Today we welcome Gretchen Rubin, one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She’s a highly acclaimed writer, having sold millions of copies of her New York Times bestselling books. Her podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, has more than 220 million downloads. As the founder of The Happiness Project, Gretchen has helped create an ecosystem of imaginative products and tools to help people become happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. Her latest book is called Life in Five Senses.In this episode I talk to Gretchen Rubin about connecting to the world through our five senses. Our fast-paced, modern world keeps us constantly moving, making us feel disconnected from other people and our surroundings. Gretchen shares unconventional ways we can re-experience the world through seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching. She believes that tuning into life’s simple pleasures allows us to live each day with more appreciation and vitality. We also touch on the topics of mindfulness, creativity, learning, and individual differences.Website: gretchenrubin.comTwitter: @gretchenrubin Topics01:57 The Five-Senses Quiz08:19 The more we know, the more we notice11:02 Life in Five Senses14:26 We all have unique sensory worlds19:12 Gretchen’s daily visits to the MET 24:26 The longing for immersive experiences27:28 COVID has taught us to value our senses31:44 The magic of ketchup36:16 Connecting through sensory experiences39:27 What is your ideal sensory surrounding?49:35 The muse machine54:28 Different ways of being and sensing