Go To Thoughts on Graduation

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: [email protected]. 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. Check out Soul Boom on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoulBoom 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

Kelly explores a radical new way to rate politicians with Brad Porteus, the Executive Director of Bridge Grades, who reveals that the most collaborative members of Congress are complete unknowns while the divisive firebrands are celebrities. This eye-opening conversation, part of our Hard Conversations series, challenges our tribal politics and offers a surprising path forward: what if our differences could actually be America's superpower? Discover why humility might be the missing ingredient in our political discourse and how changing who we celebrate in Washington could transform our divided nation. To see the existing scores for members of Congress, go to: www.bridgegrades.org. Subscribe to ⁠bridgegrades.substack.com⁠ to be the first to get the 2025 Bridge Grades. Brad Porteus is also the author of, Roll With It, a heartfelt and vividly detailed love letter to Gen X. This episode was made possible by a grant from Templeton Religion Trust. To learn more, go to ⁠⁠templetonreligiontrust.org⁠⁠. 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 Marine Corps wife's essay (titled "Cincinnatus") honoring her husband's quiet retirement after 20 years of service. Instead of ceremonies, his legacy lives in small, meaningful actions like giving away his expensive uniform to help a young officer and driving a beat-up Corolla with a trunk full of first aid supplies - so he can help anyone, on a moment's notice. It's a moving reminder that true service isn't captured in plaques or uniforms but in "small private acts of dedication" and the humble wisdom to know that our real legacy is "to give it all away". 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