Jennifer Breheny Wallace
Award-winning journalist and bestselling author
Robert Waldinger, MD
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, co-director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and co-founder of the Lifespan Research Foundation
Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose (Event 1 of 2)
Bonus Book Giveaway: FAN is giving away copies of Mattering to randomly selected Zoom attendees. Details on the webinar registration page.
In her groundbreaking new book Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Jennifer Breheny Wallace (FAN ’23) argues that mattering—the feeling that we are valued and have the chance to add value—is a core human need, as essential to our well-being as food and water. Yet in today’s world, that need is increasingly unmet, with serious consequences. As mental and social health crises surge, we often point to social media, the pace of modern life, or polarizing politics. Wallace reveals a deeper, more fundamental problem: what she calls “an erosion of mattering.”
Drawing on rigorous research and deeply moving stories, Wallace explores what happens when people lose—and regain—the sense that they matter. From burned-out employees and overwhelmed caregivers to those navigating grief or major life transitions, Mattering shows how lives are transformed when we are reminded, in small but intentional ways, that we are seen, valued, and needed. Wallace identifies the essential components of what she calls a “mattering core”: recognizing your impact, being relied on (but not too much), feeling prioritized, and being truly known and invested in.
Both a diagnosis and a remedy, Mattering offers a clear call to action along with a practical blueprint for change. With accessible insights and actionable takeaways, Wallace shows how to strengthen our own sense of mattering—and how to build cultures of mattering in our homes, workplaces, and communities—at a moment when it has never been more urgent.
Wallace will be in conversation with Robert Waldinger, MD (FAN ’23), Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development at Massachusetts General Hospital, and cofounder of the Lifespan Research Foundation. He is the bestselling author of The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.
This event is suitable for youth ages 12 and up. It will be recorded and available on FAN’s website and YouTube channel.
Event Sponsors
- The Alliance for Early Childhood
- The Avery Coonley School
- Avoca D37
- Baker Demonstration School
- Beacon Academy
- Bennett Day School
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- Brickton Montessori School
- British International School of Chicago
- Catherine Cook School
- Chiaravalle Montessori School
- Compass Health Center
- Countryside Day School
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- Evanston Scholars
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- The Family Institute at Northwestern University
- Family Service Center
- Foundation 65
- The Frances Xavier Warde School
- Francis W. Parker School
- Glencoe D35
- Glenview Public Library
- Gorton Center
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- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
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- Latin School of Chicago
- Leo Catholic High School
- Libertyville D70
- Lycée Français de Chicago
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- Near North Montessori School
- North Shore Country Day
- Northwestern University Office of Neighborhood and Community Relations
- Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy
- Pope John XXIII School
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- Resurrection College Prep High School
- Rogers Park Montessori School
- Roycemore School
- Sacred Heart Schools
- St. Bernard’s School
- Santa Clara University School of Law
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- TrueNorth Educational Cooperative #804
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