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Kate Bowler
  • ABOUTExpand

    • Meet Kate

      Hi, I’m Kate. I’m a Duke professor, podcaster, and author with a single mission: giving you permission to feel human. After years of being told I was incurable, I was declared cancer-free. But there’s no going back. I am forever changed by what I discovered: life is so beautiful and life is so hard. For everyone.

      ABOUT KATE

      Get to Know Me

      HUMAN
      AUTHOR
      PODCAST HOST
      SPEAKER

      How to Connect

      NEWSLETTER
      BOOKING
      EVENTS
      CONTACT
      PRESS
      Kate Bowler sitting in front of books

  • PODCASTExpand

    • Everything Happens.

      Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens. 

      See All Episodes
      Bill Haslam

      You Might Be Wrong

      Listen Now You Might Be Wrong
      Mark Chaves

      Is There Really a Religious Revival?

      Listen Now Is There Really a Religious Revival?
      Diana Butler Bass

      Losing Religion

      Listen Now Losing Religion
      Andrew O’Hagan

      You’re Going to Need Some Friends

      Listen Now You’re Going to Need Some Friends
  • BOOKSExpand

    • Books

      Let’s untangle our culture’s obsession with toxic positivity and self-help, shall we? Kate studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change. She is the author of seven books including three instant New York Times bestsellers.

      All Books

      Joyful, Anyway

      Everything Happens for a Reason

      (And Other Lies I’ve Loved)

      Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!

      Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens

      No Cure for Being Human

      (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)

  • RESOURCESExpand

    • Resources

      Our goal with Everything Happens is to create rich language and vibrant community that sustains us when life comes apart. Below, you’ll find categories that may be good starting points for you. Inside are a mix of podcasts, blessings, support guides, and bonus resources that we hope will be useful.

      ALL RESOURCES

      Types

      BLESSINGS
      DEVOTIONALS
      SUPPORT GUIDES
      COURSES
      FREE DOWNLOADS
      Discussion Guides
      FOR MINISTRY

      Topics

      ILLNESS
      GRIEF
      WHAT NOT TO SAY
      RESILIENT FAITH
      INSPIRING LIVES

      NUANCED HOPE
      CARING AT HOME
      CARING AT WORK
      COMPLICATED FAMILIES
      MOVING FORWARD

  • MERCHExpand
    • Sweatshirts
    • Shirts
    • Hats
    • Goodies
  • SUBSTACK
Kate Bowler
Kate Bowler

Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor

Discussion Questions

More Like This

Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon

Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor

A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

All BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Every week I usually forget most of the basics:
a) you are loved. b) life is absurd. c) it’s hard to be a human.

If you want some smart, kind, and funny encouragement to get you through your week, sign up for my newsletter. I’d love to be your reminder. 

Follow along on socials

@katecbowler

What is one thing this person loves that I`m not seeing?

I know. I KNOW. With everything going on, being curious about someone you’re already pretty sure you’ve figured out can feel like an unreasonable amount of emotional homework.

But the next time you catch yourself thinking you know exactly who someone is, try asking that one question.

What do they love that I haven’t bothered to notice?

And then, if you can, go find out. Ask them about it. Let them tell you something you didn`t know. Because goodness knows we could all use a little more curiosity about each other, especially when we`re so convinced we`re right.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18040515545849827
What is one thing this person loves that I'm not seeing? I know. I KNOW. With everything going on, being curious about someone you’re already pretty sure you’ve figured out can feel like an unreasonable amount of emotional homework. But the next time you catch yourself thinking you know exactly who someone is, try asking that one question. What do they love that I haven’t bothered to notice? And then, if you can, go find out. Ask them about it. Let them tell you something you didn't know. Because goodness knows we could all use a little more curiosity about each other, especially when we're so convinced we're right.

Does anyone else feel like everything is urgent right now? Every headline, every heartbreak, every new thing we’re supposed to care about. It’s hard to know where to begin.

Today’s Substack post asks a question I keep coming back to: How do we live now?

And I think part of the answer might be small kindnesses. The ordinary acts of love that won’t make headlines but might make someone’s Tuesday bearable.

Don’t wait until you can change the whole world. Find the good that is yours to do. And do it.

Even when you cannot see what grows.

Comment KIND for a link to today’s post, or tell us one small act of kindness you’ll try this week. ❤️

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17998555743035838
Does anyone else feel like everything is urgent right now? Every headline, every heartbreak, every new thing we’re supposed to care about. It’s hard to know where to begin. Today’s Substack post asks a question I keep coming back to: How do we live now? And I think part of the answer might be small kindnesses. The ordinary acts of love that won’t make headlines but might make someone’s Tuesday bearable. Don’t wait until you can change the whole world. Find the good that is yours to do. And do it. Even when you cannot see what grows. Comment KIND for a link to today’s post, or tell us one small act of kindness you’ll try this week. ❤️

“The other fella (or gal) might be right.”

Well, there’s a thought. Especially when we’re so very certain that the other person is WRONG. And possibly an idiot.

But what if we started there? With a little more curiosity and a little less contempt?

This week on @everythinghappens, I sat down with my friend Bill Haslam (@billhaslamtn), former Governor of Tennessee, to talk about the increasingly lost art of disagreeing without dismissing each other. Bill knows a thing or two about leading people who don`t see eye to eye.

And the best part? We filmed it with my divinity school students, who are about to go out and lead people who may not think, look, act, or vote like them.

Because loving your neighbor gets a lot more complicated when your neighbor has a yard sign you hate.

Comment BILL and I’ll send you a link to watch the full conversation.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18192004804397518
“The other fella (or gal) might be right.” Well, there’s a thought. Especially when we’re so very certain that the other person is WRONG. And possibly an idiot. But what if we started there? With a little more curiosity and a little less contempt? This week on @everythinghappens, I sat down with my friend Bill Haslam (@billhaslamtn), former Governor of Tennessee, to talk about the increasingly lost art of disagreeing without dismissing each other. Bill knows a thing or two about leading people who don't see eye to eye. And the best part? We filmed it with my divinity school students, who are about to go out and lead people who may not think, look, act, or vote like them. Because loving your neighbor gets a lot more complicated when your neighbor has a yard sign you hate. Comment BILL and I’ll send you a link to watch the full conversation.

Contempt feels great. That’s the problem.

@timothyshriver says it works like a pain reliever: it bonds us to our people and takes the edge off our fear. Until we get hooked.

Our full conversation with Tim, on dignity, the Special Olympics, and how to disagree without demonizing anyone, drops next week. 🎧

Before next week, take Tim’s 2-minute challenge: look up @thedignityindex at dignity.us and score the last political conversation you had. Brace yourself.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18173495842454426
Contempt feels great. That’s the problem. @timothyshriver says it works like a pain reliever: it bonds us to our people and takes the edge off our fear. Until we get hooked. Our full conversation with Tim, on dignity, the Special Olympics, and how to disagree without demonizing anyone, drops next week. 🎧 Before next week, take Tim’s 2-minute challenge: look up @thedignityindex at dignity.us and score the last political conversation you had. Brace yourself.

May it find you in a world where Everything Happens.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18130503499838452
May it find you in a world where Everything Happens.

CHICAGO, I AM COMING FOR YA! 🌬️🐙

And I’m bringing a VERY special friend: @shelbyvanpeltwrites, the brilliant mind behind REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES (and the reason so many of us have developed deep emotional attachments to an octopus).

We’re getting together to celebrate my new book, JOYFUL, ANYWAY and talk about all the things that make life so strange and wonderful. Octopuses, unlikely friendships, unexpected delight, and the surprising ways joy finds us—even when life has gone completely off-script.

Because if Shelby has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes the most unlikely creatures have something to teach us about being human. And if I’ve learned anything, it’s that joy has a habit of showing up where we least expect it.

I cannot WAIT to be in a room with Shelby and all of you. There will be stories. There will be laughter. There will almost certainly be an unreasonable amount of discussion about octopus intelligence.

CHICAGO, COME HANG OUT WITH US! 💛

🐙 Comment WINDY and we’ll send you a link to tickets!

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18117234446281869
CHICAGO, I AM COMING FOR YA! 🌬️🐙 And I’m bringing a VERY special friend: @shelbyvanpeltwrites, the brilliant mind behind REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES (and the reason so many of us have developed deep emotional attachments to an octopus). We’re getting together to celebrate my new book, JOYFUL, ANYWAY and talk about all the things that make life so strange and wonderful. Octopuses, unlikely friendships, unexpected delight, and the surprising ways joy finds us—even when life has gone completely off-script. Because if Shelby has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes the most unlikely creatures have something to teach us about being human. And if I’ve learned anything, it’s that joy has a habit of showing up where we least expect it. I cannot WAIT to be in a room with Shelby and all of you. There will be stories. There will be laughter. There will almost certainly be an unreasonable amount of discussion about octopus intelligence. CHICAGO, COME HANG OUT WITH US! 💛 🐙 Comment WINDY and we’ll send you a link to tickets!

We love a dramatic headline about faith. Mark Chaves loves the data.

Swipe to see what Duke’s resident myth-buster says about revivals, megachurches, the “nones,” and more. (@dukedivinity)

Which one surprised you? 👇

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18103484159234935
We love a dramatic headline about faith. Mark Chaves loves the data. Swipe to see what Duke’s resident myth-buster says about revivals, megachurches, the “nones,” and more. (@dukedivinity) Which one surprised you? 👇

Give us one political opinion, one religious label, one alarming bumper sticker, and suddenly we think we know everything about a person. Case closed.

But people are wonderfully, maddeningly complicated.

I recently spoke with sociologist Mark Chaves about how tangled faith and politics have become. We hear what someone believes about God and assume we know how they vote. Or vice versa.

And somewhere along the way, we stop being curious. What if we asked one more question before deciding we know the whole story?

More on my conversation with Mark over on Substack. 💛

Comment "ASK` and I`ll send you a link to read.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18396996832205911
Give us one political opinion, one religious label, one alarming bumper sticker, and suddenly we think we know everything about a person. Case closed. But people are wonderfully, maddeningly complicated. I recently spoke with sociologist Mark Chaves about how tangled faith and politics have become. We hear what someone believes about God and assume we know how they vote. Or vice versa. And somewhere along the way, we stop being curious. What if we asked one more question before deciding we know the whole story? More on my conversation with Mark over on Substack. 💛 Comment "ASK' and I'll send you a link to read.

 

If you are reading this you have great eyesight. But also, thanks for being a person with me. The world is strange and hard for soft-hearted humans, but I think you’re a delight.

© 2026 Kate Bowler
Development by Penner Web Design

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Everything Happens.

Browse by topic
Complicated Families
grief
resilient faith
what not to say
moving forward
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  • ABOUT

    • Meet Kate

      Hi, I’m Kate. I’m a Duke professor, podcaster, and author with a single mission: giving you permission to feel human. After years of being told I was incurable, I was declared cancer-free. But there’s no going back. I am forever changed by what I discovered: life is so beautiful and life is so hard. For everyone.

      ABOUT KATE

      Get to Know Me

      HUMAN
      AUTHOR
      PODCAST HOST
      SPEAKER

      How to Connect

      NEWSLETTER
      BOOKING
      EVENTS
      CONTACT
      PRESS
      Kate Bowler sitting in front of books

  • PODCAST

    • Everything Happens.

      Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens. 

      See All Episodes
      Bill Haslam

      You Might Be Wrong

      Listen Now You Might Be Wrong
      Mark Chaves

      Is There Really a Religious Revival?

      Listen Now Is There Really a Religious Revival?
      Diana Butler Bass

      Losing Religion

      Listen Now Losing Religion
      Andrew O’Hagan

      You’re Going to Need Some Friends

      Listen Now You’re Going to Need Some Friends
  • BOOKS

    • Books

      Let’s untangle our culture’s obsession with toxic positivity and self-help, shall we? Kate studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change. She is the author of seven books including three instant New York Times bestsellers.

      All Books

      Joyful, Anyway

      Everything Happens for a Reason

      (And Other Lies I’ve Loved)

      Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!

      Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens

      No Cure for Being Human

      (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)

  • RESOURCES

    • Resources

      Our goal with Everything Happens is to create rich language and vibrant community that sustains us when life comes apart. Below, you’ll find categories that may be good starting points for you. Inside are a mix of podcasts, blessings, support guides, and bonus resources that we hope will be useful.

      ALL RESOURCES

      Types

      BLESSINGS
      DEVOTIONALS
      SUPPORT GUIDES
      COURSES
      FREE DOWNLOADS
      Discussion Guides
      FOR MINISTRY

      Topics

      ILLNESS
      GRIEF
      WHAT NOT TO SAY
      RESILIENT FAITH
      INSPIRING LIVES

      NUANCED HOPE
      CARING AT HOME
      CARING AT WORK
      COMPLICATED FAMILIES
      MOVING FORWARD

  • MERCH
    • Sweatshirts
    • Shirts
    • Hats
    • Goodies
  • SUBSTACK