Why optimization is a joy blocker, how to find the 'yes' inside the 'no,' and why that restless ache you can't shake is actually your compass.

Kate Bowler, PhD is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and an Associate Professor of American Religious History at Duke University. She studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we're capable of change. Her newest book is Joyful, Anyway.

In this episode we talk about:

The dangerous difference between joy and happiness
Why optimization and self-mastery are quietly killing your capacity for delight
How to find the "yes" inside every "no" (even when things are genuinely terrible)
The ache and restlessness you can't shake—and why it's actually your compass, not a problem to solve
What grace actually looks like when control disappears
How to stop trying to improve your way into joy
The "assignment" that changes how you show up for other people
Why survival isn't the point—living is

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This episode is sponsored by:

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Joyful Anyway: Surviving the Sh*t Show of Regular Life | Kate Bowler

10% Happier with Dan Harris

Joyful Anyway: Surviving the Sh*t Show of Regular Life | Kate Bowler