1 00:00:15,476 --> 00:00:24,516 Speaker 1: Pushkin the orange and the walk sign is terrible, like 2 00:00:24,556 --> 00:00:27,756 Speaker 1: the don't walk the orange is awful. Right. For the 3 00:00:27,796 --> 00:00:30,156 Speaker 1: last few months, I've been really trying to notice the 4 00:00:30,156 --> 00:00:33,676 Speaker 1: world around me, soaking up the sights and smells, the 5 00:00:33,716 --> 00:00:37,476 Speaker 1: good and the bad. It's amazing that garbage days smells 6 00:00:37,516 --> 00:00:40,276 Speaker 1: so bad, Like why does it smell so bad? I've 7 00:00:40,276 --> 00:00:42,956 Speaker 1: always had decent eyesight, pretty good hearing, and a nice 8 00:00:42,956 --> 00:00:46,276 Speaker 1: sense of smell. But most days I've not really appreciated 9 00:00:46,316 --> 00:00:50,276 Speaker 1: these senses. It's usually only something truly extraordinary that wakes 10 00:00:50,276 --> 00:00:53,716 Speaker 1: me up, an amazing sunset or vacation or a super 11 00:00:53,756 --> 00:00:57,876 Speaker 1: expensive fine dining experience. I usually failed to savor the 12 00:00:57,916 --> 00:01:00,836 Speaker 1: normal things, you know, the stuff that's around me each 13 00:01:00,876 --> 00:01:03,476 Speaker 1: and every day. That is until I was given an 14 00:01:03,516 --> 00:01:06,876 Speaker 1: advance copy of Life in Five Senses. How Exploring the 15 00:01:06,916 --> 00:01:09,316 Speaker 1: Senses got me out of my head and into the world. 16 00:01:09,796 --> 00:01:13,196 Speaker 1: It's a new book from happiness expert and podcaster Gretchen Ruben. 17 00:01:13,676 --> 00:01:17,356 Speaker 1: Following Gretchen's example, I've started to better notice and appreciate 18 00:01:17,396 --> 00:01:18,236 Speaker 1: the world around me. 19 00:01:18,596 --> 00:01:18,996 Speaker 2: I think the. 20 00:01:18,956 --> 00:01:22,796 Speaker 1: Best orange is like the color of Luke Skywalker's X 21 00:01:22,836 --> 00:01:25,436 Speaker 1: Wing Fighter uniform and the original Star Wars, it's like 22 00:01:25,556 --> 00:01:29,156 Speaker 1: that's like the perfect pristine orange. In our episode last time, 23 00:01:29,356 --> 00:01:32,036 Speaker 1: Gretchen shared her experience of bringing more joy and wonder 24 00:01:32,076 --> 00:01:35,036 Speaker 1: into her daily life by paying more attention to sights 25 00:01:35,156 --> 00:01:38,436 Speaker 1: and sounds. But that still leaves us with three remaining 26 00:01:38,476 --> 00:01:41,596 Speaker 1: senses to discuss, starting with the one that's right under 27 00:01:41,636 --> 00:01:42,196 Speaker 1: our noses. 28 00:01:42,996 --> 00:01:44,516 Speaker 2: I've always loved the sense of smell. 29 00:01:44,556 --> 00:01:46,836 Speaker 3: And it's funny because for some people, I think, especially 30 00:01:46,876 --> 00:01:48,996 Speaker 3: in the West, this can be kind of an overlooked 31 00:01:49,076 --> 00:01:52,196 Speaker 3: sense and people don't think about it as much or 32 00:01:52,236 --> 00:01:54,716 Speaker 3: attend to it as much, Whereas I always had been 33 00:01:54,876 --> 00:01:57,436 Speaker 3: have been very, very interested in the sense of smell, 34 00:01:57,516 --> 00:01:58,356 Speaker 3: So this was. 35 00:01:58,356 --> 00:01:59,636 Speaker 2: One that I couldn't wait for. 36 00:01:59,796 --> 00:02:02,396 Speaker 3: I just wanted an excuse to spend more time exploring 37 00:02:02,396 --> 00:02:06,076 Speaker 3: my sense of smell. So for me, this was particularly delightful. 38 00:02:06,436 --> 00:02:09,356 Speaker 3: Now it was interesting though too, because of COVID. Know, 39 00:02:09,596 --> 00:02:11,756 Speaker 3: this was a sense where I think for many people 40 00:02:11,836 --> 00:02:14,316 Speaker 3: they became much more aware, and I think this culturally, 41 00:02:14,316 --> 00:02:17,236 Speaker 3: we became much more aware of the value of the 42 00:02:17,276 --> 00:02:19,116 Speaker 3: sense of smell and how much it does add to 43 00:02:19,156 --> 00:02:21,476 Speaker 3: our existence. You know, so often we don't realize how 44 00:02:21,476 --> 00:02:25,516 Speaker 3: important something is until it's gone, and I know many 45 00:02:25,596 --> 00:02:28,196 Speaker 3: people personally who lost their sense of smell. 46 00:02:28,236 --> 00:02:29,556 Speaker 2: For most of them it came back. 47 00:02:29,596 --> 00:02:31,476 Speaker 3: But one of my friends said she's at twenty four 48 00:02:31,556 --> 00:02:35,356 Speaker 3: percent now, so she's up, but she still says there 49 00:02:35,356 --> 00:02:37,356 Speaker 3: are many things she can't smell. And hearing about her 50 00:02:37,356 --> 00:02:39,876 Speaker 3: experience and the experience of other people made me realize, like, 51 00:02:40,356 --> 00:02:42,796 Speaker 3: it adds so much to our sense of our vitality 52 00:02:42,836 --> 00:02:44,956 Speaker 3: and our sense of connection to other people into the world. 53 00:02:45,036 --> 00:02:47,476 Speaker 3: But it was one that I was very aware of myself. 54 00:02:47,476 --> 00:02:50,036 Speaker 3: It was one of my most appreciated senses going into this. 55 00:02:50,356 --> 00:02:52,436 Speaker 1: And these stories about COVID and people who lose their 56 00:02:52,476 --> 00:02:54,516 Speaker 1: sense of smell, I think can get us to another 57 00:02:54,516 --> 00:02:57,476 Speaker 1: benefit that comes when we really start noticing and paying attention, right, 58 00:02:57,516 --> 00:03:00,116 Speaker 1: which is gratitude. Yeah right, you know, it's just something 59 00:03:00,116 --> 00:03:02,356 Speaker 1: that's in the background. But once we realize, oh my gosh, 60 00:03:02,396 --> 00:03:04,676 Speaker 1: I can lose it now, all of a sudden it 61 00:03:04,716 --> 00:03:06,676 Speaker 1: matters to us. We really want to engage with it 62 00:03:06,716 --> 00:03:08,156 Speaker 1: even more one hundred percent. 63 00:03:08,196 --> 00:03:11,476 Speaker 3: Okay, Now, you're a happiness expert, and you know one 64 00:03:11,516 --> 00:03:12,916 Speaker 3: of the big things people always tell you to do 65 00:03:12,956 --> 00:03:16,076 Speaker 3: is keep a gratitude journal. I was deeply annoyed by 66 00:03:16,116 --> 00:03:18,676 Speaker 3: a gratitude journal. I tried this couple times. I just 67 00:03:19,276 --> 00:03:21,196 Speaker 3: it did not work for me as a tool, even 68 00:03:21,236 --> 00:03:23,516 Speaker 3: though it is like a tool that people are often 69 00:03:23,556 --> 00:03:26,476 Speaker 3: point to as a useful tool. So I started keeping 70 00:03:26,516 --> 00:03:28,316 Speaker 3: a five cents journal where each day I would just 71 00:03:28,396 --> 00:03:31,036 Speaker 3: like write one kind of standout experience, you know, just 72 00:03:31,236 --> 00:03:36,036 Speaker 3: something remarkable or notable, maybe particularly good or very distinctive 73 00:03:36,156 --> 00:03:37,516 Speaker 3: or unexpected or whatever. 74 00:03:37,676 --> 00:03:39,676 Speaker 2: Just I just made a little notebook for myself. 75 00:03:40,276 --> 00:03:42,716 Speaker 3: And what I found is that it really turned into 76 00:03:42,876 --> 00:03:46,116 Speaker 3: a gratitude journal for me, because it felt like my 77 00:03:46,316 --> 00:03:50,836 Speaker 3: way of testifying to the world, and by noticing it, 78 00:03:50,996 --> 00:03:53,716 Speaker 3: that was my way of paying tribute to everything that 79 00:03:53,756 --> 00:03:55,716 Speaker 3: the world was offering to me that I was otherwise 80 00:03:55,756 --> 00:04:00,396 Speaker 3: overlooking and neglecting. The benefits of gratitude for happiness are many. 81 00:04:00,676 --> 00:04:02,676 Speaker 3: But if it turns out that the gratitude journal doesn't 82 00:04:02,716 --> 00:04:05,116 Speaker 3: work for you, this might be something that you would 83 00:04:05,196 --> 00:04:09,476 Speaker 3: find to be a fun different approach that really does 84 00:04:09,956 --> 00:04:12,276 Speaker 3: help express gratitude, but in a different way. 85 00:04:12,476 --> 00:04:14,196 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think you know, I started copying this 86 00:04:14,236 --> 00:04:17,236 Speaker 1: practice a little bit really informally, like after I read 87 00:04:17,236 --> 00:04:19,276 Speaker 1: your book, and it's funny the kind of things that 88 00:04:19,356 --> 00:04:21,556 Speaker 1: get in there, because for me, it was like it 89 00:04:21,556 --> 00:04:25,116 Speaker 1: wasn't necessarily the best smells or tastes source, you know, right, 90 00:04:25,156 --> 00:04:27,236 Speaker 1: it was kind of the ones that I noticed most, 91 00:04:27,476 --> 00:04:30,276 Speaker 1: But even that came with a certain sense of like awe, 92 00:04:30,356 --> 00:04:33,356 Speaker 1: Like you know, it's amazing that garbage days smells so bad. 93 00:04:33,676 --> 00:04:36,036 Speaker 1: Like it's such a weird sense of like all these 94 00:04:36,076 --> 00:04:38,036 Speaker 1: things together, like why does it smell so bad? And 95 00:04:38,076 --> 00:04:40,516 Speaker 1: so it took something that would normally be either in 96 00:04:40,556 --> 00:04:42,516 Speaker 1: the background or something that I walked down the street judging, 97 00:04:42,596 --> 00:04:45,116 Speaker 1: like a terrible smell again today, and it brought me 98 00:04:45,156 --> 00:04:46,996 Speaker 1: almost like a sense of awe, like the sort of 99 00:04:47,036 --> 00:04:49,796 Speaker 1: curiosity that I brought to it, like kind of just 100 00:04:49,796 --> 00:04:51,516 Speaker 1: felt good in this really interesting way. 101 00:04:51,716 --> 00:04:52,476 Speaker 2: No, I think it does. 102 00:04:52,516 --> 00:04:54,876 Speaker 3: It helps us chap into that sense of transcendence, and 103 00:04:54,916 --> 00:04:56,716 Speaker 3: it also just helps us to notice, because I think 104 00:04:56,716 --> 00:04:59,556 Speaker 3: anytime you're sort of looking for things in the world, 105 00:05:00,156 --> 00:05:02,076 Speaker 3: it just helps your mind pay attention because in a way, 106 00:05:02,076 --> 00:05:04,236 Speaker 3: our brains are trying to help us out by moving 107 00:05:04,276 --> 00:05:06,236 Speaker 3: things into the background. It's like, you don't need to 108 00:05:06,236 --> 00:05:08,276 Speaker 3: know this, this isn't important, you don't have to be 109 00:05:08,356 --> 00:05:10,916 Speaker 3: distracted by that, And so we need to have some 110 00:05:10,996 --> 00:05:14,316 Speaker 3: kind of conscious practices to help us tune into everything 111 00:05:14,316 --> 00:05:16,676 Speaker 3: that's happening around us. And so I think doing something 112 00:05:16,716 --> 00:05:19,236 Speaker 3: like this also it's sort of like like I remember 113 00:05:19,476 --> 00:05:21,796 Speaker 3: I can't say the word, can you say the word about. 114 00:05:21,556 --> 00:05:24,876 Speaker 2: The dog weimerammer, weymerammer, these. 115 00:05:24,756 --> 00:05:29,156 Speaker 3: Ones that have that that fur that looks frosted, you know, 116 00:05:29,236 --> 00:05:31,836 Speaker 3: And I remember thinking like, oh, I've seen these dogs 117 00:05:31,876 --> 00:05:33,876 Speaker 3: so many times. But it's like, because I'm keeping my 118 00:05:33,876 --> 00:05:36,836 Speaker 3: five centsus journal, I'm really noticing like, oh, I can't 119 00:05:36,836 --> 00:05:40,036 Speaker 3: say the word, but I love the way they're that 120 00:05:40,316 --> 00:05:43,156 Speaker 3: very unusual quality of their fur. And now every time 121 00:05:43,156 --> 00:05:45,036 Speaker 3: I see a dog like that, I think I really 122 00:05:45,076 --> 00:05:47,036 Speaker 3: take a moment, and like you said, I have this 123 00:05:47,076 --> 00:05:50,196 Speaker 3: almost a moment of transcendence, which is like lookate, you 124 00:05:50,236 --> 00:05:54,276 Speaker 3: know what nature can do, this kind of glaucous quality. Yeah, 125 00:05:54,316 --> 00:05:57,756 Speaker 3: So I think it helps us tap into this transcendent 126 00:05:57,836 --> 00:05:59,436 Speaker 3: quality of everyday life. 127 00:05:59,476 --> 00:06:02,476 Speaker 1: And then noticing of these transcendent qualities also comes with 128 00:06:02,756 --> 00:06:04,996 Speaker 1: yet another benefit that you've talked about in the book, 129 00:06:05,036 --> 00:06:07,276 Speaker 1: which is that we can use our senses, especially smell, 130 00:06:07,356 --> 00:06:09,036 Speaker 1: not just to be present in the here and now, 131 00:06:09,356 --> 00:06:11,836 Speaker 1: but we can use our senses to create these new, 132 00:06:12,156 --> 00:06:14,436 Speaker 1: kind of more vivid memories in the future. And this 133 00:06:14,516 --> 00:06:16,996 Speaker 1: is something that I found so powerful about what you 134 00:06:17,036 --> 00:06:19,316 Speaker 1: talked about would smell, which is that we can kind 135 00:06:19,316 --> 00:06:21,516 Speaker 1: of use smell to do this, and very smart people 136 00:06:21,676 --> 00:06:24,156 Speaker 1: have done this. You mentioned the example of Andy Warhol, 137 00:06:24,196 --> 00:06:26,396 Speaker 1: which I was hoping to share here because it's such 138 00:06:26,396 --> 00:06:28,836 Speaker 1: a lovely way to kind of create memories for the future. 139 00:06:29,116 --> 00:06:32,956 Speaker 3: Yeah, So Andy Warhol would would choose the scent and 140 00:06:33,116 --> 00:06:35,516 Speaker 3: would use it for a particular period and then he 141 00:06:35,556 --> 00:06:38,436 Speaker 3: would kind of retire it, and then he would use 142 00:06:38,476 --> 00:06:41,716 Speaker 3: that scent if he wanted to evoke memories from the past, 143 00:06:42,236 --> 00:06:44,556 Speaker 3: because we have such a strong tie between a sense 144 00:06:44,596 --> 00:06:46,996 Speaker 3: and a time. And what's interesting is like, Okay, this 145 00:06:47,076 --> 00:06:50,076 Speaker 3: is Andy Warhol. But many people after we talked about 146 00:06:50,116 --> 00:06:52,396 Speaker 3: it on the Happier podcast, many people said that they 147 00:06:52,396 --> 00:06:55,476 Speaker 3: had done something similar, like for their honeymoon, they had 148 00:06:55,476 --> 00:06:58,476 Speaker 3: a very particular scent that they wore for their honeymoon 149 00:06:58,516 --> 00:07:00,956 Speaker 3: and then for the rest of their lives. It was like, oh, 150 00:07:01,076 --> 00:07:03,716 Speaker 3: that was the scent that I wore my honeymoon. In 151 00:07:03,716 --> 00:07:05,876 Speaker 3: my life, there was a very particular perfume that I 152 00:07:05,876 --> 00:07:08,556 Speaker 3: wore my senior year in college t Rose. If you've 153 00:07:08,556 --> 00:07:11,476 Speaker 3: ever smelled rose perfume, it is really powerful. Like I 154 00:07:11,476 --> 00:07:13,316 Speaker 3: don't wear it now because I'm just like that is 155 00:07:13,396 --> 00:07:16,676 Speaker 3: just too much for the average person, Like I wear 156 00:07:16,676 --> 00:07:19,316 Speaker 3: it to bed when it's just you know, at home. 157 00:07:19,436 --> 00:07:20,676 Speaker 2: I wouldn't wear it out. 158 00:07:20,516 --> 00:07:23,316 Speaker 3: Really, but I smell that, and I mean, senior year 159 00:07:23,316 --> 00:07:26,356 Speaker 3: in college just comes back to me. And so again 160 00:07:26,436 --> 00:07:29,156 Speaker 3: it's interesting how this can happen accidentally, the way I 161 00:07:29,316 --> 00:07:33,196 Speaker 3: sort of accidentally formed the connection between college and my perfume. 162 00:07:33,556 --> 00:07:36,596 Speaker 3: But then this, this other person really consciously did it 163 00:07:36,636 --> 00:07:39,316 Speaker 3: as having like this is the sense of my honeymoon, 164 00:07:39,676 --> 00:07:42,396 Speaker 3: and I will tap into this as a way to 165 00:07:42,476 --> 00:07:45,436 Speaker 3: tap into memories. And so I think it can be 166 00:07:45,516 --> 00:07:49,556 Speaker 3: really fun to preserve a sensation in order that it 167 00:07:49,716 --> 00:07:53,116 Speaker 3: kind of had that crystallized ability to evoke memories. 168 00:07:53,756 --> 00:07:55,596 Speaker 1: And I think this is one of the unique things 169 00:07:55,636 --> 00:07:59,316 Speaker 1: just neuroscientifically about the way that smell works. Like you know, 170 00:07:59,356 --> 00:08:02,076 Speaker 1: the other senses we talked about in the last episodees 171 00:08:02,196 --> 00:08:05,076 Speaker 1: just site and hearing, they kind of go through old 172 00:08:05,116 --> 00:08:07,476 Speaker 1: school parts of our brain and the thalamus, and it 173 00:08:07,516 --> 00:08:10,236 Speaker 1: takes a while for those actual sensory inputs to get 174 00:08:10,316 --> 00:08:13,476 Speaker 1: organized into something. But smell just because of the where 175 00:08:13,476 --> 00:08:16,196 Speaker 1: your noses goes straight into your temporal lobe, like that's 176 00:08:16,476 --> 00:08:19,316 Speaker 1: a cortical tissue, like the smarter parts of our brain tissue, 177 00:08:19,396 --> 00:08:21,676 Speaker 1: and so it gets organized really quickly, and that means 178 00:08:21,676 --> 00:08:24,076 Speaker 1: it can kind of tap into memories even more quickly 179 00:08:24,116 --> 00:08:25,796 Speaker 1: than I think some of our other senses. Which is 180 00:08:25,796 --> 00:08:28,316 Speaker 1: funny because I think we don't assume that smell has 181 00:08:28,356 --> 00:08:31,196 Speaker 1: this property or that taste, which you know, oddly I 182 00:08:31,196 --> 00:08:34,116 Speaker 1: think people don't realize is really mostly made up of smell, right, 183 00:08:34,276 --> 00:08:36,836 Speaker 1: it has that property too. And so when you jumped 184 00:08:36,876 --> 00:08:39,396 Speaker 1: into the taste domain, this was also a spot where 185 00:08:39,436 --> 00:08:42,716 Speaker 1: you really tried to use that sensory experience to tie 186 00:08:42,716 --> 00:08:45,836 Speaker 1: into your memories. So talk about the taste catalog you 187 00:08:45,916 --> 00:08:48,516 Speaker 1: created to kind of get you back to some of 188 00:08:48,556 --> 00:08:49,516 Speaker 1: your older memories. 189 00:08:49,876 --> 00:08:53,596 Speaker 3: Yeah, and this was super fun. And so I divided 190 00:08:53,596 --> 00:08:57,756 Speaker 3: my life into sort of four epics. So there was sick, childhood, college, 191 00:08:57,756 --> 00:09:01,316 Speaker 3: and law school, my children's childhood, and now and thought, well, 192 00:09:01,356 --> 00:09:04,596 Speaker 3: what were some of the standout flavors of that time? 193 00:09:04,716 --> 00:09:07,996 Speaker 3: So flavor is taste plus smell, because taste you just 194 00:09:08,036 --> 00:09:10,076 Speaker 3: have the five basic taste, but with smell you get 195 00:09:10,116 --> 00:09:11,436 Speaker 3: the whole complex flavor. 196 00:09:12,036 --> 00:09:13,956 Speaker 2: And what was funny. 197 00:09:13,716 --> 00:09:14,996 Speaker 3: Was that I didn't even need to go out and 198 00:09:15,076 --> 00:09:18,516 Speaker 3: taste these things. Just thinking about their taste helped bring 199 00:09:18,556 --> 00:09:22,996 Speaker 3: back all these memories. It really took me back to 200 00:09:23,076 --> 00:09:26,476 Speaker 3: those times in a way that was really really remarkable. 201 00:09:26,476 --> 00:09:28,716 Speaker 3: And what I tried to find was things that were 202 00:09:28,756 --> 00:09:31,756 Speaker 3: either distinctive, like I ate them during that time and 203 00:09:31,796 --> 00:09:33,596 Speaker 3: no other time in my life, or they were like 204 00:09:33,716 --> 00:09:36,796 Speaker 3: my favorite standout tastes of that time. 205 00:09:36,956 --> 00:09:38,996 Speaker 1: Reading your account of this was funny for me because 206 00:09:39,036 --> 00:09:41,876 Speaker 1: you know, during your undergrad and grad school time, you 207 00:09:41,956 --> 00:09:43,876 Speaker 1: are based in New Haven at Yale, which is where 208 00:09:43,916 --> 00:09:45,876 Speaker 1: I am, and so there were lots of restaurants in 209 00:09:46,316 --> 00:09:48,516 Speaker 1: your lists that were really like, oh my gosh, I 210 00:09:48,556 --> 00:09:52,516 Speaker 1: love that, Yes York sides, Greek salad, the chunks of cheese, 211 00:09:52,596 --> 00:09:55,356 Speaker 1: like you know. Again, yet another way to kind of 212 00:09:55,476 --> 00:09:58,436 Speaker 1: use taste for social connection, which I think is, you know, 213 00:09:58,476 --> 00:10:01,316 Speaker 1: one of the big benefits of taste is that not 214 00:10:01,356 --> 00:10:03,956 Speaker 1: only can we taste things with people, but it actually 215 00:10:03,996 --> 00:10:06,596 Speaker 1: enhances the experience when we try to share it too. 216 00:10:06,876 --> 00:10:09,956 Speaker 3: Absolutely no, and with my sister after I did my childhood. 217 00:10:10,036 --> 00:10:11,716 Speaker 3: You know, of course we shared a childhood. So I 218 00:10:11,756 --> 00:10:13,876 Speaker 3: called her up and we just, you know, we talked 219 00:10:13,916 --> 00:10:16,076 Speaker 3: about what we ate on lung car trips and what 220 00:10:16,116 --> 00:10:18,236 Speaker 3: we ate when our grandparents that like let us get 221 00:10:18,276 --> 00:10:20,116 Speaker 3: junk food that our parents wouldn't let us get. 222 00:10:20,356 --> 00:10:22,116 Speaker 2: You know, it's just we were just laughing. 223 00:10:22,916 --> 00:10:25,196 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's really It really does help you connect with 224 00:10:25,236 --> 00:10:26,556 Speaker 3: other people in those memories. 225 00:10:26,916 --> 00:10:29,476 Speaker 1: And so the final sense that you decided to dive 226 00:10:29,516 --> 00:10:31,716 Speaker 1: into was I think the one you were absolutely most 227 00:10:31,716 --> 00:10:35,076 Speaker 1: excited for, which is the sense of touch. And so 228 00:10:35,196 --> 00:10:37,236 Speaker 1: talk about why touch is a little bit weird in 229 00:10:37,236 --> 00:10:40,196 Speaker 1: some ways, it actually is like literally our biggest sense, 230 00:10:40,396 --> 00:10:42,236 Speaker 1: like just in terms of how it works with our bodies. 231 00:10:42,676 --> 00:10:45,076 Speaker 3: Yeah, well it's funny because you know, you think I 232 00:10:45,116 --> 00:10:47,596 Speaker 3: always thought of skin as like packaging, but you know, 233 00:10:47,676 --> 00:10:51,076 Speaker 3: that's where we get our sensations for touch. It's incredibly 234 00:10:51,236 --> 00:10:54,716 Speaker 3: complex systems of how we touch, how we perceive touch. 235 00:10:54,836 --> 00:10:56,076 Speaker 2: It's different all over the body. 236 00:10:56,156 --> 00:11:00,156 Speaker 3: Someplaces really only get vague sensations, some you know, very 237 00:11:00,316 --> 00:11:03,276 Speaker 3: very fine. And you know, you think of touching as 238 00:11:03,276 --> 00:11:06,276 Speaker 3: being kind of like the final reality, like if you 239 00:11:06,436 --> 00:11:08,636 Speaker 3: reach out and touch something that means like, that's how 240 00:11:08,636 --> 00:11:12,036 Speaker 3: you know it's there. And so I hadn't realized before 241 00:11:12,076 --> 00:11:15,076 Speaker 3: I started this, like how touch focused I was. 242 00:11:15,196 --> 00:11:16,356 Speaker 2: And that's one of the things. 243 00:11:16,116 --> 00:11:18,276 Speaker 3: That really surprised you with this, is you're like, how 244 00:11:18,276 --> 00:11:20,756 Speaker 3: do you not know your own preferences? Like how do 245 00:11:20,836 --> 00:11:23,076 Speaker 3: you not know what you like or don't like? It 246 00:11:23,116 --> 00:11:25,036 Speaker 3: seems like there's nothing that would be more obvious. But 247 00:11:25,116 --> 00:11:27,556 Speaker 3: I realized I just sort of bumbled around in this fog, 248 00:11:27,596 --> 00:11:29,716 Speaker 3: and I really didn't notice a lot about what I 249 00:11:29,756 --> 00:11:32,236 Speaker 3: did and didn't like. And I've gotten a much more 250 00:11:32,756 --> 00:11:35,916 Speaker 3: nuanced sense of my own preferences having done this. And 251 00:11:35,956 --> 00:11:38,196 Speaker 3: one of the things I didn't know is how much 252 00:11:38,396 --> 00:11:40,836 Speaker 3: I am attuned to the sense of touch and how 253 00:11:40,916 --> 00:11:44,156 Speaker 3: much I love certain touch experiences, even things like peeling 254 00:11:44,156 --> 00:11:44,996 Speaker 3: hard boiled eggs. 255 00:11:45,596 --> 00:11:46,836 Speaker 2: Until a friend said, oh. 256 00:11:46,996 --> 00:11:50,556 Speaker 3: I can't wear like a cotton button down shirt unless 257 00:11:50,556 --> 00:11:52,556 Speaker 3: I have an undershirt on because I can't stand that 258 00:11:52,596 --> 00:11:56,396 Speaker 3: feeling of cotton. And I thought, oh, my gosh, I 259 00:11:56,436 --> 00:11:59,116 Speaker 3: can't stand that feeling of cotton, Like how did I 260 00:11:59,156 --> 00:12:01,596 Speaker 3: not know that? But now that you say that, there 261 00:12:01,676 --> 00:12:04,396 Speaker 3: is something about that feeling that I don't like either, 262 00:12:04,716 --> 00:12:06,556 Speaker 3: How did I not know that you know. 263 00:12:06,796 --> 00:12:08,716 Speaker 1: But once you figure out what you know, then you 264 00:12:08,756 --> 00:12:11,356 Speaker 1: can try to avoid the things that feel bad. Yes, 265 00:12:11,476 --> 00:12:14,276 Speaker 1: but maybe more importantly, you can put more of the 266 00:12:14,316 --> 00:12:16,476 Speaker 1: things that feel good into your life. And this is 267 00:12:16,476 --> 00:12:18,196 Speaker 1: something that you did a lot with touch, which is 268 00:12:18,236 --> 00:12:21,156 Speaker 1: to realize that you can use touch for self care. 269 00:12:21,276 --> 00:12:21,716 Speaker 2: Yes, right. 270 00:12:21,716 --> 00:12:23,996 Speaker 1: You can set up environments where just what you touch 271 00:12:24,076 --> 00:12:24,956 Speaker 1: makes you feel good. 272 00:12:25,516 --> 00:12:25,756 Speaker 2: Yes. 273 00:12:26,036 --> 00:12:28,036 Speaker 3: So part of that is textures, like what you're wearing. 274 00:12:28,076 --> 00:12:29,796 Speaker 3: And I think a lot of people are more and more. 275 00:12:29,796 --> 00:12:32,036 Speaker 3: In fact, I have a brand of T shirt now 276 00:12:32,076 --> 00:12:34,156 Speaker 3: where they print the label right on the shirt, so 277 00:12:34,196 --> 00:12:35,796 Speaker 3: there's no label, and I think that's because a lot 278 00:12:35,836 --> 00:12:38,756 Speaker 3: of people just that scratchy sensation of a label is 279 00:12:38,796 --> 00:12:41,476 Speaker 3: something that's so common that people don't like. But yeah, 280 00:12:41,476 --> 00:12:43,636 Speaker 3: I found that, and I think more and more people 281 00:12:43,636 --> 00:12:46,836 Speaker 3: are aware of this. There's fidget toys, there's pop toys, 282 00:12:46,996 --> 00:12:49,436 Speaker 3: therap by dough, all these things are great as a 283 00:12:49,436 --> 00:12:51,316 Speaker 3: way to use your hands. I also think like if 284 00:12:51,316 --> 00:12:53,396 Speaker 3: you're on a zoom call or something, I think it 285 00:12:53,436 --> 00:12:55,596 Speaker 3: can be a great way to kind of channel your 286 00:12:55,596 --> 00:12:58,316 Speaker 3: restlessness to have something in your hands that you're manipulating. 287 00:12:58,356 --> 00:12:59,996 Speaker 3: I have a fidget spinner that I will just spin 288 00:13:00,116 --> 00:13:02,596 Speaker 3: and spin and spin and spin. But here's something that 289 00:13:02,636 --> 00:13:05,596 Speaker 3: I didn't expect. And this was as a way to 290 00:13:05,676 --> 00:13:10,036 Speaker 3: stay calm. And I had read celebrity memoir Andrew McCarthy 291 00:13:10,076 --> 00:13:13,756 Speaker 3: where he was talking about using bongos for a difficult 292 00:13:13,796 --> 00:13:16,436 Speaker 3: performance that he was giving and had just having something 293 00:13:16,436 --> 00:13:19,356 Speaker 3: in his hand sort of helped him organize his performance. 294 00:13:19,916 --> 00:13:21,996 Speaker 3: And I realized, and again, this is the kind of 295 00:13:22,036 --> 00:13:23,756 Speaker 3: thing where it's like, how do you not know this 296 00:13:23,796 --> 00:13:26,116 Speaker 3: about yourself? You just hang out with yourself all day long, 297 00:13:26,156 --> 00:13:28,596 Speaker 3: And yet I had not noticed this about myself, which 298 00:13:28,636 --> 00:13:31,036 Speaker 3: is that if I'm anxious about something, I will often 299 00:13:31,076 --> 00:13:33,836 Speaker 3: hold a pen in my left hand. I'm left handed, 300 00:13:34,436 --> 00:13:37,556 Speaker 3: there's no paper, there's no reason to write anything down. 301 00:13:37,636 --> 00:13:40,876 Speaker 3: But if I'm like backstage before I'm giving a big talk, 302 00:13:41,196 --> 00:13:43,516 Speaker 3: or I'm going to like a cocktail party where I 303 00:13:43,516 --> 00:13:46,556 Speaker 3: don't know anybody, I just feel better if I hold 304 00:13:46,596 --> 00:13:49,876 Speaker 3: a pen. There's just something about having my hand around it, 305 00:13:49,916 --> 00:13:53,596 Speaker 3: That touch of that object grounds me. And when I 306 00:13:53,636 --> 00:13:56,876 Speaker 3: started asking around people like teachers said they held mugs, 307 00:13:56,956 --> 00:14:00,356 Speaker 3: or an organizer said they held a clipboard, or a 308 00:14:00,476 --> 00:14:02,876 Speaker 3: photographer said for subjects who. 309 00:14:02,756 --> 00:14:05,076 Speaker 2: Felt uneasy getting their picture taken. He would give them like. 310 00:14:05,076 --> 00:14:08,716 Speaker 3: A wineglass to hold, because there's something about holding something 311 00:14:08,716 --> 00:14:11,876 Speaker 3: in our hands. Hands are very important. Hands are special. 312 00:14:12,356 --> 00:14:14,996 Speaker 3: I found and I realized like I could tap into that. 313 00:14:15,036 --> 00:14:18,676 Speaker 3: I could consciously shape my environment in a way that 314 00:14:18,836 --> 00:14:21,476 Speaker 3: made it more comfortable for me. Because if I say, like, 315 00:14:21,716 --> 00:14:23,916 Speaker 3: don't forget your pen, Gretchen, because you'll feel better if 316 00:14:23,916 --> 00:14:26,236 Speaker 3: you're holding your pen, then that's something that I can 317 00:14:26,836 --> 00:14:30,836 Speaker 3: consciously use instead of just like unconsciously groping my way toward. 318 00:14:31,636 --> 00:14:33,716 Speaker 1: So far, we've seen that paying more attention to our 319 00:14:33,756 --> 00:14:36,676 Speaker 1: senses can help us find out more about our preferences, 320 00:14:37,156 --> 00:14:40,876 Speaker 1: and that we can use our knowledge of what site smells, tastes, textures, 321 00:14:40,876 --> 00:14:43,396 Speaker 1: and sounds we do and don't like to improve how 322 00:14:43,396 --> 00:14:46,076 Speaker 1: we feel in our everyday lives. But after the break, 323 00:14:46,196 --> 00:14:48,316 Speaker 1: Gretchen will take us further into how we can use 324 00:14:48,316 --> 00:14:51,436 Speaker 1: our senses to feel happier. She'll share the hacks that 325 00:14:51,476 --> 00:14:54,396 Speaker 1: she uses to make her days more vivid and more enjoyable, 326 00:14:54,676 --> 00:14:57,476 Speaker 1: hacks so powerful they can turn even the act of 327 00:14:57,516 --> 00:15:00,756 Speaker 1: steering at an ordinary traffic cone into a feast for 328 00:15:00,796 --> 00:15:01,356 Speaker 1: the senses. 329 00:15:02,116 --> 00:15:05,796 Speaker 3: It was definitely one of the most transcendent experiences of 330 00:15:05,796 --> 00:15:08,556 Speaker 3: my life, the beauty of nature, pure nature. 331 00:15:09,396 --> 00:15:21,356 Speaker 1: And I will be back in a moment. In most respects, 332 00:15:21,396 --> 00:15:23,716 Speaker 1: the way that we experience the world via our senses 333 00:15:23,876 --> 00:15:26,916 Speaker 1: is deeply personal. The smells we love and the tastes 334 00:15:26,956 --> 00:15:29,196 Speaker 1: that make us swoon might not be shared by any 335 00:15:29,236 --> 00:15:32,676 Speaker 1: of our friends. But as podcaster and happiness expert Gretchen 336 00:15:32,716 --> 00:15:35,276 Speaker 1: Rubin found as she explored her own senses, there are 337 00:15:35,276 --> 00:15:39,116 Speaker 1: great opportunities to combine seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting with 338 00:15:39,236 --> 00:15:40,756 Speaker 1: joyful social interaction. 339 00:15:41,316 --> 00:15:44,636 Speaker 3: My mother grew up eating sort of traditional Jewish foods, 340 00:15:44,676 --> 00:15:46,876 Speaker 3: and I live in New York City, and you know, 341 00:15:46,916 --> 00:15:50,196 Speaker 3: the Lower East Side is known for having all of 342 00:15:50,236 --> 00:15:53,756 Speaker 3: these places that have amazing traditional Jewish foods, and so 343 00:15:53,956 --> 00:15:55,956 Speaker 3: I thought, well, I would love to connect with my 344 00:15:56,036 --> 00:15:58,636 Speaker 3: mother in law and her childhood. So like, let's go 345 00:15:58,756 --> 00:16:01,156 Speaker 3: on a taste tour of the Lower east Side and 346 00:16:01,196 --> 00:16:03,996 Speaker 3: we'll go to all these places and try these foods, 347 00:16:03,996 --> 00:16:07,596 Speaker 3: many of which I hadn't tasted before. And my daughters 348 00:16:07,596 --> 00:16:09,636 Speaker 3: were so interested that they decided to come too. 349 00:16:10,156 --> 00:16:12,596 Speaker 1: This kind of bonding over food is familiar to many 350 00:16:12,596 --> 00:16:15,396 Speaker 1: of us, and Gretchen's Culinary Tour of New York was 351 00:16:15,436 --> 00:16:18,476 Speaker 1: a great success. But she also preaches a little bit 352 00:16:18,516 --> 00:16:21,196 Speaker 1: of caution because as we learn more about our own 353 00:16:21,236 --> 00:16:24,436 Speaker 1: sensory preferences, we also need to stop to appreciate what 354 00:16:24,556 --> 00:16:27,636 Speaker 1: other people do and don't like, and show their sensory 355 00:16:27,676 --> 00:16:29,796 Speaker 1: preferences a bit more respect. 356 00:16:30,596 --> 00:16:33,476 Speaker 3: People live in different sensory world and again, this is 357 00:16:33,476 --> 00:16:35,596 Speaker 3: something that I think we all intellectually know, but it's 358 00:16:35,636 --> 00:16:37,836 Speaker 3: sort of hard to realize, like how true it is, 359 00:16:37,916 --> 00:16:41,316 Speaker 3: how concretely true it is. And I think when people say, like, 360 00:16:41,436 --> 00:16:44,076 Speaker 3: this is really bothering me, or you know, I don't 361 00:16:44,076 --> 00:16:46,916 Speaker 3: feel comfortable in an environment with this, instead of dismissing 362 00:16:46,916 --> 00:16:49,276 Speaker 3: it or saying, well, it's obviously it's fine. It's fine 363 00:16:49,276 --> 00:16:52,156 Speaker 3: for me, so obviously it's fine for you, or wow, 364 00:16:52,196 --> 00:16:54,476 Speaker 3: what's wrong with me? If something is really bothering me 365 00:16:54,476 --> 00:16:56,116 Speaker 3: that other people don't seem to be bothered by, it's 366 00:16:56,196 --> 00:16:59,916 Speaker 3: to say, like, well, people really live in different sensory worlds, 367 00:17:00,356 --> 00:17:03,196 Speaker 3: and so we can shape those to some extent to 368 00:17:03,316 --> 00:17:05,476 Speaker 3: make sure that we're in an environment that is as 369 00:17:05,516 --> 00:17:07,756 Speaker 3: comfortable to us as possible, but then also to have 370 00:17:07,796 --> 00:17:10,236 Speaker 3: empathy for other people who may or feel a discomfort. 371 00:17:10,276 --> 00:17:11,316 Speaker 2: Like I love perfume. 372 00:17:11,436 --> 00:17:13,796 Speaker 3: I love it when people wear perfume because I'm always like, 373 00:17:14,036 --> 00:17:15,076 Speaker 3: maybe there's a new, great. 374 00:17:14,916 --> 00:17:16,956 Speaker 2: Perfume for me to discover. But I know that a 375 00:17:16,996 --> 00:17:18,116 Speaker 2: lot of people don't like. 376 00:17:18,276 --> 00:17:20,036 Speaker 3: For people to wear perfume, So I don't wear it 377 00:17:20,076 --> 00:17:22,756 Speaker 3: out and about I wear it at home because I 378 00:17:22,836 --> 00:17:25,916 Speaker 3: know that people have different have different preferences, and I 379 00:17:25,996 --> 00:17:29,076 Speaker 3: try to be respectful of that, but realizing that there 380 00:17:29,116 --> 00:17:32,876 Speaker 3: are things that we can do, Like for some people visually, 381 00:17:32,996 --> 00:17:35,036 Speaker 3: like they want things to be very orderly, so it's 382 00:17:35,076 --> 00:17:37,156 Speaker 3: like clear clutter. And then there are people like me 383 00:17:37,156 --> 00:17:39,156 Speaker 3: who need a lot of silence, so I clear clatter, 384 00:17:39,396 --> 00:17:41,796 Speaker 3: whereas for other people they want music playing, they want 385 00:17:41,796 --> 00:17:44,076 Speaker 3: people talking. They like that that helps them to think 386 00:17:44,116 --> 00:17:47,676 Speaker 3: and focus. So really saying to yourself, well where do 387 00:17:47,716 --> 00:17:50,636 Speaker 3: I thrive? What does feel right to me? Instead of 388 00:17:50,636 --> 00:17:53,636 Speaker 3: trying to jam yourself into someone else's model or just 389 00:17:53,676 --> 00:17:56,436 Speaker 3: assuming that because other people like something, it might work 390 00:17:56,476 --> 00:17:58,956 Speaker 3: for you. Sometimes it takes a little experimenting. 391 00:17:59,236 --> 00:18:01,436 Speaker 1: And so that's the example of kind of changing your 392 00:18:01,516 --> 00:18:03,996 Speaker 1: environment to be a little bit more focused to kind 393 00:18:03,996 --> 00:18:06,556 Speaker 1: of perform better. Right, you clear the clatter, clear the clutter. 394 00:18:06,836 --> 00:18:09,596 Speaker 1: There's also transforming your environment to experience a little bit 395 00:18:09,636 --> 00:18:12,676 Speaker 1: more self care, and so talk about some specific sensor 396 00:18:12,716 --> 00:18:14,876 Speaker 1: examples that we could bring in, whether it's adding a 397 00:18:14,916 --> 00:18:17,436 Speaker 1: fragrance or adding a new texture, Like how can we 398 00:18:17,476 --> 00:18:19,836 Speaker 1: really kind of make ourselves feel good with our senses? 399 00:18:20,516 --> 00:18:23,036 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's it really is true. It's thinking 400 00:18:23,156 --> 00:18:25,636 Speaker 3: like what would add to my environment? And so I 401 00:18:25,676 --> 00:18:29,076 Speaker 3: think for a lot of people, plants and flowers and 402 00:18:29,436 --> 00:18:32,196 Speaker 3: people tap into big different aspects of plants and flowers. 403 00:18:32,196 --> 00:18:34,636 Speaker 3: So for some people it's the smell. For some people 404 00:18:35,236 --> 00:18:38,076 Speaker 3: it's the kind of the feeling of life and energy 405 00:18:38,116 --> 00:18:39,236 Speaker 3: that comes from a plant. 406 00:18:39,436 --> 00:18:40,556 Speaker 2: Another it's the. 407 00:18:40,476 --> 00:18:43,756 Speaker 3: Beauty of seeing the leaves of the colors. There's the 408 00:18:43,876 --> 00:18:47,116 Speaker 3: touch of like watering them and pulling off the leaves 409 00:18:47,116 --> 00:18:48,876 Speaker 3: that are that need to be pulled out. Like, there's 410 00:18:48,916 --> 00:18:51,276 Speaker 3: all sorts of elements to it. But this is something 411 00:18:51,316 --> 00:18:53,596 Speaker 3: that for a lot of people in different ways. I've 412 00:18:53,596 --> 00:18:55,396 Speaker 3: talked to people who are like, oh wow, like just 413 00:18:55,476 --> 00:18:57,996 Speaker 3: putting a plant in my home office has made the 414 00:18:58,036 --> 00:19:01,036 Speaker 3: whole room feel just more full of life. And so 415 00:19:01,076 --> 00:19:03,676 Speaker 3: you can be thinking about things like that, and I 416 00:19:03,716 --> 00:19:06,756 Speaker 3: think there's both eliminating the negative, which is what are 417 00:19:06,756 --> 00:19:08,636 Speaker 3: the things that are bringing you down or draining you, 418 00:19:08,756 --> 00:19:11,316 Speaker 3: and then adding which is what are the things that 419 00:19:11,556 --> 00:19:15,156 Speaker 3: will make you make it feel richer. So you could say, like, okay, 420 00:19:15,356 --> 00:19:17,916 Speaker 3: I'm in my home office, like maybe there's something that 421 00:19:18,036 --> 00:19:20,436 Speaker 3: smells bad that I need to get rid of. Like 422 00:19:20,596 --> 00:19:23,236 Speaker 3: I found that we had these like garbage bags that 423 00:19:23,276 --> 00:19:26,276 Speaker 3: had this like fresh clean smell that I really really disliked, 424 00:19:26,276 --> 00:19:27,836 Speaker 3: and I just put up with it for years because 425 00:19:27,836 --> 00:19:30,596 Speaker 3: I don't know why. I'm like, okay, let me just 426 00:19:30,756 --> 00:19:34,116 Speaker 3: tackle that and switch to a different garbage bag. Or 427 00:19:34,156 --> 00:19:36,756 Speaker 3: you can add something good, whether that's making sure that 428 00:19:36,796 --> 00:19:38,676 Speaker 3: you open the windows so that you get fresh air 429 00:19:38,756 --> 00:19:41,756 Speaker 3: and the smell of the outdoors, or a plant or 430 00:19:42,316 --> 00:19:46,076 Speaker 3: a scented candle. Some people really love the smell of 431 00:19:46,116 --> 00:19:49,156 Speaker 3: like some products like sharpies. You know, I have a 432 00:19:49,156 --> 00:19:51,236 Speaker 3: friend who loves the smell of sharpiees, and so like 433 00:19:51,276 --> 00:19:53,756 Speaker 3: every time he sits down at his desk, you like, 434 00:19:53,836 --> 00:19:56,436 Speaker 3: he's like, I take away with the sharpie and that's 435 00:19:56,476 --> 00:19:59,156 Speaker 3: like my sign I'm buckling down. And I thought that 436 00:19:59,196 --> 00:20:01,196 Speaker 3: was so funny to have like a ritual smell that's 437 00:20:01,276 --> 00:20:02,796 Speaker 3: like you know, I'm on it. 438 00:20:03,076 --> 00:20:04,436 Speaker 1: And I think this is the power of what you 439 00:20:04,436 --> 00:20:06,076 Speaker 1: talk about in your book, is that when you when 440 00:20:06,076 --> 00:20:08,996 Speaker 1: you remember that you have five senses, yes, you can 441 00:20:09,156 --> 00:20:11,556 Speaker 1: start harnessing all of them, you know. I think for me, 442 00:20:11,756 --> 00:20:14,236 Speaker 1: you know, I often think like, oh, if I'm settling 443 00:20:14,316 --> 00:20:16,036 Speaker 1: down to some tough task at work, like oh, I'll 444 00:20:16,036 --> 00:20:18,756 Speaker 1: put some music on that i'll work through. You know, 445 00:20:18,796 --> 00:20:20,996 Speaker 1: that gets me working. But I forget like, oh, I 446 00:20:20,996 --> 00:20:22,716 Speaker 1: can hack my sense, you know, I can smell a 447 00:20:22,756 --> 00:20:24,876 Speaker 1: sharpie or I can put a candle on. I can 448 00:20:24,916 --> 00:20:27,236 Speaker 1: hack my textures, right, like I can get either a 449 00:20:27,316 --> 00:20:29,756 Speaker 1: nice soft blanket, maybe I wear something you know, more 450 00:20:29,796 --> 00:20:30,716 Speaker 1: prickly at that point. 451 00:20:30,756 --> 00:20:32,636 Speaker 2: So I'm like kind of we're on and we're awake. 452 00:20:33,036 --> 00:20:35,196 Speaker 1: Like the key is that there's like so many different 453 00:20:35,316 --> 00:20:37,556 Speaker 1: roots that we can use to hack how we're feeling, 454 00:20:37,596 --> 00:20:39,276 Speaker 1: and we forget that, you know, we have at least 455 00:20:39,316 --> 00:20:41,156 Speaker 1: five that we're often not paying attention to. 456 00:20:41,836 --> 00:20:44,196 Speaker 3: Absolutely, and it's all right there, you know, it's all 457 00:20:44,236 --> 00:20:47,436 Speaker 3: part of our experience, and so it's it's so accessible 458 00:20:47,476 --> 00:20:49,636 Speaker 3: to us. And I don't know why, but there is 459 00:20:49,716 --> 00:20:52,556 Speaker 3: just this energy and this kind of almost excitement that 460 00:20:52,596 --> 00:20:54,396 Speaker 3: comes from tapping into the five senses. 461 00:20:54,836 --> 00:20:56,396 Speaker 2: And I'm not sure why that is. 462 00:20:56,476 --> 00:20:59,196 Speaker 3: Maybe it is because it just goes directly into you know, 463 00:20:59,276 --> 00:21:02,916 Speaker 3: our sense of ourselves. But yeah, you don't want to 464 00:21:02,916 --> 00:21:05,996 Speaker 3: get stuck in just like your old ordinary favorites. Like 465 00:21:06,196 --> 00:21:09,356 Speaker 3: for you it's like your favorite playlist or whatever, whereas 466 00:21:09,396 --> 00:21:09,676 Speaker 3: for me. 467 00:21:09,636 --> 00:21:10,396 Speaker 2: It wouldn't be that. 468 00:21:10,636 --> 00:21:12,876 Speaker 3: But there are other things that I would do, just like, 469 00:21:12,956 --> 00:21:16,036 Speaker 3: as you know, as part of my ordinary routine to think, No, 470 00:21:16,116 --> 00:21:18,156 Speaker 3: there's more you can do. You can try new things, 471 00:21:18,196 --> 00:21:20,836 Speaker 3: and it's fun and it's exciting to try something new. 472 00:21:21,156 --> 00:21:23,316 Speaker 1: And part of that trying new things is really trying 473 00:21:23,316 --> 00:21:26,916 Speaker 1: to harness the noticing part of the senses. We talked 474 00:21:26,916 --> 00:21:29,596 Speaker 1: a little bit before about using this five Senses journal, 475 00:21:29,676 --> 00:21:31,996 Speaker 1: but give people a sense of like how that practice 476 00:21:32,036 --> 00:21:34,396 Speaker 1: really works in the trenches. Like do you have a notebook? 477 00:21:34,516 --> 00:21:36,196 Speaker 1: Like do you kind of notice things as you go 478 00:21:36,276 --> 00:21:36,876 Speaker 1: through your day? 479 00:21:36,916 --> 00:21:37,316 Speaker 2: What's that? 480 00:21:37,436 --> 00:21:37,476 Speaker 1: Like? 481 00:21:37,876 --> 00:21:40,116 Speaker 3: Yeah, yes, I have a notebook that I just you know, 482 00:21:40,316 --> 00:21:43,836 Speaker 3: kind of concocted. And I don't write much, so it's 483 00:21:43,836 --> 00:21:46,116 Speaker 3: not like I'm writing a paragraph. I just write down 484 00:21:46,156 --> 00:21:50,116 Speaker 3: what it was, so it could be something like the 485 00:21:50,116 --> 00:21:52,316 Speaker 3: texture of tinfoil. 486 00:21:52,636 --> 00:21:52,836 Speaker 1: You know. 487 00:21:53,036 --> 00:21:55,156 Speaker 3: I always have loved the texture of tinfoil ever since 488 00:21:55,196 --> 00:21:57,276 Speaker 3: I was little, Like it's one of my earliest memories 489 00:21:57,396 --> 00:21:59,876 Speaker 3: was I had one of those snack, like a not 490 00:21:59,916 --> 00:22:02,436 Speaker 3: a twinkie, but the chocolate roll up one that came 491 00:22:02,476 --> 00:22:04,996 Speaker 3: with this very very thin tinfoil, and I remember I'd like, 492 00:22:05,236 --> 00:22:07,676 Speaker 3: ever since then, I've loved tinfoil. So I might just 493 00:22:07,716 --> 00:22:11,716 Speaker 3: write down smoothing tinfoil, because again, it's like, how did 494 00:22:11,796 --> 00:22:13,916 Speaker 3: I not notice how much I love tinfoil? But it 495 00:22:13,916 --> 00:22:15,756 Speaker 3: wasn't until I started this project that I was like, 496 00:22:16,236 --> 00:22:19,036 Speaker 3: back to my earliest youth, I have loved this feeling 497 00:22:19,036 --> 00:22:21,796 Speaker 3: of tinfoil. I just had never sort of tuned into that, 498 00:22:22,276 --> 00:22:24,436 Speaker 3: and so I think that this is the kind of 499 00:22:24,516 --> 00:22:27,636 Speaker 3: thing that helps. Or even like you mentioned, oh, how 500 00:22:27,676 --> 00:22:31,236 Speaker 3: remarkably bad this garbage truck smells, I find that I 501 00:22:31,436 --> 00:22:35,956 Speaker 3: like negative sensations more now because I'm just more interested 502 00:22:35,996 --> 00:22:36,836 Speaker 3: in them and intrigued. 503 00:22:36,836 --> 00:22:38,996 Speaker 2: You're just like, Wow, that color. 504 00:22:38,756 --> 00:22:42,356 Speaker 3: Combination is just making my eyes pop out, it's so bad. 505 00:22:42,676 --> 00:22:45,556 Speaker 3: Or you know, there's that terrible smell, Holy cow, I 506 00:22:45,596 --> 00:22:49,236 Speaker 3: want to keep smelling it so bad? Or ooh, what 507 00:22:49,396 --> 00:22:51,956 Speaker 3: is this texture is sort of uncanny and it's like 508 00:22:52,036 --> 00:22:54,756 Speaker 3: giving me giving me shivers, But I want to keep 509 00:22:54,836 --> 00:22:56,596 Speaker 3: touching it because I want to understand it. 510 00:22:57,196 --> 00:22:58,796 Speaker 2: So I'm just as I do it. I do it 511 00:22:58,916 --> 00:22:59,876 Speaker 2: very casually. I don't. 512 00:23:00,116 --> 00:23:03,076 Speaker 3: I want to keep it easy and fun, so I'm 513 00:23:03,076 --> 00:23:06,316 Speaker 3: not like not trying to rank anything on like a 514 00:23:06,316 --> 00:23:09,956 Speaker 3: one to ten scale or write a long memory of it, 515 00:23:10,076 --> 00:23:12,116 Speaker 3: though I can imagine that other people might do it 516 00:23:12,196 --> 00:23:15,876 Speaker 3: in that way. You know, a lot of the exercises 517 00:23:15,916 --> 00:23:17,636 Speaker 3: that I do, I do it in a particular way, 518 00:23:17,676 --> 00:23:19,476 Speaker 3: but it's just meant to give people ideas for things 519 00:23:19,476 --> 00:23:21,796 Speaker 3: that they might try. There's no right way to do it. 520 00:23:21,836 --> 00:23:23,676 Speaker 3: People put all sorts of twists on it. 521 00:23:23,596 --> 00:23:23,796 Speaker 1: You know. 522 00:23:23,796 --> 00:23:25,556 Speaker 2: Talk about how you did this with your husband Jimmie. 523 00:23:25,836 --> 00:23:27,596 Speaker 3: Yes, one of the things I did is I did 524 00:23:27,636 --> 00:23:29,716 Speaker 3: a five cents portrait of Jamie. So for each of 525 00:23:29,716 --> 00:23:32,556 Speaker 3: the five senses, I wrote down five impressions that I 526 00:23:32,636 --> 00:23:35,076 Speaker 3: had for him for that sense. And this was wonderful, 527 00:23:35,116 --> 00:23:38,276 Speaker 3: like I really really love doing it. Then my editor said, 528 00:23:38,676 --> 00:23:40,236 Speaker 3: I think that you should write a five cents is 529 00:23:40,316 --> 00:23:43,556 Speaker 3: portrait of yourself for the book as part of your 530 00:23:43,596 --> 00:23:45,556 Speaker 3: about the author, And I was like that truly had 531 00:23:45,556 --> 00:23:47,116 Speaker 3: never occurred to me to do it, even though I 532 00:23:47,156 --> 00:23:48,876 Speaker 3: just wrote a whole book Life in five cents is 533 00:23:49,036 --> 00:23:49,876 Speaker 3: I did nothing. 534 00:23:49,636 --> 00:23:51,196 Speaker 2: To do that. So I did that. I was like 535 00:23:51,476 --> 00:23:53,556 Speaker 2: that I got all this insight into myself. 536 00:23:53,716 --> 00:23:55,636 Speaker 3: But then we talked about it on the Happier podcast 537 00:23:55,676 --> 00:23:57,996 Speaker 3: and somebody said that she did it as a way 538 00:23:58,036 --> 00:24:00,956 Speaker 3: to hold onto memories of a grandparent who had died, 539 00:24:01,316 --> 00:24:03,916 Speaker 3: to hang on to those like very concrete memories, and 540 00:24:03,956 --> 00:24:06,436 Speaker 3: to convey them to her own children who were too 541 00:24:06,476 --> 00:24:09,236 Speaker 3: young to remember this person who was gone. 542 00:24:09,436 --> 00:24:10,556 Speaker 2: And then somebody else said they. 543 00:24:10,396 --> 00:24:12,836 Speaker 3: Did it as a gift to somebody, because she said, like, 544 00:24:13,036 --> 00:24:15,796 Speaker 3: what makes you really feel more seen and heard and 545 00:24:15,836 --> 00:24:18,636 Speaker 3: smelled and taste and touched than somebody doing a census 546 00:24:18,676 --> 00:24:22,036 Speaker 3: portrait of you? And so she gave it as like 547 00:24:22,196 --> 00:24:25,116 Speaker 3: a birthday gift. So again it's like there's no one 548 00:24:25,236 --> 00:24:27,676 Speaker 3: right way to do these kinds of exercises. It's more like, 549 00:24:27,756 --> 00:24:30,076 Speaker 3: how would you put your own twist on it to 550 00:24:30,436 --> 00:24:32,196 Speaker 3: achieve your own aims for what you want to do 551 00:24:32,236 --> 00:24:33,276 Speaker 3: to connect with your senses. 552 00:24:33,516 --> 00:24:35,396 Speaker 1: And those last twists that you talk about, you know, 553 00:24:35,676 --> 00:24:38,076 Speaker 1: I'm noticing that many of them are really social, right, 554 00:24:38,116 --> 00:24:41,116 Speaker 1: you know, kind of sharing sensory observations with other people. 555 00:24:41,276 --> 00:24:43,796 Speaker 1: And that's kind of the last hack I wanted you 556 00:24:43,836 --> 00:24:45,876 Speaker 1: to talk about, which is, you know, so many of 557 00:24:45,876 --> 00:24:48,356 Speaker 1: the benefits that we get from paying attention to our senses, 558 00:24:48,836 --> 00:24:50,996 Speaker 1: like maybe ironically because you assume they'd be much more 559 00:24:51,036 --> 00:24:53,636 Speaker 1: internal benefits like you're feeling mindful and present and so on, 560 00:24:53,876 --> 00:24:55,836 Speaker 1: but so many of the benefits we talked about over 561 00:24:55,876 --> 00:24:58,836 Speaker 1: these episodes are that these these benefits are social, right 562 00:24:59,036 --> 00:25:01,396 Speaker 1: kind of connecting with other people, And so talk about 563 00:25:01,396 --> 00:25:04,996 Speaker 1: how we can really engage these senses socially, maybe as 564 00:25:05,036 --> 00:25:07,356 Speaker 1: like adventures with other people are going to have hacks 565 00:25:07,396 --> 00:25:08,796 Speaker 1: we can do to make sure we're getting the social 566 00:25:08,836 --> 00:25:10,156 Speaker 1: benefit fits from our senses. 567 00:25:11,036 --> 00:25:12,756 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think we do this automatically because of 568 00:25:12,796 --> 00:25:14,876 Speaker 3: course we like go sight seeing with people, or we 569 00:25:14,916 --> 00:25:16,956 Speaker 3: go to contact with other people, or we have share 570 00:25:16,996 --> 00:25:19,236 Speaker 3: meals with other people, and so these are obviously ways 571 00:25:19,236 --> 00:25:22,076 Speaker 3: to share share sensory experiences, but I think we often 572 00:25:22,116 --> 00:25:25,756 Speaker 3: don't think of those those examples as like this is 573 00:25:25,796 --> 00:25:28,556 Speaker 3: an example of sharing a sensory experience with somebody as 574 00:25:28,556 --> 00:25:30,636 Speaker 3: a way to draw closer to them. And so when 575 00:25:30,636 --> 00:25:32,276 Speaker 3: you think about, okay, well, how could I put a 576 00:25:32,316 --> 00:25:34,876 Speaker 3: different new kind of twist on it. So like I 577 00:25:34,876 --> 00:25:37,396 Speaker 3: did that with taste because I'm like, I'm not a 578 00:25:37,436 --> 00:25:40,916 Speaker 3: big taste person, and you know, it's like having a 579 00:25:40,956 --> 00:25:43,116 Speaker 3: dinner part of me is very hospitable, but then part 580 00:25:43,116 --> 00:25:44,596 Speaker 3: of me is kind of like, oh my gosh, it 581 00:25:44,636 --> 00:25:47,596 Speaker 3: seems like like really hard and demanding to like have. 582 00:25:47,556 --> 00:25:48,356 Speaker 2: A dinner party. 583 00:25:48,636 --> 00:25:50,476 Speaker 3: So I had a taste party where I just had 584 00:25:50,516 --> 00:25:53,556 Speaker 3: some friends over and we all did taste comparisons, and 585 00:25:53,636 --> 00:25:56,116 Speaker 3: so it was a way to connect with people socially. 586 00:25:56,996 --> 00:25:59,596 Speaker 3: And what I found is like we we connected on 587 00:25:59,596 --> 00:26:02,196 Speaker 3: this really deep level, Like we were talking about our memories 588 00:26:02,356 --> 00:26:05,396 Speaker 3: and like like people in our lives and you know, 589 00:26:05,516 --> 00:26:08,996 Speaker 3: our childhoods, and we had a whole thing about candy, 590 00:26:09,196 --> 00:26:11,076 Speaker 3: you know, like wait, what kind of candy you ate 591 00:26:11,116 --> 00:26:14,996 Speaker 3: as a kid and why, And it just became very intimate, 592 00:26:15,116 --> 00:26:17,636 Speaker 3: and yet it was super fun and everybody was laughing 593 00:26:17,676 --> 00:26:20,276 Speaker 3: and sort of like talking, and it kind of much 594 00:26:20,316 --> 00:26:22,876 Speaker 3: more engaged way than I think, you know, sort of 595 00:26:22,956 --> 00:26:25,956 Speaker 3: like a dinner party. And so but the only reason 596 00:26:25,956 --> 00:26:27,596 Speaker 3: that it occurred to me is I was thinking, like, well, 597 00:26:27,676 --> 00:26:29,876 Speaker 3: is there another way that I can connect with people 598 00:26:30,396 --> 00:26:35,036 Speaker 3: with taste that's different, that might feel more interesting to me, 599 00:26:35,116 --> 00:26:37,716 Speaker 3: more engaging to me, And so I was able to 600 00:26:37,716 --> 00:26:41,276 Speaker 3: find a new way because of course there's very they're 601 00:26:41,356 --> 00:26:43,356 Speaker 3: very like classic ways to do it, but then there 602 00:26:43,356 --> 00:26:46,076 Speaker 3: are new ways to do it too. And so when 603 00:26:46,116 --> 00:26:49,476 Speaker 3: we kind of broaden our view of what of what 604 00:26:49,596 --> 00:26:52,436 Speaker 3: it might be to share a sensory experience with someone, 605 00:26:52,836 --> 00:26:55,156 Speaker 3: like again, like you might go to a concert with somebody, 606 00:26:55,196 --> 00:26:56,716 Speaker 3: or maybe you're like, let's go have a let's go 607 00:26:56,716 --> 00:26:59,756 Speaker 3: to a sound bath together. That's sort of different and interesting, 608 00:26:59,796 --> 00:27:02,236 Speaker 3: and it's another way to share a sensory experience with someone. 609 00:27:02,636 --> 00:27:04,116 Speaker 3: Maybe you don't you wouldn't want to go to the 610 00:27:04,156 --> 00:27:06,476 Speaker 3: same concert because you don't like the same kinds of music, 611 00:27:06,756 --> 00:27:08,556 Speaker 3: or you're like me and you just want the one song, 612 00:27:09,236 --> 00:27:11,636 Speaker 3: like let's go, let's go try a sound bath that's different. 613 00:27:11,996 --> 00:27:13,916 Speaker 1: And I think this is sort of maybe a final 614 00:27:13,956 --> 00:27:17,636 Speaker 1: tip as we think about how to use sensory experiences socially, 615 00:27:17,996 --> 00:27:20,316 Speaker 1: it's important that if we're trying to kind of be ourselves. 616 00:27:20,396 --> 00:27:22,876 Speaker 1: I know you have this mantra b Gretchen, we might 617 00:27:22,996 --> 00:27:25,196 Speaker 1: need to think about what the other person likes too 618 00:27:25,276 --> 00:27:27,836 Speaker 1: and find spots where there's kind of common ground. And 619 00:27:27,876 --> 00:27:30,116 Speaker 1: I think we can only do that through experimenting and 620 00:27:30,116 --> 00:27:32,796 Speaker 1: getting really much more creative and remembering that we can 621 00:27:32,916 --> 00:27:35,236 Speaker 1: use sound in this way to connect with other people. 622 00:27:35,476 --> 00:27:38,396 Speaker 3: Right, and realizing there's probably a lot more possibilities. Then 623 00:27:38,676 --> 00:27:41,516 Speaker 3: you might kind of think at first glance, because again 624 00:27:41,556 --> 00:27:43,796 Speaker 3: there are these sort of traditional things that you think of, 625 00:27:43,956 --> 00:27:45,876 Speaker 3: but then when you open it up, you might see 626 00:27:45,876 --> 00:27:48,316 Speaker 3: that there are different things and things, as you say, 627 00:27:48,316 --> 00:27:50,716 Speaker 3: that could bring you together with someone even though you're 628 00:27:50,956 --> 00:27:53,676 Speaker 3: what you prefer might be very different in some ways. 629 00:27:53,716 --> 00:27:56,196 Speaker 3: Maybe you could find a different way, a more unexpected 630 00:27:56,236 --> 00:27:58,436 Speaker 3: way to show it. I mean like I had a 631 00:27:58,476 --> 00:28:01,396 Speaker 3: friend we were going to go to cryotherapy together, and 632 00:28:01,436 --> 00:28:03,836 Speaker 3: it's like, there's really I don't we don't have that 633 00:28:03,916 --> 00:28:05,676 Speaker 3: much in comment. I don't know that we would want 634 00:28:05,716 --> 00:28:08,796 Speaker 3: to do lots of things together. Our interests are very different. 635 00:28:08,836 --> 00:28:11,996 Speaker 2: But was like, we're both interested in cryo therapy, let's 636 00:28:12,036 --> 00:28:12,396 Speaker 2: do that. 637 00:28:13,036 --> 00:28:15,476 Speaker 3: And you know, I would not have thought of that 638 00:28:15,556 --> 00:28:17,436 Speaker 3: if I hadn't been thinking about, well how do I 639 00:28:17,516 --> 00:28:20,116 Speaker 3: tap into my senses as a way to connect with 640 00:28:20,156 --> 00:28:23,476 Speaker 3: other people? And I was like, well, she's interested in cryotherapy, 641 00:28:23,756 --> 00:28:24,676 Speaker 3: maybe we should do that. 642 00:28:25,676 --> 00:28:27,116 Speaker 1: And so I wanted you to end just with my 643 00:28:27,156 --> 00:28:29,556 Speaker 1: favorite story from the book, because it just shows how 644 00:28:29,716 --> 00:28:33,276 Speaker 1: transcendent your experience of life can be even in boring 645 00:28:33,316 --> 00:28:36,156 Speaker 1: times when you start paying attention to the senses. And so, 646 00:28:36,516 --> 00:28:39,036 Speaker 1: can you share this story of the traffic cone that 647 00:28:39,076 --> 00:28:39,956 Speaker 1: you ended the book with. 648 00:28:40,476 --> 00:28:46,516 Speaker 3: Yes, this was a very uncanny and transcendent moment of 649 00:28:46,556 --> 00:28:49,876 Speaker 3: my life. One of the exercises that I did for 650 00:28:49,916 --> 00:28:52,116 Speaker 3: the book list to visit the Metropolitan Museum every day, 651 00:28:52,156 --> 00:28:54,596 Speaker 3: so you know, I was looking at things all the time. 652 00:28:54,756 --> 00:28:56,916 Speaker 2: You know, these are like classic masterpieces. 653 00:28:58,396 --> 00:29:00,916 Speaker 3: But then one day I was out walking my dog Barnaby, 654 00:29:01,156 --> 00:29:05,156 Speaker 3: and was very unusual sky conditions, the light was very unusual. 655 00:29:05,156 --> 00:29:06,916 Speaker 3: It was just getting ready to storm, and it was 656 00:29:06,956 --> 00:29:10,396 Speaker 3: just an orange traffic cone that was against the asphalt, 657 00:29:11,236 --> 00:29:16,396 Speaker 3: and it was like, in a moment, this traffic cone 658 00:29:16,756 --> 00:29:20,676 Speaker 3: became like the only true object in the world. It 659 00:29:20,716 --> 00:29:24,316 Speaker 3: was like the platonic ideal of an object. It seemed 660 00:29:24,516 --> 00:29:29,436 Speaker 3: like it just glowed in the light. I felt like everything. 661 00:29:29,556 --> 00:29:31,756 Speaker 3: You know how in a movie they'll show everything like 662 00:29:31,916 --> 00:29:34,436 Speaker 3: moving back from some central object is kind of like 663 00:29:34,436 --> 00:29:35,436 Speaker 3: to show how central it was. 664 00:29:35,476 --> 00:29:36,836 Speaker 2: I felt like, literally like I. 665 00:29:36,756 --> 00:29:40,356 Speaker 3: Could see everything in the street, sort of moving back, 666 00:29:40,516 --> 00:29:42,876 Speaker 3: like in reverence of this traffic cone. 667 00:29:43,716 --> 00:29:45,676 Speaker 2: The traffic cone, it seemed like a natural thing. 668 00:29:45,716 --> 00:29:47,916 Speaker 3: You know, there's certain things that seemed both natural and 669 00:29:48,036 --> 00:29:51,036 Speaker 3: man made, like sea glass or a scholar's rock or 670 00:29:51,076 --> 00:29:56,396 Speaker 3: a park bench. It looked like that, and I just 671 00:29:56,556 --> 00:30:00,356 Speaker 3: was transfixed and everything just again, like everything seemed to 672 00:30:00,396 --> 00:30:02,636 Speaker 3: heighten in my mind, just seemed to experience everything in 673 00:30:02,676 --> 00:30:03,196 Speaker 3: this moment. 674 00:30:03,396 --> 00:30:08,356 Speaker 2: This is this sort of timeless moment. And then you. 675 00:30:08,276 --> 00:30:13,436 Speaker 3: Know, just the light cloud was deeper over the sun, 676 00:30:13,636 --> 00:30:16,516 Speaker 3: or the wind picked up, and then it just turned 677 00:30:16,516 --> 00:30:20,636 Speaker 3: back into an ordinary traffic cone. But it was definitely 678 00:30:20,716 --> 00:30:23,236 Speaker 3: one of the most transcendent experiences of my life. And 679 00:30:23,236 --> 00:30:25,476 Speaker 3: it was transcendent in a very impersonal way. It was 680 00:30:25,516 --> 00:30:30,236 Speaker 3: like the beauty of nature, pure nature, just like pure form. 681 00:30:30,676 --> 00:30:33,996 Speaker 3: And it was an extraordinary moment. And maybe the only 682 00:30:34,036 --> 00:30:36,676 Speaker 3: reason that I was able to experience it was that 683 00:30:36,716 --> 00:30:38,956 Speaker 3: I had been doing so much to try to tune 684 00:30:38,996 --> 00:30:43,036 Speaker 3: into my surroundings that it didn't pass unnoticed. 685 00:30:44,276 --> 00:30:46,916 Speaker 1: The ability to find such joy, such awe and the 686 00:30:46,956 --> 00:30:49,556 Speaker 1: sight of sun bouncing off a traffic cone is something 687 00:30:49,556 --> 00:30:52,436 Speaker 1: I now aspire to. It reminds me that we often 688 00:30:52,476 --> 00:30:55,196 Speaker 1: get true moments of pleasure wrong. We assume we can 689 00:30:55,236 --> 00:30:59,236 Speaker 1: only experience joy from perfectly crafted sensory moments taking a 690 00:30:59,276 --> 00:31:02,396 Speaker 1: mouthful of ridiculously expensive wine or the feel of a 691 00:31:02,396 --> 00:31:05,476 Speaker 1: cooling breeze on a tropical island, or gazing at the 692 00:31:05,476 --> 00:31:08,756 Speaker 1: perfect sunset from high on a mountain top. We assume 693 00:31:09,356 --> 00:31:12,156 Speaker 1: joy only comes from Instagram or at the moments like these. 694 00:31:12,516 --> 00:31:15,516 Speaker 1: But reading Gretchen's book Life in Five Senses reinforce what 695 00:31:15,556 --> 00:31:17,956 Speaker 1: I know. The science says that we can find little 696 00:31:17,956 --> 00:31:20,356 Speaker 1: spots of happiness each and every day if we just 697 00:31:20,396 --> 00:31:22,716 Speaker 1: take time to hunt for them in the ordinary things 698 00:31:22,716 --> 00:31:26,036 Speaker 1: around us. So what new things will you notice this week? 699 00:31:26,396 --> 00:31:29,236 Speaker 1: What colors are interesting, sounds or odd smells will you 700 00:31:29,276 --> 00:31:32,276 Speaker 1: focus on during your commute or in your kitchen or 701 00:31:32,316 --> 00:31:35,156 Speaker 1: with the people you love. I hope that by honing 702 00:31:35,196 --> 00:31:38,076 Speaker 1: the sensory gifts you take for granted every day, that you, 703 00:31:38,596 --> 00:31:41,276 Speaker 1: like Gretchen, can find new wonder and joy around you. 704 00:31:45,836 --> 00:31:48,236 Speaker 1: In the next episode of the Happiness Lab, I continue 705 00:31:48,236 --> 00:31:51,476 Speaker 1: my conversation with some of my happiness idols. I get 706 00:31:51,516 --> 00:31:53,676 Speaker 1: to grab some quality chat time with one of the 707 00:31:53,676 --> 00:31:56,516 Speaker 1: founders of happiness science and get to hear what he's 708 00:31:56,596 --> 00:31:59,276 Speaker 1: learned over his lifetime of research into what gives us 709 00:31:59,356 --> 00:32:02,276 Speaker 1: meaning and makes us feel good. Hear more from the 710 00:32:02,316 --> 00:32:06,236 Speaker 1: amazing Marty Selegman next time on the Happiness Lab with me, 711 00:32:06,436 --> 00:32:13,156 Speaker 1: Doctor Laurie Santo's