Everyone’s Talking About the Same Movie, and We Love It

Why friendships sometimes end with no explanation, a surprising love of crystals, and a realization about traditions after our father died. Episode highlights Something making us happier: Elizabeth makes a surprising discovery about herself [01:00] I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You: Why do friends ghost? [14:00] Spotlight on a tool: Add the cities of friends and family to your iPhone Weather app list. [23:00] I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You—New traditions after loss[25:00] Mentioned in this Episode What Did I Do Wrong? What to Do When You Don’t Know Why the Friendship Is Over by Liz Pryor (Amazon, Bookshop)  The Four Tendencies hub  Take the free Four Tendencies quiz Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett (Amazon, Bookshop)  Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin (Amazon, Bookshop)  Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show! Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a recent trip to Dollywood, we recorded voice notes about what Dolly Parton teaches us about ambition, “Dolly droppings,” a travel hack for when you’re meeting people, why we wanted to visit Dollywood, and more. Episode Highlights Give a big idea a 24-hour deadline [01:32] Travel hack: Is it better to check or carry on if you’re meeting someone at the airport? [04:39] What Dolly Parton’s career shows us about ambition [08:29] Our tip for how to make the most of a big theme park [15:14] What Dolly’s consistent style teaches us about self-knowledge [16:00] Mentioned in this Episode Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa  Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics (Amazon, Bookshop)  Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton(Amazon, Bookshop)  Heidi Parton’s A Christmas to Remember Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft ⁠Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz⁠ Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show! Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Wendy Molyneux put her own quirks to good use, turning a passionate dislike of Entourage into a fundraiser for a cause close to her heart. Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show! Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk to Colleen Dennis of CareScout about how to start the tough conversations about aging, care, and family responsibility, and the dos and don’ts of holiday visits. Episode highlights How to approach conversations about in-home help with loved ones [03:25] Long-term care costs and financial readiness [07:47] Dividing caregiving fairly between siblings [13:30] Red flags to look for at home during a holiday visit [21:49] Mentioned in this episode CareScout, the episode sponsor, helps families understand care needs, plan ahead, find quality care, and think through funding: carescout.com Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show! Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you’re facing a full social calendar, interacting with challenging relatives, or missing a loved one, we share our favorite insights on navigating this sometimes-difficult season. Episode Highlights: Say yes to holiday invitations when you can [01:14] Make room for grief during the holidays[05:28] Why doing what’s right doesn’t always feel happy [09:26] Try This at Home: set a realistic holiday intention [11:49] Mentioned in this episode: The Eight Splendid Truths of Happiness The Strategy of Safeguards Write your own Personal Commandments Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show! Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why lowering your standards isn’t the answer, how to call friends without making it weird, and does it matter if everyone orders the same thing at a restaurant? Episode highlights Try This at Home: Right-size your expectations. [00:14] Know Yourself Better: Do you split dishes with your dining partner, or order the same thing? Plus, a few restaurant hacks [00:24] Demerits & Gold Stars: Gretchen left her backpack in an Uber [00:50] Mentioned in this Episode Notarize, an online notary service  Ep. 602, on spending money at home instead of on a vacation Take the Five-Senses Quiz Take the Gift-Giving Quiz Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin (Amazon, Bookshop)  Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen by Bob Greene  (Amazon, Bookshop) 1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World by Liaquat Ahamed  (Amazon, Bookshop) Dad, Love, Me by Matthew Quick  (Amazon, Bookshop) Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show! Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I can’t let go of a mistake I made, I take comfort in the stories of highly skilled teams who made mistakes of their own.   Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show! Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fun of monoculture, a secret theme behind Steven Spielberg’s movies, and Jeff Probst visits a Survivor Fantasy League. Episode highlights Something Making Us Happier: Halloween decorations and a special Survivor Fantasy League guest visit [00:36] I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You: Why seeing a movie in a theater beats watching at home [09:42] I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: Gretchen reveals Steven Spielberg’s secret theme [18:39] Mentioned in this Episode Youglish Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show! Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 610: Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author with over 100 million books in print and many hit TV adaptations, talks about his new book, Plot Twist, messy first drafts, how fiction is memoir, and the simple trick that leaves him with no excuses. Episode highlights Why bestselling novelist, Harlan Coben, wrote a memoir about the writing life, and how the process differed from his other books. [04:33] “Fiction is memoir, and memoir is fiction.” [06:27] Whether you want to pursue writing, sculpting, or painting, it’s never too late. [16:38] Why characters don’t have to be likeable, and how “incremental ambition” helps you keep going. [32:00] Listener questions (and Harlan Coben’s answers) about modern technology in plotting, working with Reese Witherspoon, and book cover art [22:12] Mentioned in this Episode Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft by Harlan Coben (Amazon, Bookshop)  Harlan Coben’s novels Evaporated: Gone with the Gods podcast, about Japan’s “johatsu” (people who deliberately vanish)  NYT profile of Harlan Coben Haruki Murakami and the baseball game where he decided to write a novel Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show! Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've come to see a great paradox at the heart of the "Open Door" stage: I want my daughters to know they're essential to my happiness, and also that my happiness doesn't depend on them. Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show! Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices