Edit Your Life Episode 128: Prioritizing Joy + Optimism

The news cycle has been relentless and painful, which is all the more reason that it’s important to do give yourself a little space to settle into something good. In Episode 128 of Edit Your Life, I interview novelist Katherine Center. Katherine and I talk about Katherine’s latest New York Times bestselling book, How To Walk Away, the human condition, positive vs. negative valence theory as it relates to fiction, why prioritizing happiness and joy matters, women writers, how Katherine found her love of storytelling through her teen tribe, and more.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Young Woodworkers, a great, hands-on alternative to screen time for 7-12 year-olds. Edit Your Life listeners get big savings on the first shipment. Head to youngwoodworkers.com/edit to subscribe and get a 50% discount — $9.99 plus postage and processing for the first kit (no promo code needed)! (Also, here’s footage of Violet going at it with a hammer through her Young Woodworkers kit.)

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Resources mentioned in this episode

Minimalist Parenting
Katherine Center’s website
Katherine’s books: How To Walk Away, Happiness for Beginners, The Lost Husband, Get Lucky, Everyone Is Beautiful, The Bright Side of Disaster
The Handmaid’s Tale (it makes Christine want to barf yet she can’t stop watching it)
Katherine’s San Antonio recommendations: Hotel Emma + The Twig Book Shop
Jenny Lawson’s blog The Bloggess + books Furiously Happy, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, You Are Here
Katherine’s women writer book recommendations: The Identicals by Elin Hilderband; anything by Jo Jo Moyes (Still Me is the latest in the Me Before You trilogy); The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty; The Nightingale + The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah; Wishful Drinking, Shockaholic, and The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
Two book recommendations from Christine: Pachinko + Free Food For Millionaires by Min Jin Lee

Question Of The Week

What is something that brought you joy today? No source of joy is too small! Join the discussion on the Edit Your Life Facebook page (look for the Question Of The Week post pinned to the top of the page).

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Catch up on previous episodes

Here’s a complete listing of every episode.