How To Start (Even When You Don't Know Where You're Going)

About this episode

Esther Perel engages in a conversation about starting anew amidst uncertainty with guests Jodi Kantor and Priya Parker.

As work becomes the place we look for identity, stability, and meaning, the stakes feel higher than ever. Esther invites you in for a live conversation between friends, New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor and facilitator and author Priya Parker. A question echoes through the room: how do you start when you don’t know where you’re going? This is a conversation about uncertainty, ambition, and finding the courage to begin anyway. My annual Sessions Live two-day live event is coming up next month! Through clinical, cultural, and creative perspectives, Sessions Live 2026: Cultivating Aliveness: Desire & Its Disruptions explores how relationships are evolving, and how we can translate those insights into practice. Whether you’re a practicing clinician or curious mind, you’ll discover fresh insights and takeaways to help you connect and thrive. Come see me live on May 15th and 16th in NYC! Podcast listeners get a special discount with the code FRIENDSLIVE to get $100 off an in-person ticket, or FRIENDSVIRTUAL for $50 off a virtual ticket at checkout on the Sessions Live ticket page. For Jodi Kantor's new book How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work visit…

People in this episode

Host: Esther Perel

Guests: Jodi Kantor, Priya Parker

Topics covered

• identity
• uncertainty
• ambition
• courage
• relationships
• meaning

Keywords

• starting
• identity
• uncertainty
• ambition
• courage
• relationships
• Sessions Live
• Jodi Kantor
• Priya Parker

Sponsors

Sessions Live, Sessions Live

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Times, Hachette Book Group, Sessions Live

Books & works: How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work, The Art of Fighting: The Transformative Power of Conflict

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