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Try it For 1 Week: Small Ways to Make Your Life Fun & Exciting Again

2026-06-22 Education
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Mel Robbins
Mel Robbins
5.9m subscribers

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Description

Summer is all about having fun: long days, warm nights, and getting together with the people you love. Today’s episode is your playbook for making that time you spend with people more exciting and meaningful. Mel is joined by Priya Parker, one of the world’s leading experts on human connection. Her book “The Art of Gathering” is the most renowned work on how to bring people together and create moments that feel joyful and unforgettable. In this episode, she will teach you simple ways to create real connections and make the time you spend with others memorable and fun. Whether you’re planning a gathering, a wedding, a shower, a party, a family dinner, a work meeting, or you just want to make new friends and feel less alone, this episode will change the way you connect with other people. You’ll learn: -The #1 conversation starter that makes people feel instantly connected to you -How to become the person everyone wants to be around - 7 ways to bring people together and create real connection -How to make any dinner, party, meeting, or family visit more meaningful -How to make family time less tense and more fun -How to build connections when you’ve moved somewhere new -Why “keeping the peace” can quietly damage relationships -How healthy conflict can bring you closer to the people you care about After today you will have the tools and simple steps to create better conversations, stronger friendships, and deeper family connections and have a whole lot more fun. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page: https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-407. Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 00:00 Meet the Guest 02:19 Why Most Parties Suck 05:08 Thinking of Throwing a Party? 08:07 The Biggest Mistake To Avoid When Throwing A Party 18:38 The Secret to Better Family Gatherings 24:44 The Trick That Creates Instant Connection 30:05 Avoiding Conflict is Ruining Your Relationships 40:10 How to Handle Difficult People 44:55 How Great Hosts Create Instant Connection 50:27 How Great Hosts End the Night 54:19 The Fastest Way to Make New Friends 57:36 5 Questions That Make Any Conversation Better 01:02:11 The Secret to Creating Meaningful Connections Verizon: verizon.com/switch-to-verizon This episode is brought to you by Apple Pay Visit your local Ashley store or head to ashley.com to find your style. — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com​ — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins​?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

Top Comments (10)

@shrinkingviolet3 2026-06-22

My problem is people only talk about themselves. I know all about them, but they barely ask anything about me. I don't understand that. I truly am interested in them, but so are they (in themselves). I am not exaggerating. I don't know how they can't see this.

153 21 replies
@whyandsowhat 2026-06-22

Mel always brings on the guests we didn't know we desperately needed. Priya's insights on cutting out the small-talk 'noise' and replacing it with real intention is exactly what our lonely culture needs right now.

72 5 replies
@ScrapAlong76 2026-06-22

I love this!!!! She should make a question card game called “Together We Gather.“ or “Magical Questions” This so great to keep people engaged and a human connection!!!!

39 3 replies
@rosangelrivera9285 2026-06-22

This was wonderful. It has me thinking about our next family gathering. I would love for everyone to take some time to ask Mom questions and invite her to share her stories. As she approaches her 85th birthday, I sometimes feel we forget that long before she became a mother and grandmother, she was a young woman with dreams, hopes, aspirations, and experiences of her own. Preserving those memories and hearing her stories would be such a beautiful gift for all of us and for future generations.

30 2 replies
@ResilientMindset365 2026-06-24

As a deep talker, I needed that reminder: sometimes talk is NOT good for connection, and people just need a shared adventure or an activity like cooking together to lower the anxiety. Thank you Mel and Priya for this group-help masterclass!

30 1 replies
@mayaaaav 2026-06-22

man... the loneliness that comes from being surrounded by people you've carefully never disagreed with is its own specific kind of quiet devastation. i remember from this book called "for those of you who feel invisble" reading about how some people don't lose relationships to conflict, they lose themselves to the endless project of preventing it. just look at the irony in that... but i really liked that idea from the book. once i stopped treating every hard conversation as a threat and started treating it as the actual door, the people worth keeping walked through it. ❤

17
@janetstaton1249 2026-06-23

Absolutely love this entire conversation! So many unique yet simple ways to connect and communicate. Just great info.!

4
@nakinipeace 2026-06-23

Loved this!! Thank you! In Ohio, we’d spend holidays with family friends from supper time and into the evening. When the hosts, a married couple, would get tired, they’d say, “Welp, this was fun! We’re tired and we’re gonna go to bed. You can stay here as long as you’d like and continue to have fun, but just shut the door on your way out. (Those were the days when we didn’t even lock them!) Then they’d hug us all goodnight! We usually stayed at least an hour or two after that, still having fun! Then they’d call us first thing in the morning to tell us how much fun they had and they always wanted to know what time did we end up leaving? Sometimes it was midnight. Sometimes it was 1 AM. 😊😂❤

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@karenalexander1119 2026-06-23

The unhealthy peace wow so many of us carry this around. I love the magical questions. So many of Mel’s Episodes have truly changed how I relate to others. This one is definitely a favorite. ❤️

2
@HeatherSaleSolutions 2026-07-02

This year, my community changed DRASTICALLY. I’m over 50 and it seems like the general consensus is that this age ladies do not make new friends easily. Mel and I have the same personality and the same pica’s and it makes me feel like I’m not so alone out here. Most of the guests that come on as well as how transparent Mel is with her own Picodellos just bring in the human factor into my day while I’m going through this transition. Thank you so much MR! 💕

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