Inside are sorrows and longings that really is the pathway to creativity and to connection and love and transcendence.

And I kept finding it there in so many different ways. And I realized that that is a power and that is a truth that our culture is not talking about.

So, everyone do I a certain sad song or even a few bars of just the right music will stop you in your tracks and maybe even move you to tears.

Well, it turns out you're not alone. My guest today, Susan Cain, has spent years researching why certain experiences,

ones that connect us to sadness or longing or sorrow.

Move us so deeply and actually add profoundly to our lives. Susan's first book, Quiet, the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking,

literally changed my life and the life of millions of people around the world.

It has been translated into 40 languages, spent seven years on the New York Times bestseller list, was named the number one book of the year by Fast Company,

which also happened to name Susan one of the most creative people in business.

And Susan and I have actually been friends since long before she launched her Quiet Revolution.

I have always so appreciated her her gentle presence, her deep wisdom and generosity and kindness and a level of introspection and curiosity and contemplative thought

that is just so rare these days. And lucky for us all, she has been focusing those observational intellectual superpowers on a topic that is so universal yet so misunderstood, longing.

Susan's new masterpiece, Bittersweet, how sorrow and longing makes us whole.

It's a powerful look at why that feeling of yearning of bittersweetness and longing is in fact not just common to every sentient being,

but also necessary and a critical element of a life well lived.

And in fact, source fuel for some of the greatest works of art and science and creation in human history.

And that is exactly what we're diving into today.

So excited to share this conversation with you.

I'm a quick note before we dive in.

So at the end of every episode, I don't know if you've ever heard this, but we actually recommend a similar episode.

So if you love this episode, at the end, we're going to share another one that we're pretty sure you're going to love to.

So be sure to listen for that.

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