Life in Five Senses

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project discovers a surprising path to a life of more energy; creativity; luck; and love: by tuning in to the five senses. “Life in Five Senses invites us into the seismic shift toward a life grounded in sensation; vitality; and innate intelligence.”—GLENNON DOYLE; author of Untamed “An inspiring and practical guide to living in the moment.”—SUSAN CAIN; author of Bittersweet and Quiet For more than a decade; Gretchen Rubin had been studying happiness and human nature. Then; one day; a visit to her eye doctor made her realize that she’d been overlooking a key element of happiness: her five senses. She’d spent so much time stuck in her head that she’d allowed the vital sensations of life to slip away; unnoticed. This epiphany lifted her from a state of foggy preoccupation into a world rediscovered by seeing; hearing; smelling; tasting; and touching. In this journey of self-experimentation; Rubin explores the mysteries and joys of the five senses as a path to a happier; more mindful life. Drawing on cutting-edge science; philosophy; literature; and her own efforts to practice what she learns; she investigates the profound power of tuning in to the physical world. From the simple pleasures of appreciating the magic of ketchup and adding favorite songs to a playlist; to more adventurous efforts like creating a daily ritual of visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and attending Flavor University; Rubin show us how to experience each day with depth; delight; and connection. In the rush of daily life; she finds; our five senses offer us an immediate; sustainable way to cheer up; calm down; and engage the world around us—as well as a way to glimpse the soul and touch the transcendent. Life in Five Senses is an absorbing; layered story of discovery filled with profound insights and practical suggestions about how to heighten our senses and use our powers of perception to live fuller; richer lives—and; ultimately; how to move through the world with more vitality and love.