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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
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
  Suleika Jaouad
  Living the Questions (Without Fixing Yourself)
  Listen Now Living the Questions (Without Fixing Yourself)
  Malcolm Guite
  What If Prayer Isn’t What You Think It Is?
  Listen Now What If Prayer Isn’t What You Think It Is?
  Mark Rank
  The Randomness of Everything
  Listen Now The Randomness of Everything
  Molly Worthen | Ross Douthat
  The New Shape of American Religion
  Listen Now The New Shape of American Religion
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
SUBSTACK

Kate Bowler

Read More Behold, These Precious Days

End of content

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

Such a joy (the real kind, not the “everything is perfect” kind) to talk with @annshoket and @SheMedia.

We got into the kind of joy that doesn’t wait for your life to calm down… or your inbox to hit zero… or your relationships to suddenly become effortless (lol). What I keep learning is that joy doesn’t stay contained. It moves. It spreads. It catches.

When one person admits life is hard and still notices what’s good, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.
Joyful, anyway—and apparently, contagious.

Also, in related news, would you like to see my giant puppet face talk about this argument from many angles? BEHOLD!

Loved bringing Joyful, Anyway to the stage at @sxsw — if I thought I was excited to go on tour before this, I was wrong. I am now… alarmingly pumped. T-MINUS NINE DAYS PEOPLE.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18302473285273885

Such a joy (the real kind, not the “everything is perfect” kind) to talk with @annshoket and @SheMedia.We got into the kind of joy that doesn’t wait for your life to calm down… or your inbox to hit zero… or your relationships to suddenly become effortless (lol). What I keep learning is that joy doesn’t stay contained. It moves. It spreads. It catches.When one person admits life is hard and still notices what’s good, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.
Joyful, anyway—and apparently, contagious.Also, in related news, would you like to see my giant puppet face talk about this argument from many angles? BEHOLD!Loved bringing Joyful, Anyway to the stage at @sxsw — if I thought I was excited to go on tour before this, I was wrong. I am now… alarmingly pumped. T-MINUS NINE DAYS PEOPLE.

Blessed are we who were made to love and lose and risk and ache in a world where Everything Happens.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18048617942733610

Blessed are we who were made to love and lose and risk and ache in a world where Everything Happens.

On this International Day of Happiness, a small confession:

Happiness is great! But it`s... not all its cracked up to be.

Joy, though—joy doesn`t require good circumstances. Joy can appear even when nothing is measurably better.

If you want more of that, Joyful, Anyway is coming soon.

Pre-order at the link in bio.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18012044426687357

On this International Day of Happiness, a small confession:Happiness is great! But it's... not all its cracked up to be.Joy, though—joy doesn't require good circumstances. Joy can appear even when nothing is measurably better.If you want more of that, Joyful, Anyway is coming soon.Pre-order at the link in bio.

A small publishing secret: pre-orders matter. A lot.

They tell bookstores to stock the book.
They tell the publisher people care.
They tell the mysterious book-algorithm creatures to wake up and pay attention.

So if JOYFUL, ANYWAY is already on your “someday” list, today is a beautiful day to make it official.

Pre-order at the link in my bio and consider it a tiny act of literary enthusiasm. 📚✨

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17874277179558300

A small publishing secret: pre-orders matter. A lot.They tell bookstores to stock the book.
They tell the publisher people care.
They tell the mysterious book-algorithm creatures to wake up and pay attention.So if JOYFUL, ANYWAY is already on your “someday” list, today is a beautiful day to make it official.Pre-order at the link in my bio and consider it a tiny act of literary enthusiasm. 📚✨

Swipe to see who my very special mystery guest will be in San Francisco!!

To say I`m excited to run it back would be the understatement of the CENTURY. Grab your tickets at the link in my bio. Or comment "SF" below, and I`ll send you a link to purchase. 🎟️ 💃💕

Can`t wait to see you April 23 @annelamott!!

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18061820441352581

Swipe to see who my very special mystery guest will be in San Francisco!!To say I'm excited to run it back would be the understatement of the CENTURY. Grab your tickets at the link in my bio. Or comment "SF" below, and I'll send you a link to purchase. 🎟️ 💃💕Can't wait to see you April 23 @annelamott!!

I wrote Joyful, Anyway for anyone who has ever wondered: Is joy still possible when life hurts?

So hearing these generous words from people I admire feels like a small miracle. ✨

Swipe through to read what they said about the book. Their encouragement means the world.
And if there’s one thing this book insists on, it’s this:

Joy isn’t reserved for perfect lives.
It shows up in the middle of the real ones.

Link to pre-order is in my bio. ❤️

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18104876161845624

I wrote Joyful, Anyway for anyone who has ever wondered: Is joy still possible when life hurts?So hearing these generous words from people I admire feels like a small miracle. ✨Swipe through to read what they said about the book. Their encouragement means the world.
And if there’s one thing this book insists on, it’s this:Joy isn’t reserved for perfect lives.
It shows up in the middle of the real ones.Link to pre-order is in my bio. ❤️

Bless you who let in the light in a world where Everything Happens.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17861102490548910

Bless you who let in the light in a world where Everything Happens.

I wrote an entire book about JOY.

But first, let’s be clear about what joy is not.

Joy is not a perfectly optimized morning routine.
It’s not good vibes only.
It’s not proof that you made all the right choices or manifested the correct life.

Joy doesn’t mean you solved the ache.

Joy is what helps you stay in your life instead of trying to escape it. It’s the strange, stubborn moment of gratitude or delight that shows up in the middle of ordinary days—between grief, errands, waiting rooms, and the thousand small worries we carry.

It’s the music that somehow keeps playing even when life is complicated, unfinished, and a little heartbreaking.

If you’ve ever wondered whether joy can exist alongside the real stuff—loss, exhaustion, hope, and love—this book is for you.

✨ Pre-order Joyful, Anyway now and come find the music with me.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18073401167531434

I wrote an entire book about JOY.But first, let’s be clear about what joy is not.Joy is not a perfectly optimized morning routine.
It’s not good vibes only.
It’s not proof that you made all the right choices or manifested the correct life.Joy doesn’t mean you solved the ache.Joy is what helps you stay in your life instead of trying to escape it. It’s the strange, stubborn moment of gratitude or delight that shows up in the middle of ordinary days—between grief, errands, waiting rooms, and the thousand small worries we carry.It’s the music that somehow keeps playing even when life is complicated, unfinished, and a little heartbreaking.If you’ve ever wondered whether joy can exist alongside the real stuff—loss, exhaustion, hope, and love—this book is for you.✨ Pre-order Joyful, Anyway now and come find the music with me.

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.

About
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Blessings

Everything Happens.

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
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
  Suleika Jaouad
  Living the Questions (Without Fixing Yourself)
  Listen Now Living the Questions (Without Fixing Yourself)
  Malcolm Guite
  What If Prayer Isn’t What You Think It Is?
  Listen Now What If Prayer Isn’t What You Think It Is?
  Mark Rank
  The Randomness of Everything
  Listen Now The Randomness of Everything
  Molly Worthen | Ross Douthat
  The New Shape of American Religion
  Listen Now The New Shape of American Religion
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
SUBSTACK

Meet Kate

Get to Know Me

How to Connect

Everything Happens.

Books

Joyful, Anyway

Everything Happens for a Reason

Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!

No Cure for Being Human

Resources

Types

Topics

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.

Follow along on socials

Everything Happens.

Browse by topic

Meet Kate

Get to Know Me

How to Connect

Everything Happens.

Books

Joyful, Anyway

Everything Happens for a Reason

Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!

No Cure for Being Human

Resources

Types

Topics

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.