Mattering: Jennifer Wallace's new book explores why we need to feel valued.

An exclusive excerpt from Jennifer Breheny Wallace's book Mattering defines the feeling of mattering, reports six years of research linking it to resilience in young people, and offers practical examples such as the 'cornerman' idea and a volunteer-running partnership.

Jennifer Breheny Wallace's excerpt from her book Mattering explains why the feeling of mattering — being valued and needed — matters across the life span. She draws on six years of research and interviews to describe how mattering can buffer adolescents against anxiety and depression. Wallace frames a "mattering core" as an internal sense of being valued by others and knowing how to add value in return. The excerpt also introduces practical language and examples for how people can show up for one another. What the excerpt reports: - Mattering is defined as the feeling that our presence and actions are significant, and that we are valued and needed by others. - Wallace says her six years of research and conversations with hundreds of people found that a lack of mattering is common across ages and roles and often coincides with feelings of invisibility or loss of purpose. - The excerpt links feeling that one matters with resilience, noting it can act as a protective influence against anxiety and depression for young people. - Wallace presents the "cornerman" idea, which she describes as offering time, talent and treasure to support others in simple, practical ways. - The piece includes a detailed example of a volunteer partnership: Emily, a guide runner, supported Justin, who has muscular dystrophy, during training and the Boston Marathon, and they finished with a shared sense of achievement (Justin's finish time is reported as 05:31:38). Summary: Wallace presents mattering as both a personal sense of value and a social framework for understanding disconnection and well-being. The book offers research-based observations and concrete examples intended to illustrate how people can reinforce one another's sense of being valued; Mattering was published in 2026 and is available now.