Sep 22, 2026 · 57 min
Diane Schiffer finds steadiness in life’s smallest joys
How to Find Joy Even When Life Is Hard | Diane Shiffer
The conversation offers a way to acknowledge anxiety, depression, grief, and uncertainty without letting hardship erase moments of beauty and connection.
- 1Joy can coexist with pain when attention makes room for both emotional streams.
- 2Small memories, observations, humor, and connections can become a practical storehouse of steadiness.
- 3Accepting a satisfying seven-out-of-ten life can ease the pressure to optimize every circumstance.
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Schiffer recounts feeding her family potatoes after grocery money was stolen, finding humor and connection without denying the hardship.
The brief
Diane Schiffer joins Eric Zimmer to discuss why joy need not mean constant happiness, especially when anxiety, depression, grief, and uncertainty remain present.
Her central argument is that pain and beauty can occupy two emotional streams at once; noticing a small pleasure does not deny a serious loss.
Schiffer describes collecting photographs, memories, humor, and ordinary uplifting moments as a storehouse she can draw on when life becomes difficult.
Her “sit and stare” practice turns quiet attention toward whatever is already present, offering an adaptable alternative to rigid routines or prescribed systems.
The conversation’s sharpest lesson is that seven out of ten may be enough: redirecting attention can create contentment without requiring perfect circumstances.
Books & mentions
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