All Episodes

April 28, 2025 35 mins

Are you chasing perfection…only to watch everything crumble?

Join Matt and bestselling author Katherine Center as they reveal the paradox that our greatest failures and darkest moments often become the catalysts for true happiness. 

Katherine reveals her personal journey of studying happiness and how it has influenced her writing. From line dancing classes to pickleball adventures, explore how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to unexpected moments of connection and growth. 

Join us for practical wisdom about creating a "culture of appreciation" in relationships and why looking for small moments of joy—even on our worst days—can revolutionize our lives. 

0:00 Introduction

1:27 Helen's journey from perfection to happiness

6:50 Finding wisdom through life's challenges

11:42 Stories as virtual reality for human experiences

15:37 Embracing vulnerability in social connections

19:28 How characters change: Plot as catalyst

23:24 Keys to living a happier life

27:42 Creating a culture of appreciation in relationships

31:29 The Bodyguard: Writing joy during dark times

Resources Mentioned:

📚 "Happiness for Beginners" by Katherine Center

📚 "The Bodyguard" by Katherine Center

🌐 John and Julie Gottman's relationship research: https://www.gottman.com/

About the Guest

Katherine Center is a New York Times bestselling author known for her heartwarming and transformative stories. Her novel "Happiness for Beginners" was adapted into a popular Netflix movie, and her book "The Bodyguard" has received widespread acclaim with over 29,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. Katherine's writing focuses on characters who find wisdom and growth through life's challenges, inspiring readers to embrace joy and resilience in their own lives.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.