Keeping Your Balance in Crazy Times
This week, we learned how to be okay (and even flourish) when things are not okay.
Some weeks call for big ideas that don’t just make you smarter—they make you steadier. These are the ones that jumped out at us this week.
Discover the best new nonfiction before everyone else. Join the Next Big Idea Club for curated books, author deep dives, and members-only conversations.
This Week on the Next Big Idea Podcast
How to be okay.
It’s a big, bad, scary, lonely world out there. Lucky for us, Jenny Lawson (thebloggess) has collected more than a hundred tricks and tools that have helped her keep going, and she shares them in her heartwarming and hilarious new book, How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay. You can hear our chat with her on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or watch on YouTube.
Book Bite of the Week
How can we live happy, fulfilling lives in the face of today’s challenges?
Feeling happier, more connected, and more purposeful isn’t luck—it’s a set of skills you can practice and get better at. The wild part? Just a few minutes a day can start to change your own quality of life and that of the people around you.
Richard Davidson is a Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as the Founder and Director of their Center for Healthy Minds. Cortland Dahl serves as a Contemplative Scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds and as Chief Contemplative Officer at the center’s affiliated nonprofit, Humin. Pick up a copy of their new book Born to Flourish: How New Science and Ancient Wisdom Reveal a Simple Path to Thriving on Amazon or check out the key insights on the Next Big Idea app.
This Week on the Next Big Idea Daily Podcast
Can you disagree without fighting?
We live in a world where you can argue with anyone, anytime, for any reason. But are we actually any good at it? Harvard behavioral scientist Julia Minson (DISAGREEMENT DIARIES) shares a science-backed framework for disagreeing without making everyone miserable. Check out her summary on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
This edition of Book of the Day is sponsored by Granola. Get three months free at granola.ai/idea.
🎉 Happy Publication Week! 🎉
The following Next Big Idea Club Must-Read authors got to celebrate the publication of their books yesterday--congratulations to them all! 📖 Join us in reading and discussing these exciting new releases:
Marisa Renee Lee, Waiting For Dawn: Living With Uncertainty
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein , The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie
Trisha Pasricha, You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong: How to Make Your Bowel Movements a Joy
Alexander Mayyasi, Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life
Robert Moor, In Trees: An Exploration
Beverly Gage, This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History
Ada Limon, Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry
Noam Scheiber, Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class
Piera Gelardi, The Playful Way: Creativity, Connection, and Joy Through Everyday Moments of Play
Catherine Carr, Who’s the Favorite?: The Loving, Messy Realities of Sibling Relationships