We live in a world more connected than ever, yet more people feel invisible, replaceable, and disconnected from purpose than at any other time in recent history.
📚 New Book Spotlight
Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose
by Jennifer Breheny Wallace
From award-winning journalist and bestselling author Jennifer Wallace comes Mattering, a timely and transformative book that confronts the loneliness, burnout, and loss of purpose so many people are experiencing today. (Penguin Random House, 2025)
📅 Release date: Tuesday, January 27
📘 Status: Available now for pre-order
Why Mattering Matters
In this groundbreaking work, Wallace makes a powerful and urgent case: mattering—the feeling that we are valued and that we have an opportunity to add value—is a core human need, as essential to our well-being as food and water.
Yet in today’s world, this fundamental need is increasingly unmet, with serious consequences. As mental and social health crises continue to surge, we often point to social media, the pace of modern life, or polarizing politics as the cause. Wallace argues that beneath these forces lies a deeper issue, what she calls “an erosion of mattering.”
Stories, Science, and the Cost of Feeling Invisible
With her signature warmth and insight, Wallace weaves together compelling research and deeply moving stories of mattering lost and regained. She introduces readers to:
- Burned-out employees
- Overwhelmed caregivers
- People navigating grief
- Individuals facing destabilizing life transitions
Through these stories, Mattering shows how lives are transformed when people are reminded, often in small but intentional ways, that they are valued and that their presence and contributions truly count.
The “Mattering Core”
At the heart of the book is what Wallace calls the mattering core, made up of four essential elements:
- Recognizing your impact
- Being relied on (but not too much)
- Feeling prioritized
- Being truly known and invested in
Strengthening this core helps us reconnect with purpose, deepen our relationships, and face uncertainty with greater resilience and clarity.
Who This Book Is For
Perfect for readers of Brené Brown, David Brooks, and Adam Grant, Mattering is a rare, culture-shifting book that offers a diagnosis and a remedy. With a clear roadmap and actionable takeaways, Wallace shows how to:
- Unlock mattering within ourselves
- Build cultures of mattering in our homes
- Create healthier, more connected workplaces
- Strengthen communities that support belonging
Mattering is a call to action and a blueprint for living a meaningful life and for creating the world we so urgently need.
About the Author
Jennifer Wallace is an award-winning journalist and author of the New York Times bestselling book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It, named an Amazon Best Book of the Year.
Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. A graduate of Harvard College, Wallace began her journalism career in television at 60 Minutes.
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