happiness”: Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a clinical psychologist and host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, Dan Harris, author and host of the 10% Happier podcast, me—plus Elmo. We talk hacks for building relationships with others, serenity, and self-compassion. Plus Dan and I continue our longstanding debate about meditation.
SPOTLIGHT
The Happier at Home e-book is only $1.99 for a limited time.
For a limited time, get my New York Times bestselling book Happier at Home in digital form for only $1.99. In this book I detail my resolutions to kiss more, jump more, abandon self-control, and other experiments to bring more joy into my daily life.
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