About this episode

In this episode, Amantha Imber discusses with Jennifer Breheny Wallace the importance of recognizing personal worth beyond achievements.

There is a question most of us skip past entirely in our daily lives: do I actually matter? Not "am I useful?" or "am I successful?" but do I matter, as a person, independent of what I produce or achieve?  It sounds simple. But the research suggests we are terrible at actually living like the answer is yes.  In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer Breheny Wallace, journalist and bestselling author of Mattering, a book that unpacks why so many of us have tied our sense of worth to our output, and what it costs us. Jennifer has been researching this topic for nearly a decade, and her work is one of those rare combinations: rigorously grounded and deeply personal.  Jennifer and I discuss:   The two sides of the mattering equation: feeling significant versus being useful, and why both are essential  The crumpled $20 bill story and what it teaches children (and adults) about unconditional worth  The "impact file" and why what goes in it might surprise you  Three different paths you can take when envy hits, including one called mudita that reframes another person's success as your own&nbsp…

People in this episode

Host: Amantha Imber

Guest: Jennifer Breheny Wallace

Topics covered

• self-worth
• personal significance
• achievement
• mental health
• emotional well-being

Keywords

• mattering
• self-worth
• achievement
• emotional health
• negativity bias

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Mattering

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