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The Mel Robbins PodcastNovember 20, 2025
This One Study Will Change How You Think About Your Entire Life: The Cornell Legacy Project
About This Episode
What if you could meet with your older, wiser self for a few minutes and get all the answers you need to live a life you’re proud of? A life with more joy and fewer regrets. A life of purpose and passion. That’s exactly what this episode feels like. In this powerful conversation, Mel sits down with Dr. Karl Pillemer, director of Cornell University’s Legacy Project. Dr. Pillemer has spent years researching the lessons and regrets of thousands of people in their 80s, 90s, and 100s. His mission? To gather the life lessons they most want you to know, before it’s too late. What his research reviews is not vague inspiration. It’s sharp, honest truth about what makes a good life and what everyone gets wrong. This wisdom is a gift, delivered while you still have time to use it. In this episode, you’ll learn: -The biggest regrets people carry into their final years, and how to avoid them -The simple shift that leads to lasting happiness -What people in their 90s say they would do differently if they were your age -How to stop waiting for your “real life” to start – and start living it now. Let this be the conversation that changes you. Because the people who’ve lived the longest are clear on one thing: It all goes by so fast. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page. If you liked the episode, check out this one next: What Matters Most In Life (In Memory of Judge Frank Caprio). Connect with Mel: Get Mel’s newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration. Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Theory Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Mel on Instagram The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram Mel's TikTok Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-free Disclaimer
Book Mentions
4 book mentions in this episode.
Jump to booksTip: Click “Mentioned at …” to copy a timestamp.
Tip: Click a cover image to open a book link.
Books Mentioned

30 Lessons for Living
Carl Pillemer
“His bestselling books, 30 Lessons for Living and 30 Lessons for Loving, are blueprints for how to live a life with more meaning, fewer regrets, stronger relationships, and the happiness you deserve.”
ASIN: 0452298482
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.

30 Lessons for Loving
Carl Pillemer
“His bestselling books, 30 Lessons for Living and 30 Lessons for Loving, are blueprints for how to live a life with more meaning, fewer regrets, stronger relationships, and the happiness you deserve.”
ASIN: 0147516536
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.

Fault Lines, Fractured Families and How to Mend Them
Carl Pillemer
“He's also the author of Fault Lines, Fractured Families and How to Mend Them.”
ASIN: 0593539133
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
The Five-Second Rule
Mel Robbins
“Professor Pillemer's work has impacted me and changed my life, so much so that I cite his work in my first book, The Five-Second Rule.”
ASIN: N/A
Search on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.