Little Happier: Writer Ann Patchett Describes How Sometimes, We Can Minister to the Spirit through the Body

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project

Education, Health & Fitness, Self-improvement

4.7 • 13K Ratings

🗓️ 13 September 2021

⏱️ 2 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In her brilliant memoir Truth and Beauty, Ann Patchett recalls how she helps a troubled friend by tapping into the power of the five senses: “Even if I couldn’t make Lucy deeply happy, I could provide the kind of happiness that would seem hollow if we had the money or the time to stay in it too long.” Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Order a copy of Gretchen’s new book OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 774-277-9336 For information about advertisers and promo codes, go to happiercast.com/sponsors. Happier with Gretchen Rubin is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Do The Thing, Side Hustle School, Happier in Hollywood and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's tough to stick with workout routines and making time to hit the gym is sometimes even harder.
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0:09.9	so you can work out when it's right for you. Peloton goes beyond just the bike,
0:14.0	offering classes like yoga, strength training, hit and boxing. Let Peloton help you achieve your
0:19.6	fitness goals. Try Peloton risk-free with a 30-day home trial. New members only, not available in
0:25.1	remote location, see additional terms at onepeloton.com slash home trial. I'm Gretchen Rubin and this is
0:32.0	a little happier. I'm working on a book about the five senses and how we can use our five senses
0:38.6	to give us a sense of vitality and connection to the moment and to other people. I found that just as
0:46.3	we can sometimes minister to the body through the spirit, sometimes we can minister to the spirit
0:52.1	through the body. I was very struck by this passage from Ann Patchett's memoir Truth and Beauty,
0:58.5	a friendship about Ann Patchett's enduring friendship with fellow writer and poet Lucy Greeley.
1:05.2	Near the end of her life, Lucy Greeley was struggling with depression and addiction and Ann
1:10.5	Patchett describes how she tried to help. I figured even if I couldn't make Lucy deeply happy,
1:17.2	I could provide the kind of happiness that would seem hollow if we had the money or the time to
1:22.0	stay in it too long. I booked Lucy a massage and had her eyelashes died. I took her for a pedicure.
1:29.0	I bought her the best pate I could find in Nashville along with SpaghettiOs and Hungry Jack
1:34.0	Biscuits and everything else I knew she liked. We went to a bad movie and then stayed for a second bad
1:39.6	movie. I took her shopping and bought her whatever she wanted and she was happy and I was happy.
1:46.2	As Ann Patchett points out, these kinds of activities would seem hollow if we pursued them too long,
1:52.3	and yet it's also true that our bodies and our senses can be a source of profound comfort.
1:58.8	I'll post a link to Truth and Beauty, which I highly recommend in the show notes. Also on the
2:05.8	happier podcast for our book club, we interviewed writer Ann Patchett about her novel The Dutch House.
	...

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