How to do your best work, reframe life's bullshit, and stop making your happiness hostage to outcomes.

Maria Semple is the bestselling author of Today Will Be Different, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, and This One Is Mine. Before writing fiction, Maria wrote for TV. Her newest book is called Go Gentle.

In this episode we talk about:

Cognitive reframing tools to shift your mindset
Maria's daily Stoic routine
The limits of Stoicism
What to do when mediating gives you anxiety
The danger of "baited bounties"
How to "get shit done" with non-attachment
Using fantasy as a coping mechanism

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Additional Resources:

William Irvine's "A Guide to the Good Life"

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.

This episode is sponsored by:

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Trudging Through Your Own Life? Here's the Stoic Fix | Maria Semple

10% Happier with Dan Harris

Trudging Through Your Own Life? Here's the Stoic Fix | Maria Semple