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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
  Learning to Be Joyful, Anyway: A Big Announcement
  Listen Now Learning to Be Joyful, Anyway: A Big Announcement
  Ellen Vora
  For Those Who Feel It All
  Listen Now For Those Who Feel It All
  Ai-jen Poo
  America’s Caregiving Crisis
  Listen Now America’s Caregiving Crisis
  Jen Hatmaker
  Divorce, Deconstruction, and Rebuilding from Scratch
  Listen Now Divorce, Deconstruction, and Rebuilding from Scratch
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
  (And Other Lies I’ve Loved)
  
  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

Read More Family Secrets

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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

I have big news: I wrote a book. It’s called Joyful, Anyway.

It’s about the ache we all carry, the grief we can’t shortcut, and the ridiculous little flashes of joy that barge in anyway—like my son asking if there’s somewhere kids can practice grenades (our family’s commitment to pacifism seems to be hanging by a thread).

This is for anyone who has ever felt stuck, who has been undone by loss, or who believes that joy is just out of reach. Every time we ask is this it?, joy will answer: There is more.

It’s available for pre-order now.

May we all be joyful… anyway.

Comment “JOY” and I’ll send you a link to pre-order!!

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18060952961425821

I have big news: I wrote a book. It’s called Joyful, Anyway.It’s about the ache we all carry, the grief we can’t shortcut, and the ridiculous little flashes of joy that barge in anyway—like my son asking if there’s somewhere kids can practice grenades (our family’s commitment to pacifism seems to be hanging by a thread).This is for anyone who has ever felt stuck, who has been undone by loss, or who believes that joy is just out of reach. Every time we ask is this it?, joy will answer: There is more.It’s available for pre-order now.May we all be joyful… anyway.Comment “JOY” and I’ll send you a link to pre-order!!

Welcome to fall. You’re right on time. 🍁

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18054001556267354

Welcome to fall. You’re right on time. 🍁

To all my big, beautiful, exhausted hearts - you who cry during commercials and can read a room like it`s a NYT bestseller - may you see your softness not as a weakness, but as a way of being wholly human in a world where Everything Happens.

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To all my big, beautiful, exhausted hearts - you who cry during commercials and can read a room like it's a NYT bestseller - may you see your softness not as a weakness, but as a way of being wholly human in a world where Everything Happens.

Monday is my talk with the one and only Anne Lamott (eeek!), and if you`re in town for the occasion (double eeek!) I’ve come up with an itinerary for you!!

Wander gardens, sip great coffee, eat incredible food, and end the day the best way I know how—with a little honesty, a little hope, and someone who knows how to name what hurts without pretending it’s all okay.

Save this post or share it with someone you know!!

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17855549481485930

Monday is my talk with the one and only Anne Lamott (eeek!), and if you're in town for the occasion (double eeek!) I’ve come up with an itinerary for you!!Wander gardens, sip great coffee, eat incredible food, and end the day the best way I know how—with a little honesty, a little hope, and someone who knows how to name what hurts without pretending it’s all okay.Save this post or share it with someone you know!!

✨ Inbox zero. ✨ Protein pancakes. ✨ Enlightened parenting. ✨
Then my body was like: LOL, no.

So now I’m aiming for one task, no tab explosions, and maybe a walk.

Join me??

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18070557605247703

✨ Inbox zero. ✨ Protein pancakes. ✨ Enlightened parenting. ✨
Then my body was like: LOL, no.So now I’m aiming for one task, no tab explosions, and maybe a walk.Join me??

A debut novel, a tear-jerking documentary, and a spirited debate about whether social media is gently unraveling our souls—September’s “Required Reading” has it all. (Yes, I know it’s October. Time is a construct, and also my AI assistant isn`t very...helpful.) 😅

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

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18121997245444775

A debut novel, a tear-jerking documentary, and a spirited debate about whether social media is gently unraveling our souls—September’s “Required Reading” has it all. (Yes, I know it’s October. Time is a construct, and also my AI assistant isn't very...helpful.) 😅Comment "FEELS" and I'll send you a link to read. 😀

For my fellow disaster-empaths—who cry at dog food ads and once thanked their barista for their service—today’s episode is for you.

I sat down with Dr. Ellen Vora, author of "The Anatomy of Anxiety", to talk about why your spirals might not be a sign that you’re broken—but a signal that this world is...kind of a lot?

She’s sharp, soulful, and the kind of person I’d trust to talk me down from a panic spiral or explain why I feel nervous literally all the time.

Comment “SPIRAL” and I’ll DM you the link. It’s not therapy. But it’s close.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18113281996558978

For my fellow disaster-empaths—who cry at dog food ads and once thanked their barista for their service—today’s episode is for you.I sat down with Dr. Ellen Vora, author of "The Anatomy of Anxiety", to talk about why your spirals might not be a sign that you’re broken—but a signal that this world is...kind of a lot?She’s sharp, soulful, and the kind of person I’d trust to talk me down from a panic spiral or explain why I feel nervous literally all the time.Comment “SPIRAL” and I’ll DM you the link. It’s not therapy. But it’s close.

BREAKING: I found my spiritual homeland and it is... Sauna Island.

Let me explain. I just spent a glorious, jet-lagged week in Finland and Denmark with the wonderful @gambrellfdn crew (more on that later), but for now let’s focus on the important part: AN ENTIRE ISLAND DEDICATED TO SWEATING AND FREEZING.

Yes, friends. You take a boat from Helsinki to a little sauna sanctuary where you can dunk yourself in icy water, then bake in a smoke sauna until you’ve fully disassociated from your inbox. Repeat as needed.

Did I nearly cry when gifted an extremely whimsical sauna hat shaped like a flower? I did. Did the locals wear these? They did not. But spiritually? I was blooming.

Apparently the Finns plunge year-round as a reminder that life is short and the water is very, very cold. Swipe to witness my descent into the freezing abyss and my deeply ungraceful return. I am trying new things! I am saying yes!

(And adding this to the ever-growing list of borderline unhinged things I’m willing to do to feel even a little alive. No regrets.)

p.s. Last few photos via @saunasaari.fi. Go there. Be changed. Or at least chilled.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18071189530955815

BREAKING: I found my spiritual homeland and it is... Sauna Island.Let me explain. I just spent a glorious, jet-lagged week in Finland and Denmark with the wonderful @gambrellfdn crew (more on that later), but for now let’s focus on the important part: AN ENTIRE ISLAND DEDICATED TO SWEATING AND FREEZING.Yes, friends. You take a boat from Helsinki to a little sauna sanctuary where you can dunk yourself in icy water, then bake in a smoke sauna until you’ve fully disassociated from your inbox. Repeat as needed.Did I nearly cry when gifted an extremely whimsical sauna hat shaped like a flower? I did. Did the locals wear these? They did not. But spiritually? I was blooming.Apparently the Finns plunge year-round as a reminder that life is short and the water is very, very cold. Swipe to witness my descent into the freezing abyss and my deeply ungraceful return. I am trying new things! I am saying yes!(And adding this to the ever-growing list of borderline unhinged things I’m willing to do to feel even a little alive. No regrets.)p.s. Last few photos via @saunasaari.fi. Go there. Be changed. Or at least chilled.

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.

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Blessings

Everything Happens.

Make your inbox a little more human.

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
  Learning to Be Joyful, Anyway: A Big Announcement
  Listen Now Learning to Be Joyful, Anyway: A Big Announcement
  Ellen Vora
  For Those Who Feel It All
  Listen Now For Those Who Feel It All
  Ai-jen Poo
  America’s Caregiving Crisis
  Listen Now America’s Caregiving Crisis
  Jen Hatmaker
  Divorce, Deconstruction, and Rebuilding from Scratch
  Listen Now Divorce, Deconstruction, and Rebuilding from Scratch
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
  (And Other Lies I’ve Loved)
  
  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

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

Make your inbox a little more human.

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.