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How to have real fun — even when life's got you down
Ana Galvañ for NPR

Life Kit

How to have real fun — even when life's got you down

Do you have enough fun in life? Catherine Price, author of The Power of Fun, explains the three components of true fun and how to tap into this powerful, everyday source of joy.

How to have real fun — even when life's got you down

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22 tips for 2022: To listen better, try — you guessed it — not talking
Andrea D'Aquino for NPR

22 tips for 2022

22 tips for 2022: To listen better, try — you guessed it — not talking

If you want to be a better listener, the first step is to stop talking.

22 tips for 2022: To listen better, try — you guessed it — not talking

Listen · 21:48
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5 tips to help you stop being so late (or at least make you more honest about it)
PM Images/Getty Images

Life Kit

5 tips to help you stop being so late (or at least make you more honest about it)

People are late for lots of reasons — being overly optimistic, not accurately gauging how much time it takes to actually get somewhere, even being afraid of being early. Time management coach Rashelle Isip shares some tactics that can help you embrace punctuality and avoid that awkward apology for being tardy ... again.

5 tips to help you stop being so late (or at least make you more honest about it)

Listen · 17:50
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Receiving Feedback Doesn't Have To Be Scary. Here's How You Can Get Most Out Of It
Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Life Kit

Receiving Feedback Doesn't Have To Be Scary. Here's How You Can Get Most Out Of It

Receiving feedback doesn't necessarily have to be terrifying, according to Shanita Williams, a feedback coach, professor and author of Feedback Mentality.

Receiving Feedback Doesn't Have To Be Scary. Here's How You Can Get Most Out Of It

Listen · 16:20
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5 Tips To Help You Give Good Feedback
Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images

Life Kit

5 Tips To Help You Give Good Feedback

Massella Dukuly understands that the simple act of giving somebody feedback can be terrifying. But her job as director of learning and development at LifeLabs Learning is to teach people how to give good feedback.

5 Tips To Help You Give Good Feedback

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'Where We Come From': By Any Other Name

Podcast host and author Luvvie Ajayi Jones. Elton Anderson Jr. hide caption

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Elton Anderson Jr.

Code Switch

'Where We Come From': By Any Other Name

Anyone with a name that isn't super common in the United States will tell you that the simple act of introducing yourself can lead to a whole interrogation: Where are you from? What does your name mean? Help me pronounce it using words I understand! So on this bonus episode from our friends at the "Where We Come From" series, we're getting into what, exactly, is in a name — and what names can tell us about where we've been and where we're going.

'Where We Come From': By Any Other Name

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'Where We Come From': Priya And Ritu Krishna On Indian Cooking And Assimilation

Priya and Ritu Krishna in their Dallas kitchen. NPR hide caption

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NPR

It's Been a Minute

'Where We Come From': Priya And Ritu Krishna On Indian Cooking And Assimilation

Where do you come from? It's a question that immigrant communities of color get asked constantly. But the answer is often not simply about a place on a map. It can be tied to identity, immigration, career, family... and even food. In this episode from NPR's audio and video series Where We Come From, New York Times food writer Priya Krishna tackles this question with her mother, Ritu. They explore assimilation through food and why dal represents comfort for their family.

'Where We Come From': Priya And Ritu Krishna On Indian Cooking And Assimilation

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'Where We Come From': Emily Kwong's Story

Emily Kwong, age 2, and her grandparents, Hui and Edgar Kwong. Emily Kwong hide caption

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Emily Kwong

Short Wave

'Where We Come From': Emily Kwong's Story

Nearly 1 billion people speak Mandarin Chinese. But Short Wave host Emily Kwong is not among them. As a third generation Chinese American, Emily's heritage language was lost through the years when her father, Christopher Kwong, stopped speaking the language at a young age in order to adjust to life in the U.S. Now, at age 30, Emily's trying to reclaim Chinese by attending virtual Mandarin classes for the first time. In conversation with her father, Emily explores how being 'Chinese enough' gets tied up in language fluency, and how language is a bridge that can be broken and rebuilt between generations — as an act of love and reclamation.

'Where We Come From': Emily Kwong's Story

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Where Are You Really From?

Immigration activist and temporary protected status holder César Magaña Linares poses for a portrait. Michael Zamora/NPR hide caption

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Michael Zamora/NPR

Code Switch

Where Are You Really From?

If you're a person of color living in the United States, chances are you've been asked more than you care to remember where you're from — no, where you're really from. In her new series "Where We Come From," NPR's Anjuli Sastry lets immigrants of color answer that question broadly, with the space and context it deserves.

Where Are You Really From?

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Want To Listen Better? Turn Down Your Thoughts And Tune In To Others
Andrea D'Aquino for NPR

Life Kit

Want To Listen Better? Turn Down Your Thoughts And Tune In To Others

Actively listening is tough, but it can transform your conversations and improve your relationships. Here's some advice.

Want To Listen Better? Turn Down Your Thoughts And Tune In To Others

Listen · 21:48
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How to set boundaries with family — and stick to them
Cha Pornea for NPR

Life Kit

How to set boundaries with family — and stick to them

Maintaining healthy boundaries is a way of taking care of your closest relationships, but setting those boundaries can be hard. The process starts with asking yourself what you need.

How to set boundaries with family — and stick to them

Listen · 20:27
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