In this conversation recorded live at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Kelly explores two fundamental human drives with panel moderator Dave DeSteno (host of the podcast How God Works) and author of the new book Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose, Jennifer B. Wallace - our deep need to feel valued and our instinct to create. Jennifer shares her research on "mattering" and why so many people today feel invisible, while Kelly makes the case that creativity isn't a luxury but essential for our wellbeing. Together, they uncover why showing genuine interest in others matters more than praise, how economic pressures are driving perfectionism in families and the surprising ways that making things with our hands can change how we see the world.

Kelly and Jennifer Wallace will be together in person, in New Caanan, CT on October 29th, 2025. We'll add the link for the event here in the show notes as soon as it becomes available.

Special thanks to our friends at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

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Listener Sarah DuMond shares the eulogy she gave for her mother - a woman who embodied the motto, "Take a Tylenol and wear the damn heels." Sarah reflects on navigating life in what she calls, "the sacred Venn diagram of daughter, mother, wife", while planning both a funeral and graduations in the same month. Her tribute captures a remarkable woman who was crowned West Virginia University's Mountaineer Queen, had a self-declared theme song and approached life's challenges with grace and practicality. It's a beautiful portrait of how the women of a certain generation lived with strength, sweetness and an unshakeable sense of what truly mattered - and a reminder that we're all leaving legacies whether we realize it or not.

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Breaking down the principles, practices and tactics of conflict resolution to be shared with anyone who is struggling to reach new levels understanding with friends, family and neighbors. A very simple set of moves that just might break the tension.

Reference: Bridging Differences Playbook created by the Greater Good Science Center. (Previously aired)

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Kelly talks with Kendra Adachi (The Lazy Genius), who challenges everything we've been taught about productivity and time management. Together, they explore why traditional approaches aren't working for women's lives, and offer a revolutionary new framework for finding contentment in the chaos. Kelly and Kendra discuss Kendra's new book The Plan and look at how to stop treating exhaustion as a status symbol and start embracing a more integrated approach to daily life. It's an honest conversation about redefining what a successful life really looks like, perfect for anyone seeking a more compassionate way to navigate their time and energy. (Previously aired)

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Once in a great while, maybe even just once in a lifetime, a person comes along who totally changes your perspective, teaches you what matters and gives you an example of what loving your fellow man is supposed to look like. Avery Anderson was that person. She affected people near and far and people around the world showed their love and support of her by wearing rubber bracelets in Avery’s favorite color of teal green. #avethebrave (Previously aired)

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If I don't let myself cry, I risk a migraine, which is to risk several days of living. So when the wave comes, I let it. After my most recent release, I stumbled onto some analysis of the benefits of crying and why we might do well by each other to normalize crying as a natural and effective human behavior. Sharing here for the good of the order. Speaking of which, we'd love to hear about the best cry of your life -- if you feel like sharing, write us at [email protected]. (Previously aired)

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What does it really mean to be financially fulfilled, and how has the path to wealth changed for younger generations? In this conversation recorded at the Aspen Ideas Festival, host Kelly Corrigan sits down with Edward Jones Managing Partner Penny Pennington and finance influencer and educator Vivian Tu to explore how money psychology shapes our decisions, why traditional retirement models are breaking down, and what families can do to navigate the largest wealth transfer in American history. From the comparison trap fueled by social media to the sandwich generation caring for both parents and children, Pennington and Tu offer practical insights on building financial literacy, having honest money conversations across generations and redefining what middle-class prosperity looks like in today's economy. Whether you're helping your twentysomething get started or planning for your own financial future, this episode challenges assumptions about money, success and what it takes to build lasting wealth.

Special thanks to the Aspen Ideas Festival where this episode was recorded.

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This episode is our tribute to poet Andrea Gibson, who passed away recently and left behind some of the most stunning insights about love, illness and what it really means to show up for one another. Kelly shares an excerpt from Andrea's blog regarding being sick—how friends would ask what to bring when they visited and Andrea's partner would say "bring your problems," because being needed was just as important as being cared for. It's such a simple but profound idea: that even when we're struggling, we still want to feel useful, to be more than just someone who needs help. The episode ends with Andrea's gorgeous poem "Love Letter from the Afterlife," which completely reimagines what death might be like—not as leaving but as becoming more present than ever before. It's the kind of writing that stops you in your tracks and makes you think about love and loss in an entirely new way.

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After Kelly's conversation with Lenore Skenazy this past Tuesday, we're going deeper into the moment that changed everything for this mom and sparked a national conversation about how we raise our kids. When Lenore's 9-year-old kept begging for some independence, she finally said yes—letting him ride the New York subway home alone from Bloomingdale's. The op-ed she wrote about it in The New York Sun brought fierce criticism and praise in equal measure, with some calling her brave and others suggesting she should be reported for child abuse. It's a story that gets to the heart of something so many of us wrestle with: How do we help our children develop confidence and self-reliance in a world that feels increasingly dangerous? And what happens when our desire to protect them might actually be holding them back from becoming the capable, independent people we want them to be?

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When well-meaning parents try to keep kids safe from every possible harm, they might actually be creating more anxious, less capable children. In this conversation recorded live on stage at this year's Aspen Ideas Festival, Kelly talks with Lenore Skenazy, who became known as "America's Worst Mom" after letting her nine-year-old ride the New York subway alone and psychologist Dr. Camilo Ortiz, who developed "Independence Therapy" to treat childhood anxiety through independence rather than avoidance. They explore how protecting kids from distress, disappointment, danger, and discomfort interferes with essential skill-building, why being around our children too much leads to over-parenting and how simple changes like waiting five seconds before jumping in to help can make a huge difference. The conversation covers practical strategies for fostering independence, the importance of mixed-age play and the hopeful news that 11 states have now passed laws protecting parents' rights to raise free-range kids.

Special thanks to The Aspen Ideas Festival where this episode was recorded.

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