What Does it Really Mean to Matter | With Jennifer B Wallace

Jennifer Wallace has spent years studying that question and what she discovered may change the way we think about parenting, success, relationships and even our own lives. In this conversation, Jennifer explains why mattering goes deeper than belonging. It's about feeling valued for who you are while also having the opportunity to add value to the people and communities around you. We talk about the pressure young people face to build the perfect resume, why achievement can sometimes become a fragile sense of identity, and why children need to know their worth isn't something they have to earn. Jennifer also shares practical ways families can create a culture where people feel seen and appreciated—from simple family traditions to telling our children what we love about who they are. We talk about social media, loneliness, the search for meaning, homelessness, volunteering and the powerful connection between helping others and discovering our own sense of purpose. At the heart of it all is a simple idea: The best way to know that you matter may be to help someone else know that they matter too. This is a conversation about meaning, connection, family and the stories we tell the people we love about who they are.