How to do your best work, reframe life's bullshit, and stop making your happiness hostage to outcomes.

Maria Semple is the bestselling author of Today Will Be Different, Where'd You Go, Bernadette, and This One Is Mine. Before writing fiction, Maria wrote for TV. Her newest book is called Go Gentle.

In this episode we talk about:

• Cognitive reframing tools to shift your mindset
• Maria's daily Stoic routine
• The limits of Stoicism
• What to do when mediating gives you anxiety
• The danger of "baited bounties"
• How to "get shit done" with non-attachment
• Using fantasy as a coping mechanism

Related Episodes:

• Stoic Practices for Getting Rid of Mental Junk, Your Morning Routine, and Talking to the Dead | Ryan Holiday
• Stoic Advice for Handling Setbacks, Insults, and Death | William Irvine

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Additional Resources:

• William Irvine's "A Guide to the Good Life"

Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.

This episode is sponsored by: Rosetta Stone — Language learning that's immersive and intuitive. Start your journey at https://www.rosettastone.com/happier

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