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Kate Bowler: Is Joy Possible When Things Are Difficult? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 26, 2026 · 1H 13M

Kate Bowler: Is Joy Possible When Things Are Difficult?

from Staying Human with Dr. Vivek Murthy · host Vivek Murthy

What does it mean to feel joy amid moments of real difficulty and even sorrow? Not in the sense of being falsely upbeat or pretending that everything’s ok—but as a way to sit with and honor what’s going on in our lives.Kate Bowler is a bestselling author known for her writing about loss, grief, and hope. She’s also a professor at Duke University who studies the history of religion, and host of the podcast Everything Happens. Her latest book is called Joyful, Anyway.In this conversation we explore how joy is very different from positivity or happiness, and how it can co-exist with struggle. We also get into how constantly seeking to optimize our lives can actually hold us back. Every episode offers a reflection question inspired by the conversation. Share your thoughts and ideas with us at [email protected], on our Substack, or leave us a message at 1-833-74-HUMAN. IG @drvivekmurthySubstack vivekmurthy.substack.com/More about your host, Dr. Vivek Murthy https://www.vivekmurthy.com

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 26, 2026

What this episode covers

What does it mean to feel joy amid moments of real difficulty and even sorrow? Not in the sense of being falsely upbeat or pretending that everything’s ok—but as a way to sit with and honor what’s going on in our lives. Kate Bowler is a bestselling author known for her writing about loss, grief, and hope. She’s also a professor at Duke University who studies the history of religion, and host of the podcast Everything Happens. Her latest book is called Joyful, Anyway. In this conversation we explore how joy is very different from positivity or happiness, and how it can co-exist with struggle. We also get into how constantly seeking to optimize our lives can actually hold us back.  Every episode offers a reflection question inspired by the conversation. Share your thoughts and ideas with us at [email protected], on our Substack, or leave us a message at 1-833-74-HUMAN.  IG @drvivekmurthy Substack vivekmurthy.substack.com/ More about your host, Dr. Vivek Murthy https://www.vivekmurthy.com

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This episode is 1 hour and 13 minutes long.

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This episode was published on May 26, 2026.

What is this episode about?

What does it mean to feel joy amid moments of real difficulty and even sorrow? Not in the sense of being falsely upbeat or pretending that everything’s ok—but as a way to sit with and honor what’s going on in our lives.Kate Bowler is a bestselling...

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