53 Gretchen Rubin Quotes for You to Enjoy

Gretchen Rubin

American Author

Happiness Me Myself People Time You

Related authors: F. Scott Fitzgerald Frederick Douglass Helen Keller Henry David Thoreau Joyce Meyer Mark Twain Og Mandino Zig Ziglar

One of my 'Secrets of Adulthood' is: Somewhere, keep an empty shelf. I know where my empty shelf is, and I treasure it. Gretchen Rubin

Somewhere Secrets Adulthood Know Empty Shelf Where Keep Treasure

Many people keep photos in their homes, in their office, or in their wallet, and happy families tend to display large numbers of photos at home. In 'Happier at Home,' I write about my 'shrine to my family' made of photographs. Gretchen Rubin

Often, the more reliably you perform a task, the less likely it is for someone to notice that you're doing it and to feel grateful and to feel any impulse to help or to take a turn. Gretchen Rubin

You Grateful Reliably Someone More Take Feel Perform Likely Doing Task Any Often Impulse Turn Notice Less Help

It's hard to avoid 'unconscious overclaiming.' In unconscious overclaiming, we unconsciously overestimate our contributions relative to others. This makes sense, because we're far more aware of what we do than what other people do. Also, we tend to do the work that we value. Gretchen Rubin

While television is a good servant, it's a bad master. It can swallow up huge quantities of our lives without much happiness bang for the buck. Gretchen Rubin

Happiness Good Master Our Our Lives Television Bad Buck Quantities Without Huge Up Bang Swallow While Much Servant Lives

Watching TV is companionable: you share an experience, you can comment on the action here and there for a bit of conversation... it's a way of showing someone that you want his or her company and engaging in a low-key, pleasant, undemanding way. Gretchen Rubin

Try to never say 'yes' on the phone; instead, say, 'I'll get back to you.' When you're actually speaking to someone, the desire to be accommodating is very strong, and can lead you to say 'yes' without enough consideration. Gretchen Rubin

You Phone Strong Try Enough Back Consideration Say Someone Lead Never Instead Without Yes Very Get Speaking Actually Desire

Give warm greetings and farewells. I was surprised by how much this resolution changed the atmosphere of my home. Gretchen Rubin

Home Changed Atmosphere Give How How Much Surprised Warm Much Resolution

One of my key realizations about happiness, and a point oddly under-emphasized by positive psychologists, given its emphasis in popular culture, is that outer order contributes to inner calm. More than it should. Gretchen Rubin

Positive Happiness Culture Key Calm Outer About Given More Point Emphasis Oddly Than Order Psychologists Should Popular Popular Culture Inner

Never label anything 'Miscellaneous.' Gretchen Rubin

Never Label Anything

During my study of happiness, I noticed something that surprised me: I often learn more from one person's highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do from sources that detail universal principles or cite up-to-date studies. Gretchen Rubin

I'd always vaguely expected to outgrow my limitations. One day, I'd stop twisting my hair, and wearing running shoes all the time, and eating exactly the same food every day. I'd remember my friends' birthdays, I'd learn Photoshop, I wouldn't let my daughter watch TV during breakfast. I'd read Shakespeare. Gretchen Rubin

Time Food Day Every Day Remember Daughter Hair Shoes Breakfast Every Birthdays One Day TV Running Exactly Exactly The Same Photoshop Wearing Eating Outgrow Shakespeare Learn Read Limitations Always Friends Expected Same Stop Watch Twisting Vaguely

When we don't get any treats, we feel depleted, resentful, and angry, and we feel justified in self-indulgence. We start to crave comfort - and grab that comfort wherever we can, even if it means breaking good habits. Gretchen Rubin

Good Angry Habits Feel Comfort Grab Get Any Depleted Wherever Crave Breaking Justified Means Resentful Even Start Good Habits Treats

If you want someone else to do a task, don't do it yourself. Gretchen Rubin

You Do-It-Yourself Yourself Else Someone Task Want

Now, the term 'friend' is a little loose. People mock the 'friending' on social media, and say, 'Gosh, no one could have 300 friends!' Well, there are all kinds of friends. Those kinds of 'friends,' and work friends, and childhood friends, and dear friends, and neighborhood friends, and we-walk-our-dogs-at-the-same-time friends, etc. Gretchen Rubin

'Potato-chip news' is news that's repetitive, requires little effort to absorb, and is consumable in massive quantities: true crime, natural disasters, political punditry, celebrity gossip, sports gossip, or endless photographs of beautiful houses, food, or clothes. Gretchen Rubin

Beautiful Food News Sports Natural Gossip Political Crime Clothes Natural Disasters Photographs Absorb True Disasters Massive Houses Quantities Repetitive Celebrity Effort Endless Little Requires

Most people enjoy 'potato-chip news' from time to time - to track a presidential election or the Oscars. However, some are particularly drawn to material that makes them feel shocked, frightened, insecure, or indignant, and that's what potato-chip news often provides. Gretchen Rubin

Time News People Election Enjoy Presidential Presidential Election Drawn Insecure Some Indignant Feel Most Particularly Track Makes Material However Provides Shocked Frightened From Time To Time Often Them Oscars

My writing tends to become very dense, so I have to keep some cushion. Sometimes, words that seem superfluous are actually essential for the overall effect. Gretchen Rubin

Writing Words Sometimes Become Some Superfluous Seem Tends Overall Effect Dense Very Essential Cushion Keep Actually

I've always loved 'Before and After' stories, in books, magazines, and TV shows. Whenever I read those words, I'm hooked. The thought of a transformation - any kind of transformation - thrills me. And that's the promise of habits. Gretchen Rubin

Me Words Thought Before Transformation Books Those Hooked Kind Promise TV TV Shows Magazines Thrills Habits Read Always Any Whenever Stories After Loved Shows

I have a terrible memory of my own past. I can barely remember my childhood. I have few memories from college and law school - though once I got married, I got the advantage of being able to consult my husband's memory. Gretchen Rubin

Memories Memory Law Remember School College Husband Past Few Own Once Though Married Able Law School My Own Consult Advantage Terrible Got Childhood Being Barely

Whenever I'm trying to decide how to spend my precious time, energy, or money, I ask myself a series of questions. 'Will this broaden or deepen my relationships?' 'Will this contribute to an atmosphere of growth in my life?' 'Is this a way to 'Be Gretchen?' and 'Will this help connect me to my past?' Gretchen Rubin

Life Time Myself Me Money Will My Life Past Energy Relationships Spend Broaden Way Atmosphere How Questions Precious Contribute Trying Precious Time Whenever Decide Ask Help Connect Series Deepen Growth

Enthusiasm is a form of social courage. Gretchen Rubin

Courage Enthusiasm Form Social

I'm a compulsive note-taker, and I used to feel self-conscious about pulling out my little notebook and taking notes during a casual conversation. Then I noticed that people really seemed to enjoy it; the fact that I was taking notes made their remarks seem particularly insightful or valuable. Now I don't hold myself back. Gretchen Rubin

Myself Conversation People Valuable Made Enjoy Back Out Insightful About Seem Seemed Compulsive Fact Casual Remarks Self-Conscious Taking Feel Particularly Hold Little Notebook Notes Then Really Noticed Used Now Pulling

As goofy as it sounds, I try to sing in the morning. It's hard both to sing and to maintain a grouchy mood, and it sets a happy tone for everyone - particularly in my case, because I'm tone deaf, and my audience finds my singing a source of great hilarity. Gretchen Rubin

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