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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
  Elizabeth Gilbert
  When Caregiving Becomes Codependency
  Listen Now When Caregiving Becomes Codependency
  Atul Gawande
  What Makes Life Worth Living?
  Listen Now What Makes Life Worth Living?
  Kate Bowler
  How to Change (But Not Overnight)
  Listen Now How to Change (But Not Overnight)
  Kate Bowler
  The Summer of Too Much
  Listen Now The Summer of Too Much
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
  
  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

The thought of my family living on without me being there because of my terminal brain cancer diagnosis.

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

Back-to-school should really just mean ROBES FOR EVERYONE.

LOOK HOW SCHOLARLY. LOOK HOW SERIOUS. LOOK HOW...sweaty. (August in North Carolina is not playing around.)

Somehow—wildly—this is my twenty-first year at @dukedivinity, which is confusing, because I’m pretty sure I’m still 35.

This season always brings the same strange mix: chaos and anticipation, a thousand unread emails and a hallway full of people who still believe that learning together matters. Both things can be true at once.

What’s your back-to-school energy right now? Mild panic? Full hope? A suspicious amount of school supplies?

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Back-to-school should really just mean ROBES FOR EVERYONE.LOOK HOW SCHOLARLY. LOOK HOW SERIOUS. LOOK HOW...sweaty. (August in North Carolina is not playing around.)Somehow—wildly—this is my twenty-first year at @dukedivinity, which is confusing, because I’m pretty sure I’m still 35.This season always brings the same strange mix: chaos and anticipation, a thousand unread emails and a hallway full of people who still believe that learning together matters. Both things can be true at once.What’s your back-to-school energy right now? Mild panic? Full hope? A suspicious amount of school supplies?

I love what Elizabeth Gilbert—yes, Liz Gilbert of EAT PRAY LOVE— said here. It reminds me of what my friend Rabbi @steve_leder told me, "If we`re going through hell, don`t come out empty-handed."

Today, Liz is my guest on @everythinghappens. Her new book, "All the Way to the River" (out today!) is not exactly an *inspirational* story. Nope. Because that`s not what happened. Instead, it`s blistering and honest and about when you lose yourself in love. This conversation is for anyone who finds themselves wandering in the dark, hoping and praying that God might meet them there, too.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or WATCH IT on YouTube. 📺

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I love what Elizabeth Gilbert—yes, Liz Gilbert of EAT PRAY LOVE— said here. It reminds me of what my friend Rabbi @steve_leder told me, "If we're going through hell, don't come out empty-handed."Today, Liz is my guest on @everythinghappens. Her new book, "All the Way to the River" (out today!) is not exactly an *inspirational* story. Nope. Because that's not what happened. Instead, it's blistering and honest and about when you lose yourself in love. This conversation is for anyone who finds themselves wandering in the dark, hoping and praying that God might meet them there, too.Listen wherever you get your podcasts or WATCH IT on YouTube. 📺

🎉 NEW MERCH JUST DROPPED 🎉

Nothing says “I’ve been emotionally leveled by life and still showed up” like a sweatshirt with feelings on it.

We made some painfully honest, weirdly hopeful, and accidentally stylish gear for you and your fellow overthinkers, caregivers, and chaos navigators.

Perfect for:
🌀 Spiraling in comfort
🥣 Cry-eating cereal at 10pm
🛋️ Canceling plans and staying horizontal

Comment "MERCH" and I`ll send a link to shop :)

I hope you love it.

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🎉 NEW MERCH JUST DROPPED 🎉Nothing says “I’ve been emotionally leveled by life and still showed up” like a sweatshirt with feelings on it.We made some painfully honest, weirdly hopeful, and accidentally stylish gear for you and your fellow overthinkers, caregivers, and chaos navigators.Perfect for:
🌀 Spiraling in comfort
🥣 Cry-eating cereal at 10pm
🛋️ Canceling plans and staying horizontalComment "MERCH" and I'll send a link to shop :)I hope you love it.

And may you feel, deep in your bones, that your soft, mortal, limited self is worthy of great, great love in a world in which Everything Happens.

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And may you feel, deep in your bones, that your soft, mortal, limited self is worthy of great, great love in a world in which Everything Happens.

It’s easy to forget, in an age of endless data and blinking alerts, that what makes life beautiful isn’t efficiency—it’s love, agency, connection, meaning.

Here are 15 ways to stay human in the face of technology, drawn from the wisdom of those who know what it means to care at the edges of life. (looking at you @atul.gawande) 👀

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It’s easy to forget, in an age of endless data and blinking alerts, that what makes life beautiful isn’t efficiency—it’s love, agency, connection, meaning.Here are 15 ways to stay human in the face of technology, drawn from the wisdom of those who know what it means to care at the edges of life. (looking at you @atul.gawande) 👀

Happy September, loves.

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Happy September, loves.

Circle the date. Set the alarms. Light a candle (or...don’t).

Something beautiful/terrible/secret is coming Sept 8.

ANY GUESSES????

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Circle the date. Set the alarms. Light a candle (or...don’t).Something beautiful/terrible/secret is coming Sept 8.ANY GUESSES????

What makes life meaningful—especially at the end?

This week on Everything Happens (we’re SO BACK), Dr. @atul.gawande reflects on why that question is at the heart of caregiving. In medicine and in families, knowing what matters most can shape every decision, every conversation, every act of care.

Whether you’re a clinician, a caregiver, or someone navigating these questions for yourself, this is a conversation about humanity and living well all the way to the end.

Comment “BACK” and I’ll send you a link to watch the whole episode. 📺👀🎙️

p.s. To make it even easier to find pod content, be sure to follow @everythinghappens on Instagram!
p.p.s A huge thank you to @aspenideas for collaborating to make this conversation possible.

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What makes life meaningful—especially at the end?This week on Everything Happens (we’re SO BACK), Dr. @atul.gawande reflects on why that question is at the heart of caregiving. In medicine and in families, knowing what matters most can shape every decision, every conversation, every act of care.Whether you’re a clinician, a caregiver, or someone navigating these questions for yourself, this is a conversation about humanity and living well all the way to the end.Comment “BACK” and I’ll send you a link to watch the whole episode. 📺👀🎙️p.s. To make it even easier to find pod content, be sure to follow @everythinghappens on Instagram!
p.p.s A huge thank you to @aspenideas for collaborating to make this conversation possible.

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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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
  Elizabeth Gilbert
  When Caregiving Becomes Codependency
  Listen Now When Caregiving Becomes Codependency
  Atul Gawande
  What Makes Life Worth Living?
  Listen Now What Makes Life Worth Living?
  Kate Bowler
  How to Change (But Not Overnight)
  Listen Now How to Change (But Not Overnight)
  Kate Bowler
  The Summer of Too Much
  Listen Now The Summer of Too Much
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
  
  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