Kelly Corrigan Wonders

I had this crazy thing happen one morning trying to get to LAX that I keep reflecting on. Meant to be shared with anyone you think of as one of those people, the ones who go with the grain of life as it happens. (Previously aired) Please be in touch. Write us anytime about anything — hello@kellycorrigan.com — we read every single one. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone is thinking about war and service. Here’s a conversation with someone who has known many battlefields and paid dearly for his commitment to defend and protect. Retired Colonel Greg Gadson was a kid who dreamed of playing football and who ended up with Super Bowl rings after all. You can watch this episode at any time on PBS. Special thanks to AmeriHealth Caritas. (Please note: this episode was recorded in 2023 and originally aired 10/31/23) Retired Colonel Gadson’s book is Finding Waypoints: A Warrior’s Journey Toward Peace and Purpose. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the space between wanting and receiving, between hope and heartbreak, lies the tender territory of human need. This week, we share an excerpt from Jessica Slice's book Unfit Parent about the night her second child entered the world through another woman's body and how love and trauma can occupy the same breath. Her story moves through hospital corridors and sleepless hours, through the weight of knowing that someone you care about has suffered so you might hold what you've longed for. It's a meditation on the fragile web that holds us all - the friends who bring food and sit in driveways, the hands that help us breathe and the truth that our most broken moments might also be our most beautiful ones. Check out Jessica's book - Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges an Inaccessible World https://www.amazon.com/Unfit-Parent-Disabled-Challenges-Inaccessible/dp/0807013242 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a world marked by division and old wounds, sometimes a single act cuts through the darkness. This week, through the words of Simran Singh, we encounter the story of Aaron Castro and his choice to release decades of hatred and transform his pain into something else. Aaron's story speaks of cycles that can be broken, burdens that can be lifted and the alchemy that turns suffering into sanctuary. It's a meditation on what becomes possible when we choose to heal rather than amplify the hurt around us and a reminder that forgiveness might be less about forgetting the past and more about refusing to let it dictate the future. Link to Simran's pod that he did with Kelly as guest: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-meaning-in-the-mess-with-kelly-corrigan/id1748199932?i=1000691936504 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hank Green has spent his career making complex ideas accessible to millions - from creating Crash Course educational videos to co-founding the Nerdfighters community with his brother, novelist John Green. However, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, he discovered an unexpected creative outlet: stand-up comedy, writing jokes in his journal during treatment that eventually made it to the stage. In this episode, Hank reveals what really keeps him up at night, why he thinks most of us are terrible at predicting the future and how he knows when to abandon a project that's not working. Plus, we dive into his approach to creating for humans versus algorithms and why he believes the most rewarding part of making anything is watching people actually engage with what you've created. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shannon Watts thought she had it all figured out - marriage, three kids, and a steady job. But by her mid-thirties, she realized she was living someone else's life. After leaving an unfulfilling marriage and career, she spent years asking herself one crucial question: "What do I want?" That led her to found Moms Demand Action at age 41 after a mass school shooting - despite being an introvert with ADHD and a fear of public speaking. In this episode, Kelly reads a letter Shannon wrote to her younger self, where she shares her "fire formula" for transformation, why pursuing your desires is a radical act for women and how living authentically became her greatest legacy. Check out Shannon's new book: Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age https://www.amazon.com/Fired-Up-Spark-Flame-Alive/dp/0593831934 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly dives into a book that's been consuming her thoughts at dinner parties and conferences alike: Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford. It's the story of a guy with a PhD in political philosophy who walked away from a cushy think tank job to open a motorcycle repair shop - and has never been happier. Crawford's book flips everything we think we know about success and asks why we've decided that working with your hands is somehow less valuable than working with your mind. It's an episode about attention, satisfaction and that thrilling "I did it myself" feeling that comes from actually fixing something instead of just buying a replacement. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly sits down with Lisa Gevelber, Global Vice President and Managing Director at Google, to explore how creativity and making can happen anywhere - even inside giant corporations. Lisa shares how she went from putting herself through college to creating Google Career Certificates, a program that's now graduated nearly 1.5 million people into good-paying jobs without requiring a four-year degree. They dig into the importance of listening for human need when creating something new, the art of receiving feedback, and how AI might be the great equalizer that lets everyone become a maker. Lisa's story reminds us that some of the most meaningful making happens when you spot a problem that affects millions of people and refuse to accept that that's "just how things are." To learn more about Google's programs mentioned in today's episode: Google Career Certificates - grow.google/certificates Google Prompting Essentials - grow.google/prompting-essentials Generative AI for Educators - grow.google/ai-for-educators To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Father's Day, we're re-airing the beautiful eulogy which was the inspiration for Thanks For Being Here and was the very first episode we aired. It was written by Kelly's editor at Random House, Andy Ward, to honor his father. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's Go To features a piece from listener Megan Matthews, who shares her thoughts on how we can better support each other during tough times. Instead of the well-meaning but vague "let me know if you need anything," Megan encourages us to get specific with our offers of help - whether that's taking someone their favorite drink, dropping off paper goods or folding a load of laundry. Drawing from her 23 years as a nurse, Megan reminds us that small acts of love don't have to be grand gestures or cost much - they just need to be thoughtful and real. It's a reminder that we're all just trying to help one another navigate life's surprises, one small kindness at a time. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly and her daughter Claire chat with Boone Hogg and Logan Jugler, the duo behind Stick Nation - that surprisingly wholesome corner of the internet where millions of people celebrate finding and reviewing the perfect stick. What started as a silly bit on a Utah hike has become a global phenomenon that's genuinely good for your mental health. As a part of our Makers series, Boone and Logan talk about why people are drawn to something so simple and uncomplicated, how they've built such a positive community online and their dreams of taking it into the real world with festivals and conservation efforts. It's all about slowing down, noticing nature's small wonders, and finding joy in the most ordinary things. Stick Nation on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialstickreviews/?hl=en Check out Logan and Boone's upcoming book Sticks https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/778235/sticks-by-logan-jugler-and-boone-hogg/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly shares a beautiful eulogy from listener Jody Antypas which she wrote for her Greek immigrant father George—a man who came to America with one suitcase, built a life from scratch, and somehow managed to love paying taxes more than anyone you've ever met. From his wartime childhood to becoming "Pappou" the pancake-making, Monopoly-playing, sand castle-building grandfather, George's story will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. It's a reminder of why immigrants have always been such a gift to this country, and why the small moments with the people we love matter most. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’ve been asked to give many graduation speeches. This one was a favorite, making a case for one very simple move that changes everything. (Previously aired) Always happy to hear from you. Write us here: hello@kellycorrigan.com. Sign up for the Wednesday Takeaway email here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're dropping in a bonus episode today - Kelly had the best time talking to a friend you might know, he is Dwight Schrute from The Office among many, many other things. His real name is Rainn Wilson and his real interest is in spirituality and matters of the soul. That's why he started a podcast called Soul Boom . We loved this episode of Soul Boom where Rainn interviews Kelly and thought we would share it. So, here is a conversation between two friends, Rainn and Kelly, about curiosity versus fear and judgment and also about the ways that each of us is creative. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meet George Sweetland, a first-grade teacher from Connecticut who turned his love of drawing monsters and late-night sketching sessions into a dream career as a children's book illustrator. In this episode of our Makers series, George shares how an Instagram post changed everything, why he keeps bins of "failed" sketches, and what happened when he tried to make pickle juice risotto for his family. We dive into the magic of getting lost in creative work, how to handle feedback without losing your voice, and why encouraging kids to build their own imaginative worlds is more important than ever. George brought Kelly and her daughter Claire's new book Marianne the Maker to life with his beautiful illustrations and his story is a reminder that the future truly belongs to those brave enough to create. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All three of the Tiehel sisters eulogized their incredible mom PT but this one, written by daughter Amy really sums up the way PT lived her life: always on the lookout for the person having a tough go of it, the loner, the one who needed a helping hand. This is a story about taking the time to really notice people and to help make the world a better place, one small, kind gesture at a time. (Previously aired) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if that scrap of paper you're about to throw away holds the seed of something extraordinary? This week, Kelly reflects on the power of saving the small things that might seem insignificant at first glance - from childhood journals and camp letters that sparked a writing career, to a simple bedtime story that evolved into something much bigger. You'll hear the adorable recording of Kelly's daughter Georgia ( just 2 years old at the time) telling the original "Maryanne the Faker" story about a little girl who pretends to be sick to get out of soccer practice. That simple bedtime tale would eventually become Kelly and her daughter Claire's new children's book, Marianne the Maker. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When was the last time your desire to be "better than" someone else got in the way of a meaningful connection - or derailed an important conversation? Kelly welcomes theologian Miroslav Volf to explore how our competitive nature often undermines genuine dialogue. Drawing from his book The Cost of Ambition: How Striving to Be Better Than Others Makes Us Worse, Volf shares wisdom on shifting from interactions that destroy to ones that build. Together they examine the hollow pursuit of superiority that affects our relationships, social media, education, and politics while offering a transformative alternative rooted in the simple affirmation: "It is good that you are." This discussion invites us all to consider what might happen if we could break free from the superiority trap and embrace a more collaborative way of being with others. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi all - this is Tammy writing. Today marks one year since Kelly's mom died. On Tuesday, June 4th, 2024, I had the honor of attending the funeral service for Kelly's mom, the indomitable Mary Corrigan - lovingly known as "Jammy" to her six grandkids. One thing (among many) that the Corrigan family does very well is honor and celebrate family. GT, Booker and Kelly each delivered a moving, intimate, often humorous eulogy for their one-of-a-kind mom, in front of the hundreds of people who filled St. Thomas of Villanova church to honor her. Today, we're sharing Kelly's. (Previously aired) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly explores Amanda Ripley's take on navigating our fear-filled world. Through the story of a government employee facing an impossible choice, Amanda helps us discover how to stay human when everything feels divisive. Plus, Kelly unpacks Chasing Peace author Tom Rosshirt's practical four-step approach to taming anxieties - highlighting a powerful shift from trying to impress others to being genuinely amazed by them. It's the perspective flip we need right now—finding wonder when the world feels most chaotic. A fifteen-minute reset for anyone asking, "How do we keep going when everything feels so hard?" To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices