What if you examined your life in the context of all of its stages? The annunciation and initiation phases in your youth and young adulthood are full of discovery and learning. Then, the odyssey years in your twenties bring wandering and loneliness and lead to a commitment-making phase in your thirties. David Brooks, author and New York Times op-ed columnist, says life’s mountains and valleys shape who we are and eventually lead us to a “second mountain.” This phase, later in life, often results in a feeling of true peace and happiness. In this lecture, Brooks uses examples from his own life and of others who encountered challenges along the way, like biologist E.O. Wilson, Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl.

Find our companion episode, "A Conversation with Ruth Bader Ginsburg," by clicking here. Find the Aspen Insight episode featuring the Aspen Words Literary Prize here. Follow our show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to [email protected].

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How is creativity cultivated in childhood? And, does a creative culture at home result in a creative career later on? Authors Jess Walter, Dani Shapiro, and Jericho Brown explain how their early years contributed to a life of writing. Such a life isn’t easy, with rejection, confusion, and disappointment making the pursuit an uphill battle. The writers describe how they find time to put pen to paper, and they read from their works. Don’t miss this funny, reflective, and inspiring discussion moderated by Adrienne Brodeur, author and executive director of Aspen Words.

Find our companion episode, "Secrets of the Creative Brain," by clicking here. Follow our show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to [email protected].

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Though his grandparents were his primary caretakers, Eric Motley was raised by a community. The author, former White House staffer, and Aspen Institute vice president says the townspeople of Madison Park, Alabama, taught him everything he needed to know about love and faith. Madison Park was founded by freed slaves in 1880, and Motley learned early about his heritage and legacy. While he cleaned graves and left flowers at the local cemetery, his neighbors taught him about his past. Racial injustice and segregation were part of Motley’s growing up, but instead of resentment he took on resilience and determination. Motley talks with Joshua Johnson, host of the national public radio show “1A” about how Madison Park is a metaphor for the ties that bind us in a politically divisive time.

Find our sister podcast "Aspen Insight," by clicking here. Follow our show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to [email protected].

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Theo Padnos is an American journalist held captive by al-Qaeda for nearly two years. He was physically and psychologically tortured, but emerged with grace, forgiveness, and generosity. David Bradley, owner of Atlantic Media, was instrumental in freeing Padnos. He says Padnos is an example of someone who handles life’s greatest lows well. Though we likely won’t end up imprisoned by extremists, many of us will face lows such as the death of a loved one, a career stumble, or bankruptcy. Bradley says how well you handle difficulty may determine how happy and healthy you are later in life. He delves into his own life struggles, and talks to Padnos and NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell about the situation in the Middle East.

Find our companion episode, "The Choices that Create Your Life," by clicking here. Follow our show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to [email protected].

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For 60 years, the US government has been laying secret doomsday plans to save itself in the event of nuclear war — even while the rest of us die. Today, a third generation of doomsday planners are settling into life inside a network of bunkers that are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, ready to house top government officials in the event of catastrophe. How did these Cold War-era plans come together, how have they evolved over time, and how prepared are we for a worst-case scenario? Featuring Garrett Graff, author of Raven Rock and executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Cybersecurity and Technology Program, and Peter Feaver, professor of political science and public policy at Duke University.

Find out more about the Aspen Institute's Cybersecurity and Technology Program by clicking here. Follow our show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to [email protected].

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America has always meant business. We’re a nation of self-starters, strivers, and entrepreneurs — with the courage to take big risks and the confidence to determine our own destiny. But, are courage and confidence alone enough for success? Kevin O’Leary, star of ABC’s Shark Tank and chairman of O’Shares Investments, explains what makes a good entrepreneur. How important are start-up’s to the American economy? And are government, regulations, and taxes impeding the start and growth of companies? O’Leary speaks with Mark Hoffman, broadcast veteran and chairman of CNBC.

Find our companion episode, "Takeover 4" by clicking here. Find the latest episode of the Aspen Institute's new podcast Aspen Insight here. Follow our show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to [email protected].

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Is the internet loosening our collective grasp on the truth? Pioneers of digital news once argued that new online sources would bring us new perspectives about the world. They did not anticipate the internet would destroy traditional media gatekeepers and give everyone a chance to indulge in news that confirms their preexisting ideas. How does the mass media fit into this landscape? Does the role of newspaper publisher or local TV station owner now belong to Facebook and Google? How do we sort fact from fiction? Featuring Joshua Johnson, Susan Page, Campbell Brown, and David Leonhardt.

Find our companion episode "What Have We Learned from Listening to America?," by clicking here. Find the latest episode of the Aspen Institute's new podcast Aspen Insight here. Follow our show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to [email protected].

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A crisis is emerging that could pose as grave a threat to public health as obesity or substance abuse: social isolation. Neuroscientists have identified regions of the brain that respond to loneliness, and a powerful body of research shows that lonely people are more likely to become ill, experience cognitive decline, and die early. Across the industrialized world, millions of people live with sparse human contact, putting their well-being at risk. Does social media drive loneliness, or help to cure it? How does loneliness alter the brain, and how can we treat this condition? Featured guests are Carla Perissinotto, Dixon Chibanda, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, and Katie Hafner.

Find our companion episode "The Opioid Tsunami," by clicking here. Find Katie Hafner's New York Times investigative article about loneliness here. Follow the show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to [email protected].

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Muslim Americans — especially those who work in government or in other ways to counter radicalism and terrorism — feel caught in the middle. Much of American society questions their patriotism, while their own communities question their loyalty. The Department of Homeland Security’s Haris Tarin joins Rabia Chaudry, author, attorney, and activist, for a discussion about being Muslim and American in 2017.

Find our companion episode "The Future Dialogue on Race," by clicking here. Follow the show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to [email protected].

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Madison's legacy matters today more than ever. As founding genius he made the Constitution to avoid faction. Then he discovered the real world required parties — so he founded one and became a partisan. Ultimately he turned to foreign policy, seeking to establish America's place in the world without force. He almost succeeded. Harvard Law Professor Noah Feldman discusses his new biography The Three Lives of James Madison.

Find our companion episode, "The Curse of Bigness," by clicking here. Follow the show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to [email protected].

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