Gretchen Rubin: Happiness, Habits and Understanding Human Nature

10/03/19 • 50 min

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Most of us have strong feelings about habits. We love the ones that help us be better and we hate the ones that hold us back. But have you ever thought about how habits affect our happiness? Today’s guest on The School of Greatness has thought a lot about this. Gretchen Rubin is a hugely successful author and blogger (and former attorney) who researches the best ways to create happy, healthy lifestyles. In her newest book, she studies how to use your personality strengths and weaknesses to mindfully create habits that work to your advantage. On a deeper level, she talks about how all of the small daily choices we make add up to our whole lives, and how we can save energy by making good choices a habit. I loved connecting with and learning from Gretchen in this conversation and can’t wait for you to as well in Episode 187 with Gretchen Rubin.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
The 4 Tendencies of How We Meet ExpectationsObligers – people who meet others’ expectations but not their ownUpholders – people who meet others’ and their own expectationsQuestioners – people who question every expectation – they need reasons for everythingRebels – people who resist all expectationsHabits are all about decision-making: behaviors that are on auto-pilotWhy life transitions are the best times to make new habits (even when things are crazy)What kind of lifestyles cause unhappinessPlus much more...

Previous Episode

Conscious Parenting with Dr. Shefali Tsabary

Ok. This is big. And it’s not just for parents. I got so much out of this interview and I’m not a parent yet. In fact, I believe in this message so much, I want EVERYONE to hear it, whether they are a parent, a child, or an adult child (that covers all of us). Dr. Shefali Tsabary is one of the world’s leading experts in parenting. As a clinical psychologist, she is well educated in this topic. But that isn’t what’s made her a multiple NYT bestselling author or a favorite of Oprah. Dr. Shefali has spent her life learning from both Eastern and Western philosophy about the relationships between parents and children. This includes learning about how our egos respond to creating life, why we struggle so much with trying to control our children, how we project on them all of the things we didn’t get from our parents, and so much more. In our conversation, we dove deep into why it’s so important to become a conscious parent – beginning well before you decide you are ready to have a child. I was on the edge of my seat during this whole interview because I was learning so much (that made so much sense about my own experience of being a child). I can’t wait to have Dr. Shefali back on the show, but for now, get ready to upgrade your level of consciousness in Episode 526.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:The biggest difference between Eastern and Western philosophies of parenting (3:32)The mental illness running through so many parents in our society (6:40)How children are actually our teachers (7:26)The question every person should ask themselves before choosing to become a parent (9:01)Why we need to think of children as coming through us instead of us creating them (14:15)What needs to shift inside women for them to own their power (28:59)How parenting can be a mask (32:40)Why parenting is a “being” more than a “doing” (48:40)Plus much more...

Next Episode

Spiritual Weight Training and Becoming a Peaceful Warrior with Dan Millman

The words “peaceful” and “warrior” don’t usually go together. In fact, they seem to be opposites. But if you’ve read the international bestselling book or seen the movie Way of the Peaceful Warrior, you know there’s something powerful about this idea. Dan Millman is the author of this (and 16 other books) and an incredibly wise teacher. He was an early guest on the podcast, back in Episode 193, and I was excited to have him back on since he just released a new book. When I watched the movie based on his hit book, it was hugely influential to me and became one of my favorites. Sitting down with him 11 years later to discuss the wisdom behind this story was powerful. Dan is the kind of guy who has a quiet way of speaking, takes pauses, and thinks about his answers. But I was hanging on every word. There were times in this conversation where I almost felt like I was in a dream, learning things that he wasn’t even saying. And that was after just an hour of talking together. I loved what Dan taught about what it means to live a good life, why greatness is apparent in every single one of us, and how life teaches us exactly what we’re ready to learn. Whether this is your first experience with the peaceful warrior mindset or you are a fan already, be prepared for some spiritual weight training during Episode 554.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:How to practice lucid dreaming (10:30)Why comparison is actually a form of suffering (14:30)The 12 courses that life teaches us (17:20)Why Dan doesn’t encourage anyone to be grateful (29:06)How to take care of your health when you’re young (54:07)Plus much more...