Gretchen Rubin

So I was reading, it's not even really a book, it's sort of an appendix, but there was an account of a conversation where Dr. Johnson walked into a party and someone asked if he would take a little wine. And he said, I can't take a little. Moderation is as difficult to me as... Abstinence is as difficult to me as temperance would... Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult.

So I was reading, it's not even really a book, it's sort of an appendix, but there was an account of a conversation where Dr. Johnson walked into a party and someone asked if he would take a little wine. And he said, I can't take a little. Moderation is as difficult to me as... Abstinence is as difficult to me as temperance would... Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult.

Meaning, I can have none, but I can't have a little bit. Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult. See, this is the thing about an aphorism. You have to get it exactly right. But when I read that, it was a huge insight for me because I had this really overwhelming sweet tooth. And I thought, maybe I'm like Dr. Johnson. Maybe I should just have none.

Meaning, I can have none, but I can't have a little bit. Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult. See, this is the thing about an aphorism. You have to get it exactly right. But when I read that, it was a huge insight for me because I had this really overwhelming sweet tooth. And I thought, maybe I'm like Dr. Johnson. Maybe I should just have none.

Meaning, I can have none, but I can't have a little bit. Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult. See, this is the thing about an aphorism. You have to get it exactly right. But when I read that, it was a huge insight for me because I had this really overwhelming sweet tooth. And I thought, maybe I'm like Dr. Johnson. Maybe I should just have none.

Maybe, and I realized I'm an all or nothing person, I can have no Thin Mint cookies very, very easily. or I can have a whole sleeve of Thin Mint cookies. I can't have one Thin Mint cookie. I can't have half a dish of ice cream. I can't have one square of fine chocolate. You know, and so, and I realized, that's okay. That's just how some people are, and I gave up sugar.

Maybe, and I realized I'm an all or nothing person, I can have no Thin Mint cookies very, very easily. or I can have a whole sleeve of Thin Mint cookies. I can't have one Thin Mint cookie. I can't have half a dish of ice cream. I can't have one square of fine chocolate. You know, and so, and I realized, that's okay. That's just how some people are, and I gave up sugar.

Maybe, and I realized I'm an all or nothing person, I can have no Thin Mint cookies very, very easily. or I can have a whole sleeve of Thin Mint cookies. I can't have one Thin Mint cookie. I can't have half a dish of ice cream. I can't have one square of fine chocolate. You know, and so, and I realized, that's okay. That's just how some people are, and I gave up sugar.

That was like 13 years ago, and it is so, And I wouldn't say this is true for everyone. Not everybody wants to give up sugar. It's just something that works really well for me. But I hadn't even considered that approach until I read that from Dr. Johnson talking about himself. So that was something that transformed my whole life. There was just this really boring noise in my head that went away.

That was like 13 years ago, and it is so, And I wouldn't say this is true for everyone. Not everybody wants to give up sugar. It's just something that works really well for me. But I hadn't even considered that approach until I read that from Dr. Johnson talking about himself. So that was something that transformed my whole life. There was just this really boring noise in my head that went away.

That was like 13 years ago, and it is so, And I wouldn't say this is true for everyone. Not everybody wants to give up sugar. It's just something that works really well for me. But I hadn't even considered that approach until I read that from Dr. Johnson talking about himself. So that was something that transformed my whole life. There was just this really boring noise in my head that went away.

Well, and I think that's a great example of like, this is a proverb, that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. And I think a lot of times, it's like, the readiness is all. See, I can go on and on with these forever. And it's like, if probably you were ready to hear that,

Well, and I think that's a great example of like, this is a proverb, that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. And I think a lot of times, it's like, the readiness is all. See, I can go on and on with these forever. And it's like, if probably you were ready to hear that,

Well, and I think that's a great example of like, this is a proverb, that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. And I think a lot of times, it's like, the readiness is all. See, I can go on and on with these forever. And it's like, if probably you were ready to hear that,

and it came to you and then it hit you very hard, whereas it might not have hit somebody else very hard or even you at a different time, or often metaphors matter. like with the Happiness Project, many really well-intentioned people said, do not call it the Happiness Project because project sounds like homework. Nobody wants to do a project. And I was like, what are you talking about?

and it came to you and then it hit you very hard, whereas it might not have hit somebody else very hard or even you at a different time, or often metaphors matter. like with the Happiness Project, many really well-intentioned people said, do not call it the Happiness Project because project sounds like homework. Nobody wants to do a project. And I was like, what are you talking about?

and it came to you and then it hit you very hard, whereas it might not have hit somebody else very hard or even you at a different time, or often metaphors matter. like with the Happiness Project, many really well-intentioned people said, do not call it the Happiness Project because project sounds like homework. Nobody wants to do a project. And I was like, what are you talking about?

I love a project. But you know what doesn't resonate with me? The journey. People will often talk about the journey. And for whatever reason, that isn't a metaphor that resonates with me. And so I think sometimes it is you just, you find... that thing that strikes a chord when it's in the right words at the right time for you. But it's kind of hard to manufacture that.

I love a project. But you know what doesn't resonate with me? The journey. People will often talk about the journey. And for whatever reason, that isn't a metaphor that resonates with me. And so I think sometimes it is you just, you find... that thing that strikes a chord when it's in the right words at the right time for you. But it's kind of hard to manufacture that.

I love a project. But you know what doesn't resonate with me? The journey. People will often talk about the journey. And for whatever reason, that isn't a metaphor that resonates with me. And so I think sometimes it is you just, you find... that thing that strikes a chord when it's in the right words at the right time for you. But it's kind of hard to manufacture that.