What does happiness mean and why do negative emotions matter more than we think?

In this thoughtful conversation, Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author of The Happiness Project and host of the Happier podcast, joins Steven Burns to explore what it really means to live a meaningful life. Rather than chasing constant positivity, Gretchen makes the case for embracing the full emotional spectrum - sadness, envy, regret, and melancholy - as essential tools for insight, growth, and wisdom.

If you’ve ever wondered why you’re not happy all the time, this episode is for you.

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Steve was a recently guest on the podcast Origin Stories and we wanted to share the episode with you. Origin Stories is the ultimate podcast for anyone curious about the workings of the creative mind. Each week, journalist Matthew Shaer talks to a different writer or director about the creation of a work close to their own hearts (and to ours). Nothing is off the table: not the frustrations and the joys, not the setbacks and the successes.

In this episode, Steve talks to Matthew about the creation of Alive With Steve Burns, and the learning curve involved in experimenting with a new medium. "I watched like 40 hours of Dick Cavett and then I realized that was not useful to this forum in any way," he says. "And that I'd probably be better off taking some improv classes and understanding what journalism is. Right now, it seems like it's improvisational journalism if it's anything. But I'm still flailing around in a sea of fear when I'm here."

You can listen to more episodes of Origin Stories at https://link.mgln.ai/steveburns

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This week, we’re taking a deep breath for the holidays, so we’re sharing an episode of Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know. Hasan sits down with documentary legend Ken Burns for a conversation that feels a bit like American history class — if history class were funny, generous, and quietly profound. Ken joins Hasan to talk about his new film on the American Revolution, the stories we choose to tell about ourselves as a country, and why all our dads love him so much.

It’s a warm, curious, and unexpectedly funny conversation about history, memory, and the people we turn to when we’re trying to understand who we are.

If you want to hear more episodes, follow Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know wherever you get your podcasts or head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/HasanMinhajDoesntKnowfd

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Daryl shares his incredible experience of engaging right-wing extremists with Steve—and how he convinced many of them to open their worldview.

Dr. Daryl Davis is a blues musician, author, and activist. Daryl received awards and acclaim for his book Klan-Destine Relationships and his award-winning film documentary Accidental Courtesy. As a musician, he has performed with Chuck Berry, The Legendary Blues Band, Elvis Presley’s Jordanaires, and others.

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You can follow Steve Burns @steveburnsalive on Instagram.

Watch full episodes of Alive on YouTube.

Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content from Steve. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors

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Steve and Cas get silly as they discuss the serious work of play and how it shapes and enriches our lives.

Cas Holman is a toy designer, writer, and expert on design. She developed the renowned Rigamajig line of toys. Cas was previously a professor at Syracuse University and the Rhode Island School of Design. She was featured on Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design.

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Alive with Steve Burns listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/stevealive.

You can follow Steve Burns @steveburnsalive on Instagram.

Watch full episodes of Alive on YouTube.

Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content from Steve. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve catches up with the amazing Rainn Wilson as they do a deep dive on faith, meaning, and a higher power.

Rainn Wilson is an actor, comedian, and director. He is best known as Dwight Schrute on NBC’s The Office (2005-2013). He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of Dwight. Rainn is currently the host of the Soul Boom podcast.

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You can follow Steve Burns @steveburnsalive on Instagram.

Watch full episodes of Alive on YouTube.

Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content from Steve. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors

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This week, we’re taking a short breath and sharing Steve’s recent conversation with David Duchovny from his guest appearance on Fail Better. The two talk about their shared admiration for Samuel Beckett and the surprising amount of common ground between them.

They explore Steve’s two-decade retreat from the spotlight after the internet invented rumors about his death, and how he has returned with a podcast of his own. The two of them talk about listening, what people didn’t appreciate about Pee-wee Herman, and the deep, lasting importance of Sesame Street. This is a conversation about the past, for the future.

To hear more episodes of Fail Better, follow wherever you get your podcasts or head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/failbetterfd

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Adam Savage sits down with Steve to discuss the future of facts, the scientific method, busting myths, and he gives us a peek inside his legendary workshop.

Adam Savage is a veteran special-effects artist and maker whose early film work led him to co-host MythBusters, where his blend of engineering chops and gleeful chaos became a cultural staple. Currently he hosts Tested, his workshop-driven platform for builds, problem-solving, and general mischief. He’s a relentless advocate for curiosity, craftsmanship, and learning by doing—even if “doing” occasionally involves fire.

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Aura Frames: $45-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/ALIVE. Promo Code ALIVE.

You can follow Steve Burns @steveburnsalive on Instagram.

Watch full episodes of Alive on YouTube.

Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content from Steve. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.