Kimberly Williams-Paisley Archives - Kate Bowler

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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
  Patrik Hagman
  What If Happiness Isn’t What You Think It Is?
  Listen Now What If Happiness Isn’t What You Think It Is?
  Bishop Michael Curry
  There Is More Good Among Us Than We Think
  Listen Now There Is More Good Among Us Than We Think
  Anne Lamott
  Love, Shame, and Being Human
  Listen Now Love, Shame, and Being Human
  Kelly Corrigan
  Third Annual Happy Crappy: Let’s End with the Happies
  Listen Now Third Annual Happy Crappy: Let’s End with the Happies
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

Read More Where The Light (Still) Gets In

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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

Look, 2026 is going to be long but I’ve already peaked so I can wrap it up. Look at these cuties! @blackberryfarm, loveliest place on planet earth run by the kindest and coolest @marycelestebf.

@jennabhager and @barbara.p.bush led us in hilarity and inspirational words and asking me to stop laughing during yoga. One of my absolute fav-o-rave humans @hollyaudreywilliams sang, and her sweet daughter joined her on stage.

It was really nice to be able to unleash my family onto the grounds and then argue later about why none of us are good at chess.

I was especially excited to preview some of my upcoming JOY EXTRAVAGANZA, which I’ll be doing soon in an upcoming virtual gathering with the one and only @jennifer.garner, so come on down to that!

But Blackberry now has the closest place to my heart. I’m considering abandoning all my passports in favor of being simply a Blackberrian.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17859227595553856

Look, 2026 is going to be long but I’ve already peaked so I can wrap it up. Look at these cuties! @blackberryfarm, loveliest place on planet earth run by the kindest and coolest @marycelestebf.@jennabhager and @barbara.p.bush led us in hilarity and inspirational words and asking me to stop laughing during yoga. One of my absolute fav-o-rave humans @hollyaudreywilliams sang, and her sweet daughter joined her on stage.It was really nice to be able to unleash my family onto the grounds and then argue later about why none of us are good at chess.I was especially excited to preview some of my upcoming JOY EXTRAVAGANZA, which I’ll be doing soon in an upcoming virtual gathering with the one and only @jennifer.garner, so come on down to that!But Blackberry now has the closest place to my heart. I’m considering abandoning all my passports in favor of being simply a Blackberrian.

Ok, it`s 42 seconds. DETAILS.

Moral of the story? Lent is not a 40-day glow-up, and don`t you forget it.

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Ok, it's 42 seconds. DETAILS.Moral of the story? Lent is not a 40-day glow-up, and don't you forget it.

May you breathe a little easier in a world where Everything Happens.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17893507800413923

May you breathe a little easier in a world where Everything Happens.

I’ve been working on this book about joy, and one of the first questions has been: how can I get to joy when I have so much to do? So many people to take care of?

This is a question that @gloriasteinem, second-wave feminist icon extraordinaire, helped raise for a generation of women who weren’t allowed to imagine vocation outside of caretaking other people’s needs.

So it was really special to be in the company of incredible people, in Gloria’s beautiful home, to talk about what allows both men and women to flourish. The lovely and talented @daniellerobay and @everodsky facilitated a beautiful conversation where we questioned everything, because it’s clear that our current systems aren’t working for everyone.

And I left really thinking about how deeply frustrated many women are about what’s left for them at the end of the day. So much everyday happiness comes down to inter-dependence, not feeling like you’ve collected a hundred dependents over the course of a day.

The third wave of feminism reshaped the workplace, insisting that women’s gifts were necessary and not ornamental. Perhaps this next wave must be just as transformative at home—inviting men fully into the sacred, ordinary labor of love, care, and daily devotion so that everyone can lead a life that feels more equitable.

Do you have a role model of interdependence? Whether it’s a friend or a partner or parents, what version of needing each other inspires you most?

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18106113613699054

I’ve been working on this book about joy, and one of the first questions has been: how can I get to joy when I have so much to do? So many people to take care of?This is a question that @gloriasteinem, second-wave feminist icon extraordinaire, helped raise for a generation of women who weren’t allowed to imagine vocation outside of caretaking other people’s needs.So it was really special to be in the company of incredible people, in Gloria’s beautiful home, to talk about what allows both men and women to flourish. The lovely and talented @daniellerobay and @everodsky facilitated a beautiful conversation where we questioned everything, because it’s clear that our current systems aren’t working for everyone.And I left really thinking about how deeply frustrated many women are about what’s left for them at the end of the day. So much everyday happiness comes down to inter-dependence, not feeling like you’ve collected a hundred dependents over the course of a day.The third wave of feminism reshaped the workplace, insisting that women’s gifts were necessary and not ornamental. Perhaps this next wave must be just as transformative at home—inviting men fully into the sacred, ordinary labor of love, care, and daily devotion so that everyone can lead a life that feels more equitable.Do you have a role model of interdependence? Whether it’s a friend or a partner or parents, what version of needing each other inspires you most?

SAVE THE DATE, MY LOVELY LITTLE MAPLE LEAVES!! 🍁

I`m taking the Joyful, Anyway across the border! I`ll be in Winnipeg on April 1st and in Toronto on April 2nd. Grab your bestie, your parka, and book that babysitter. We`ve got A LOT to talk about.

Grab tickets at the link in my bio. 🫎🇨🇦🎟️

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18105506611834381

SAVE THE DATE, MY LOVELY LITTLE MAPLE LEAVES!! 🍁I'm taking the Joyful, Anyway across the border! I'll be in Winnipeg on April 1st and in Toronto on April 2nd. Grab your bestie, your parka, and book that babysitter. We've got A LOT to talk about.Grab tickets at the link in my bio. 🫎🇨🇦🎟️

Ash Wednesday has never been subtle. It starts with dirt—smudged on foreheads, worked into skin—and words that don’t bother cheering us up. Looking at you, "you are dust and to dust you shall return."

No silver lining. No neat takeaway. Just the truth we spend most of the year avoiding: we are fragile, finite, made of dust.

Over the next 40 days, I`ll be sharing reflections on Substack, along with some gorgeous art and blessings. I`d love for you to be there.

p.s. Even if church language or the mention of Lent makes your eyeballs twitch a little, you`re welcome here. This might become your favorite season, too, because we drop the act that "everything is fine" and begin to see the world as it really is.

Comment "ASH" and I`ll send you a link to subscribe.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 17909643075165745

Ash Wednesday has never been subtle. It starts with dirt—smudged on foreheads, worked into skin—and words that don’t bother cheering us up. Looking at you, "you are dust and to dust you shall return."No silver lining. No neat takeaway. Just the truth we spend most of the year avoiding: we are fragile, finite, made of dust.Over the next 40 days, I'll be sharing reflections on Substack, along with some gorgeous art and blessings. I'd love for you to be there.p.s. Even if church language or the mention of Lent makes your eyeballs twitch a little, you're welcome here. This might become your favorite season, too, because we drop the act that "everything is fine" and begin to see the world as it really is.Comment "ASH" and I'll send you a link to subscribe.

I can’t believe these pages will be in all of your hands in just a few weeks. 💕💕

Grab a ticket for one of the book tour stops, and you’ll get a signed copy of Joyful, Anyway. A few easter eggs were left from my son on some of the pages. :)

Can’t make it on tour? Join @jennifer.garner and me for a virtual event on 3/19. Link in my bio.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18083656789980902

I can’t believe these pages will be in all of your hands in just a few weeks. 💕💕Grab a ticket for one of the book tour stops, and you’ll get a signed copy of Joyful, Anyway. A few easter eggs were left from my son on some of the pages. :)Can’t make it on tour? Join @jennifer.garner and me for a virtual event on 3/19. Link in my bio.

This is the season that asks us to stay.

With what’s tender.
Unfinished.
Unfixable.

Lent begins February 18 - forty days together on Substack.
You’re so welcome here. 💛

Comment “LENT,” and I’ll send you a link to subscribe to my Substack so you don’t miss a thing.

P.S. It’s totally free.

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Open post by katecbowler with ID 18076056197080568

This is the season that asks us to stay.With what’s tender.
Unfinished.
Unfixable.Lent begins February 18 - forty days together on Substack.
You’re so welcome here. 💛Comment “LENT,” and I’ll send you a link to subscribe to my Substack so you don’t miss a thing.P.S. It’s totally free.

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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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
  Patrik Hagman
  What If Happiness Isn’t What You Think It Is?
  Listen Now What If Happiness Isn’t What You Think It Is?
  Bishop Michael Curry
  There Is More Good Among Us Than We Think
  Listen Now There Is More Good Among Us Than We Think
  Anne Lamott
  Love, Shame, and Being Human
  Listen Now Love, Shame, and Being Human
  Kelly Corrigan
  Third Annual Happy Crappy: Let’s End with the Happies
  Listen Now Third Annual Happy Crappy: Let’s End with the Happies
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