House Calls with Dr. Vivek Murthy

As a parent, have you ever worried about whether you’re doing a good enough job? Do you feel the pressure to be perfect? Have you felt drained by the demands of parenting? In this deeply personal conversation, the Surgeon General (and dad of 2) and psychologist Dr. Aliza Pressman put the spotlight on parent mental health. Dr. Pressman changes the conversation from trying to be the perfect parent to growing as a parent. To help our kids’ mental health, we also need to prioritize and care for parent mental health. Drawing from her research, Dr. Pressman offers reassuring approaches to help parents find self-compassion and stay regulated so kids can better regulate themselves. She also shares how to turn moments when things go wrong into moments for repair and growth in parent-child relationships. The conversation ends with a parenting Q&A, hosted by Dr. Murthy and surprise Q&A co-host Kate Bowler!  (04:00)    What challenges does Aliza Pressman see parents facing today?  (05:00)    Why can it feel difficult to talk about the joys of parenting?  (07:55)    What’s the upside of being an imperfect parent?  (10:15)    How does parent mental health influence kids?  (12:49)    What does Dr. Murthy see in his own parents parenting journey?  (18:55)    What is self-regulation and how do we cultivate it?  (30:47)    Why do parents feel exhausted and drained these days?  (34:21)    Can we get clear on the goal of parenting?  (43:44)    How does Aliza handle the flow of news and information to herself and her kids?  (50:38)    What are 5 ways to help children become resilient people?  (57:30)    Parenting Q&A with the Surgeon General & Kate Bowler We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at ⁠housecalls@hhs.gov⁠ with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit ⁠www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls⁠.  Dr. Aliza Pressman, Psychologist & Author  Instagram: ⁠@raisinggoodhumanspodcast⁠  Facebook: ⁠@raisinggoodhumanspodcast⁠  Substack: ⁠@dralizapressman⁠    About Dr. Aliza Pressman  Dr. Aliza Pressman is a developmental psychologist with two decades experience working with families.  She is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, “The 5 Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans,” and the host of the popular podcast “Raising Good Humans”.  Aliza is the co-founding director of The Mount Sinai Parenting Center and is an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai Hospital. She holds degrees from Dartmouth College, Teacher's College, and Columbia University. Aliza is the mother of two teenagers.

What is our purpose, both individually and collectively? What lies in the balance of who we are now and who we will become?  In Part Two of this episode, the Surgeon General and Shankar Vedantam, host of “Hidden Brain,” go deep into conversation about our individual and national quest for meaning and purpose.  This episode becomes deeply personal as both host and guest reveal their family’s hopes for coming to America, and the unimaginable ways in which those dreams were realized. They find themselves asking where else on earth has what America can offer? And how can we remember and reinforce our ideals at moments the noise becomes too great?  (03:23)    How can we encourage young people to dream about the future?  (09:21)    How can we bring freshness and curiosity to our daily lives?  (11:57)    What does it mean to be a tourist in our own lives?  (15:28)    What is the power of having purpose in our lives?  (22:39)    What’s the difference between goals and purpose?  (25:39)    How would Dr. Murthy bolster America’s sense of purpose?  (28:58)    What is the enormous possibility that the United States offers?  (30:16)    What story of America did Dr. Murthy see in the crowd at his swearing in ceremony?  (32:51)    Who are Shankar Vedantam’s Unsung Heroes?    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.      Shankar Vedantam, Host, “Hidden Brain” Podcast  Instagram: @hiddenbrain   X: @hiddenbrain  Facebook: @hiddenbrain    About Shankar Vedantam  Shankar Vedantam is the host and executive editor of the Hidden Brain podcast and radio show. Shankar and NPR launched the podcast in 2015, and it now receives millions of downloads per week, and is regularly listed as one of the top 20 podcasts in the world. The radio show, which debuted in 2017, is heard on more than 425 public radio stations across the United States.     Vedantam was NPR’s social science correspondent between 2011 and 2020, and he spent 10 years as a reporter at The Washington Post. From 2007 to 2009, he was also a columnist, and wrote the Department of Human Behavior column for the Post.     Vedantam and Hidden Brain have been recognized with numerous journalism awards, including the Edward R Murrow Award, and honors from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the International Society of Political Psychology, the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Austen Riggs Center, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the Webby Awards, the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors, the South Asian Journalists Association, the Asian American Journalists Association, the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, the American Public Health Association, the Templeton-Cambridge Fellowship on Science and Religion, and the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship.     In 2009-2010, Vedantam served as a fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.     Shankar Vedantam speaks internationally about how the “hidden brain” shapes our world and is the author of two non-fiction books: The Hidden Brain: How our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars and Save Our Lives, published in 2010, and Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain published in 2021, an exploration of deception’s role in human success.  

Have you ever had a moment when you’ve wanted to reach out to someone you haven’t seen in awhile, but something stops you, like the worry you’ll say the wrong thing?  Or have you had the experience of assuming that someone who disagrees with you must also dislike you?   It turns out, our mind can play tricks on us that make it harder to connect.   Shankar Vedantam, host and creator of the podcast ”Hidden Brain” joins the Surgeon General for a two-part conversation that travels across science and deeper philosophical questions about life.   In this first conversation, Shankar explains the “hidden brain,” the part of the mind that function outside of our awareness, making unconscious decisions and judgments. They ponder the paradox of how social anxieties keep us from connecting, but how acts of connection and kindness have far greater impact and power than most of us realize.     Offering both science and personal stories, Shankar and Dr. Murthy help us work through our fears of connecting. And help us close the gap between our values, like kindness, and our actions.  (04:04)    How does Shankar Vedantam describe the origins of the Hidden Brain podcast?  (06:18)    How can we understand if our hidden brain is helping us?  (08:34)    How does our hidden brain keep us from connecting with other people?  (14:04)    What does it mean to express gratitude to someone else?  (18:39)    How has Dr. Murthy cultivated his sense of kind and warmth?  (24:20)    How can we tell a better story about the nature of our humanity?  (29:36)    How did Shankar Vedantam become a translator of science?  (33:12)    How do listeners respond to the Hidden Brain podcast?  (36:12)    How are ideas for Hidden Brain podcast episodes developed?    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.      Shankar Vedantam, Host, “Hidden Brain” Podcast  Instagram: @hiddenbrain   X: @hiddenbrain  Facebook: @hiddenbrain    About Shankar Vedantam  Shankar Vedantam is the host and executive editor of the Hidden Brain podcast and radio show. Shankar and NPR launched the podcast in 2015, and it now receives millions of downloads per week, and is regularly listed as one of the top 20 podcasts in the world. The radio show, which debuted in 2017, is heard on more than 425 public radio stations across the United States.     Vedantam was NPR’s social science correspondent between 2011 and 2020, and he spent 10 years as a reporter at The Washington Post. From 2007 to 2009, he was also a columnist, and wrote the Department of Human Behavior column for the Post.     Vedantam and Hidden Brain have been recognized with numerous journalism awards, including the Edward R Murrow Award, and honors from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the International Society of Political Psychology, the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Austen Riggs Center, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the Webby Awards, the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors, the South Asian Journalists Association, the Asian American Journalists Association, the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, the American Public Health Association, the Templeton-Cambridge Fellowship on Science and Religion, and the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship.     In 2009-2010, Vedantam served as a fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.     Shankar Vedantam speaks internationally about how the “hidden brain” shapes our world and is the author of two non-fiction books: The Hidden Brain: How our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars and Save Our Lives, published in 2010, and Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain published in 2021, an exploration of deception’s role in human success.  

What is hope and why is it so powerful?  For writer Rebecca Solnit, hope is a commitment to possibility in the face of uncertainty. While many of us react to the unknown with anxiety or worry, Rebecca sees the opposite: that inherent to unpredictable circumstances is the possibility people can take action and to come together to create change.  In this conversation, Rebecca Solnit and the Surgeon General discuss why hope is necessary. They look back at communities formed in response to disasters, like 9/11 and hurricanes, and how hope and connection are inextricably linked. A historian, Solnit points to milestones like the fall of the Berlin Wall in which people’s actions, sometimes incremental, led to unforeseen outcomes.  In facing the massive uncertainty of climate change, Solnit offers why she is hopeful. Rather than fall to despair, she points that humans, throughout history, have seen the possibility to intervene and take action. And THAT is what Solnit calls hope.    (04:34)    Why can disasters be so powerful for uniting communities?  (11:16)    Why do some types of disasters bring people more together than others?  (16:55)    How do you advise young people who feel despair about climate change?  (27:21)    How can the way we remember history’s great social changes contribute to hope or hopelessness?  (31:28)    How does social media contribute to loneliness and isolation?  (37:45)    Has tech convinced us that living efficiently is more important than living in person?  (47:33)    How does Rebecca Solnit make herself feel better when she gets down?  (48:35)    What does the Surgeon General do to feel better when he is down?  We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.    Rebecca Solnit, Writer X: @rebeccasolnit  X: @nottoolate_hope    About Rebecca Solnit  Writer, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit is the author of twenty-five books on feminism, environmental and urban history, popular power, social change and insurrection, wandering and walking, hope and catastrophe. She co-edited the 2023 anthology “Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility”. Her other books include “Orwell’s Roses”; “Recollections of My Nonexistence”; “Hope in the Dark”; “Men Explain Things to Me”; “A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster”; and “A Field Guide to Getting Lost”. A product of the California public education system from kindergarten to graduate school, she writes regularly for the Guardian, serves on the board of the climate group Oil Change International, and in 2022 launched the climate project Not Too Late (nottoolateclimate.com).

What lessons does life’s uncertainties offer? Kate Bowler’s stage IV cancer diagnosis ushered her into a world of fear and pain. Living in 60-day increments, her future held no promises. Angry about losing the life she had created, the love of family, friends, and her faith community helped Kate forge a new type of strength—learning to lean on others. This conversation between the nation’s doctor and Kate Bowler illuminates how we find truth and beauty within the uncertainties of life. (05:07)    How did Kate Bowler’s cancer diagnosis at age 35 affect her life?  (09:32)    Where did Kate Bowler navigate the uncertainty of her illness?  (12:02)    How did Kate Bowler re-define strength?  (14:26)    How did Kate Bowler’s community support her during her most acute phase of illness?  (17:23)    How can other families build a village for their children?  (20:27)    How has Kate Bowler’s health precarity changed how she thinks about life?  (25:56)    How can we encourage our kids to strive in a healthy way?  (29:38)    What is the message of Kate Bowler’s most recent book?  (31:37)    When Kate Bowler was ill, how did others seem to expect her to fix her life?  (34:43)    How did Kate Bowler’s experience with cancer impact her faith?  (39:15)    When is the last time Kate Bowler laughed uncontrollably?  (40:49)    Kate Bowler closes with a blessing.   We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.  Kate Bowler, Writer & Professor  Instagram: @katecbowler  X: @katecbowler  Facebook: @katecbowler    About Kate Bowler  Kate Bowler, Ph.D. is a 4x New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and professor at Duke University. She studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change. She wrote the first and only history of the American prosperity gospel—the belief that God wants to give you health, wealth, and happiness—before being unexpectedly diagnosed with stage IV cancer at age 35. While she was in treatment and not expected to survive, she wrote two New York Times bestselling memoirs, Everything Happens for a Reason (and Other Lies I’ve Loved) and No Cure For Being Human (and Other Truths I Need to Hear). After years of being told she was incurable, she was declared cancer-free. But she was forever changed by what she discovered: life is so beautiful and life is so hard. For everyone.  Kate is determined to create a gentler world for everyone who wants to admit that they are not “living their best life.” She hosts the Everything Happens podcast where, in warm, insightful, often funny conversations, she talks with people like Malcolm Gladwell, Tig Notaro, and Archbishop Justin Welby about what they’ve learned in difficult times. Author of seven books including Good Enough, The Lives We Actually Have, and her latest, Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!, she lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her family and continues to teach do-gooders at Duke Divinity School. 

In this special Q&A episode, the Surgeon General sits down with his long-time medical school mentor, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, to talk about their journeys to becoming healers. Dr. Remen is the creator of a medical training course called “The Healer’s Art,” which Dr. Murthy took as a medical student.  As a follow-up to their House Calls episode “Can We All Be Healers?”, the pair decided to reunite and field questions from medical students and other healthcare trainees, including: How do you stay compassionate in the tough environment of the healthcare system? How do you get through career disappointments? And how can we lean our relationships to help us?  Tune in for wisdom and stories from two of our country’s most compassionate healers.  (04:08)    What hardships did Dr. Remen face on her road to becoming a physician healer?  (07:57)    On dealing with Dr. Remen’s heartbreak of not matching for a residency  (10:46)    How did Dr. Remen stay true to her humanity during the taxing time of medical training?  (14:52)    Where does Dr. Remen turn when she feels burned out?  (17:05)    How does Dr. Remen cope with the reality that doctors can’t always heal?  (20:04)    How can the act of healing heal the healer?  (27:54)    How does Dr. Remen find hope in difficult times?  (34:08)    How do cats and social connection help Dr. Remen?  (38:32)    What advice does Dr. Remen offer doctors?  We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.      Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Physician & Teacher Facebook: @rachelnaomiremen    About Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen Rachel Naomi Remen, MD is Clinical Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine and Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Ohio. In 1991, she founded the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI) a national training institute for physicians, nurses, medical students, nursing students, veterinarians and other health professionals who wish to practice a health care of compassion, meaning, service and community. She is an internationally recognized medical educator whose innovative discovery model course in professionalism, resiliency and relationship-centered care for medical students, The Healer’s Art, is taught at more than 90 American medical schools and schools in seven countries abroad. Her bestselling books “Kitchen Table Wisdom” and “My Grandfather’s Blessings” have been published in 23 languages and have millions of copies in print.     In recognition of her contribution to medicine and medical education, she has received numerous awards including three honorary degrees, the prestigious Bravewell Award as one of the earliest pioneers of Integrative Medicine and Relationship Centered Care. In 2013, she was voted the Gold-Headed Cane award by UCSF School of Medicine for excellence in embodying and teaching the qualities and values of the true physician. Dr. Remen has a 70-year personal history of chronic illness, and her work is a potent blend of the perspectives and wisdom of physician and patient. 

What does it mean to show up for someone?    What does it mean to sit with another person’s pain?    And if we are hurting, why can it be so difficult to ask for help?  Part of being human is learning how to accompany people through hard times. Yet our culture looks at pain as a sign of imperfection, and vulnerability a sign of weakness. In this conversation, the Surgeon General and Rabbi Brous share in how the opposite is, in fact, true: vulnerability and pain can be extraordinary sources of strength and healing. Drawing from both professional and personal moments, Dr. Murthy and Rabbi Brous delve into why the simple act of showing up for each other — an intrinsic power we all possess — is so powerful and healing. And why it is so needed now, especially in these times when the world can feel despairing and lonely.  (00:03:21)    In a challenging world, how can we find moments of light?  (00:06:23)    How would Rabbi Sharon Brous describe the state of our spirit?  (00:10:14)    What does it mean to show up in one another’s lives?  (00:15:30)    How can we help people who are struggling?  (00:27:29)    How do we show up for others when we ourselves are in pain?  (00:42:17)    How can we get more comfortable asking others for help?  (00:47:31)    When did Rabbi Brous know she would walk the life path she’s walking?  (00:53:23)    What do you does Rabbi Sharon Brous do in moments of despair?  (01:01:54)    Did we used to be better at showing up for one another?  (01:07:22)    Rabbi Sharon Brous offers a blessing.  We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.      Sharon Brous, Rabbi & Author  Instagram: @sharonbrous  Twitter: @sharonbrous  Facebook: @rabbisharonbrous    About Rabbi Sharon Brous Rabbi Sharon Brous is the senior and founding rabbi of IKAR, a Jewish community that launched in 2004 to reinvigorate Jewish practice and inspire people of faith to reclaim a soulful, justice-driven voice. Her 2016 TED talk, “Reclaiming Religion,” has been viewed by more than 1.5 million people. She is the author of the recently published book, “The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Heal Our Hearts and Mend Our Broken World."  In 2013, Brous blessed President Obama and Vice President Biden at the Inaugural National Prayer Service, and in 2021 returned to bless President Biden and Vice President Harris, and then led the White House Passover Seder with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. In 2023, she led a Hanukkah lighting with the Vice President and Second Gentleman. She was named #1 on the Newsweek/The Daily Beast list of most influential Rabbis in America, and has been recognized by The Forward and Jerusalem Post as one of the fifty most influential Jews.  Brous is in the inaugural cohort of Auburn Seminary‘s Senior Fellows program, sits on the faculty of REBOOT, and serves on the International Council of the New Israel Fund and national steering committee for the Poor People’s Campaign.  A graduate of Columbia University, she was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children.

Do you have times when you miss your loved ones and just want to feel more connected?   Maybe a friend or family member is sick and you can’t connect in person. Maybe you’re traveling or are away for school. I know I have these moments. And when I do, I have a meditation I turn to, one that helps me feel loved and more connected. It only takes a few minutes, but it has the power to change my day. In this special episode of House Calls, I share it with you.  Any feedback or ideas? Share them with us at housecalls@hhs.gov.  For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls. 

Can spirituality enhance our mental health? That is the question that psychologist and researcher Dr. Lisa Miller has pursued through her career. During her clinical internship after graduate school, she observed how while some of her patients had symptoms of major depression that required medication, other patients carried a sadness that carried life’s big questions: What is the purpose of life? Is there a larger meaning to existence? Decades later, Lisa has found that each of us has an “awakened brain,” neural circuitry that enables a human’s natural capacity for spiritual awareness. In this conversation, Lisa and the Surgeon General delve into the science that explains spirituality’s protective effects on mental health. They also discuss the universal human need for an inner life that connects us to something greater than ourselves, and offer a few meditation practices to support the awakened brain.  (02:00)    Introductory Guided Meditation  (08:43)    What is spiritual health?  (15:04)    How does Dr. Lisa Miller define spirituality?  (18:18)    Why does spirituality protect our mental health?  (20:55)    What are some practices to build spiritual health?  (24:40)    What is the awakened brain?  (26:56)    Are there particular stages of life when spiritual seeking spikes?  (30:03)    What is an Awakened Campus?  (32:44)    Why don’t college campuses focus more on spiritual well-being?  (34:26)    How Dr. Miller’s spiritual crisis as a young person become her life’s work.  (45:55)    What are the core elements of spirituality?  (53:12)    Where has Dr. Miller found the support for spiritual exploration?  (59:58)    How can parents build a spiritual foundation with their children?  We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.      Dr. Lisa Miller, Psychologist Instagram: @dr.lisamiller    About Dr. Lisa Miller Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of “The Spiritual Child” and “The Awakened Mind: The New Science of Spirituality and our Quest for the Inspired Life.” She is a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the Founder and Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program and research institute in spirituality and psychology, and has held over a decade of joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical School. Her innovative research has been published in more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Cerebral Cortex, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  Dr. Miller is Editor of the Oxford University Press Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality, Founding Co-Editor-in-Chief of the APA journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice, an elected Fellow of The American Psychological Association (APA) and the two-time President of the APA Society for Psychology and Spirituality. A graduate of Yale University and University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her doctorate under the founder of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, she has served as Principal Investigator on multiple grant funded research studies. Dr. Miller speaks and consults around The Awakened Brain and The Spiritual Child for the US Military, businesses (including tech, finance, HR and sales), personal development, faith based organizations, schools and universities, and for mental health and wellness initiatives.

Do you wish it felt easier to make connections with others? In this episode, recorded live from the Barclays Center in NY, the Surgeon General and Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and composer Jon Batiste share their experiences with reaching out to others. Even with complete strangers or in brand new situations, their approaches have countered loneliness and paved the way for new relationships. Jon opens up about his student days in New York, when he struggled to find his footing in a new place far from home in New Orleans, to how he views and manages the fame that is now part of his life. As both men share their experiences with loneliness, they focus on the mental health of young people and some of the challenges this generation is experiencing. The conversation also speaks to the unique power of music to inspire and unite people. As Jon notes, just the simple sound of notes being played is an experience we can all share. Jon Batiste warms up and closes this conversation with beautiful performances that make you want to be along for the ride.  (07:58)    Adjusting to life in New York as a student at Julliard (10:54)    Creatively making creating connections in NY (12:59)    How did Jon Batiste develop confidence with strangers he could carry on stage? (19:24)    How has fame impacted his life? (22:59)    How does he stay connected with friends and family? (29:11)    Why does who we spend our time with matter so much? (30:52)    How can music bring people together? (34:51)    Have you ever experienced a musical “love riot?” (38:56)    How does Jon Batiste manage technology in his life? (43:56)    What are some simple ways we can connect with others? (48:39)    What are some steps we can take toward collective reconnection? (53:15)    Jon Batiste’s closing song We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.    Jon Batiste, Singer & Songwriter Twitter: @JonBatiste  Instagram: @jonbatiste  Facebook: @JonBatisteMusic    About Jon Batiste Jon Batiste is a five-time Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-winning singer, songwriter and composer.  Batiste is the subject of Matthew Heineman’s moving documentary "American Symphony,” which debuted with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground in November 2023. The documentary follows Jon in early 2022, when he finds himself celebrated with 11 Grammy nominations, including album of the year. Amid that triumph, Jon is immersed in his most ambitious challenge yet: composing an original symphony for a performance at the storied Carnegie Hall. However, this extraordinary trajectory is upended when Jon’s life partner, NYT bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning journalist Suleika Jaouad, learns that her long-dormant cancer has returned. Jon’s latest studio album, “World Music Radio” draws inspiration from his mission to create community and expand culture with the power of music. The album received widespread critical acclaim for its universal message and genre-defying sound, hailed by the Associated Press as “a mesmerizing way to dial into Batiste’s eclectic and wide musicality.”  His 2021 studio album, “We Are,” was nominated for 11 Grammy Awards across seven different categories, a first in Grammy history. He went on to win five Grammy Awards that evening, including the coveted “Album of the Year.” Batiste composed and performed music for the Disney/Pixar film "Soul,” for which he won an Academy Award for Best Original Score alongside Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. He is the second Black composer in history to win an Academy Award for composition. “Soul” also earned Batiste a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a NAACP Image Award and a Critic’s Choice Award.  From 2015-2022, Batiste served as the bandleader and musical director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Born and raised in New Orleans, Batiste received both a B.A. and M.F.A. at the world-renowned Juilliard School in NYC.

Do you know someone who is struggling with loneliness? Do you ever feel the definition of success you’ve been sold your whole life isn’t right?    These are some of the questions the Surgeon General and our guest, actor Matthew McConaughey, posed recently to an auditorium full of students at the University of Texas at Austin. In response, almost every hand in the young audience went up.   In this conversation, Matthew McConaughey also draws from his own life lessons. Especially in high school and college, he lived through periods of deep loneliness and learned how to find connection he needed. As his Hollywood career took off, it was time with his family and kids that put his career – and the primary importance of connection – into perspective. The Surgeon General spotlights the truth of McConaughey’s narrative – that it’s relationships with loved ones that sustain us and make our lives good, not the notions of material success our society so often seems to value.  In this conversation, we explore the power of social connection and what success really means.  We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.      Matthew McConaughey, Actor & Philanthropist  Twitter: @McConaughey  Instagram: @officiallymcconaughey  Facebook: @MatthewMcConaughey    About Matthew McConaughey  Texas native Matthew McConaughey is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men. A chance meeting in Austin with casting director and producer Don Phillips led him to director Richard Linklater, who launched the actor’s career in the cult classic “Dazed and Confused.” Since then, he has won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ron Woodruff in "Dallas Buyers Club", appeared in over 40 feature films that have grossed over $1 billion; and has become an author, producer, and philanthropist with his just keep livin Foundation – all the while sticking to his Texas roots and “jk livin” philosophy. He is co owner of The Austin FC Soccer Club, and a professor at the University of Texas in Austin. In 2020, McConaughey released his first book, Greenlights which became an instant New York Times #1 best seller and has sold over three million copies worldwide. His second book, a children’ book titled Just Because debuted in September 2023 and was an instant NYT #1 best seller. In October 2023, Matthew and his wife Camila launched their own tequila brand, Pantalones, the first joint venture for the couple. He currently resides in Austin, Texas with his wife Camila and their three kids. 

Do you want to improve your mental and physical health?  Deepen your friendships?  Help reduce loneliness?     Our relationships are an important part of our health and well-being. In this bonus episode, the Surgeon General announces the 5-for-5 Connection Challenge: to take 5 actions over 5 days to build social connection. Already underway at many college campuses, this challenge is a way for all of us to build our social connection muscles.    For more inspiration, visit SurgeonGeneral.gov/challenge. There you’ll find tools, including a deck of cards with plenty of ideas on how to connect.    TELL US YOUR CONNECTION STORIES  How did you choose to connect? And how did it make you feel? We are also looking for potential stories to be highlighted on a future episode of House Calls. Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov. 

In this episode, we re-visit a conversation with Dr. Laurie Santos, professor of Yale University’s famed “happiness” course (which has been adapted into a free online course taken by 4+ million people). As we address a youth mental health crisis, the U.S. Surgeon General and Dr. Santos talk about ways college students can find greater happiness through simple changes in behavior and mindset. In a world in which we believe our happiness hinges on material or external things, creating our own happiness is within us, says Dr. Santos. Tune in and see if you can figure out where your happiness lies. The answer might surprise you.    (02:04)    How did Laurie Santos begin teaching about happiness? (04:28)    What is Laurie Santos seeing on campuses in terms of mental health? (06:49)    Why have we reached a point of crisis with youth mental health? (10:27)    What do we know about external reward, achievement, and happiness? (12:14)    What’s driving our culture of achievement? (16:16)    Can we actually make ourselves happier? (22:49)    When we make changes, how can we make them last? (26:55)    How can technology impact our happiness? (29:34)    Can we create a culture shift toward happiness for young people? (32:29)    What was Laurie Santos’ “Funtervention?” (33:32)    What can humans learn from monkeys?    For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas.    Dr. Laurie Santos, Professor and Podcast Host   Twitter: @lauriesantos  Instagram: @lauriesantosofficial  Facebook: @DrLaurieSantos    About Dr. Laurie Santos  Dr. Laurie Santos is Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of the podcast “The Happiness Lab”. Dr. Santos is an expert on human cognition and the cognitive biases that impede better choices. Her course, “Psychology and the Good Life,” teaches students what the science of psychology says about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling. The class is Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years and has been adapted into a free Coursera program that has been taken by over 3.9 million people to date.   Dr. Santos has been featured in numerous news outlets including the New York Times, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, NPR, GQ Magazine, Slate, CNN and O, The Oprah Magazine. Dr. Santos is a winner of numerous awards both for her science and teaching from institutions such as Yale and the American Psychological Association. She has been featured as one of Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10” young minds and was named TIME's “Leading Campus Celebrity.”

Yo-Yo Ma and the Surgeon General continue the conversation about the power of music. Yo-Yo reflects on how music was an antidote to his father’s loneliness while trapped in Paris during WWII, and how Yo-Yo shared his music to comfort people during the pandemic. Continuing with personal stories about connection, the conversation turns to parenting, why it seems harder for men to connect, and what Mr. Rogers taught both of them. They also talk about why connecting to yourself is so important, and how Yo-Yo does that through practicing what he calls “The Beginner’s Mind.” If you enjoy the art of conversation, this episode will be music to your ears. It will build up what Yo-Yo Ma refers to as your “emotional bank account” and bring about a sense of hope. (02:04)    How Yo-Yo's father turned to music to address loneliness  (07:14)    How Yo-Yo's childhood informs his parenting  (12:15)    On men & loneliness  (15:32)    Lessons from Mister Rogers  (20:26)    How did Yo-Yo Ma use music to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic?  (24:03)    The importance of the Beginner’s Mind  (26:55)    On burnout  (33:57)    What are you grateful for?  (38:38)    What are Yo-Yo Ma and the Surgeon General reading these days?  (42:02)    What gives Yo-Yo Ma hope?   For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas.    Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist & Humanitarian Twitter: @YoYo_Ma  Instagram: @YoYoMa  Facebook: @YoYoMa  YouTube: @YoYoMa    About Yo-Yo Ma  Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works for cello, bringing communities together to explore culture’s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity.  Most recently, Yo-Yo began Our Common Nature, a cultural journey to celebrate the ways that nature can reunite us in pursuit of a shared future. Our Common Nature follows the Bach Project, a 36-community, six-continent tour of J. S. Bach’s cello suites paired with local cultural programming. Both endeavors reflect Yo-Yo’s lifelong commitment to stretching the boundaries of genre and tradition to understand how music helps us to imagine and build a stronger society.  Yo-Yo Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris, where he began studying the cello with his father at age four. When he was seven, he moved with his family to New York City, where he continued his cello studies before pursuing a liberal arts education.  Yo-Yo has recorded more than 120 albums, is the winner of 19 Grammy Awards, and has performed for nine American presidents, most recently on the occasion of President Biden’s inauguration. He has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of the Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize. He has been a UN Messenger of Peace since 2006, and was recognized as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.  www.yo-yoma.com. 

Healing can come in many forms. For world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, he sees his music as a way to create touch between humans. Tirelessly performing around the world, Yo-Yo shares his musical gift generously and collaborates with many musicians, knowing that music brings healing, solace and inspiration. Music is what gives his own life meaning.  In this conversation about the healing power of music, Yo-Yo Ma and the Surgeon General contemplate how music can bring meaning that sometimes words alone cannot. How does music transform our minds and our bodies? How does music connect us to ourselves, to our humanity? Speaking from their own personal experiences and stories, this deeply personal and joyous conversation sounds like two old friends catching up.  (00:48)    Dr. Murthy sings Happy Birthday for Yo-Yo  (01:42)    Intro banter that will make you smile.  (05:39)    How does Yo-Yo Ma see his identity?  (08:21)    What does Yo-Yo Ma do to feel better when the world gets him down?  (15:15)    The story of why Yo-Yo Ma doesn’t play the violin.  (17:15)    Did Yo-Yo Ma have moments of doubts on his way to becoming a musician?  (22:07)    How did Yo-Yo Ma come to see music as a source of healing?  (31:12)    What does it mean to join the head, heart and body?  (34:54)    Did salsa dancing change Dr. Murthy’s bedside manner?  (38:25)    Why does Yo-Yo Ma treasure his education?  (40:07)    Yo-Yo Ma’s lifelong question: What is the purpose of Music?  For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.   We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas.    Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist & Humanitarian  Twitter: @YoYo_Ma  Instagram: @YoYoMa  Facebook: @YoYoMa  YouTube: @YoYoMa    About Yo-Yo Ma  Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works for cello, bringing communities together to explore culture’s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity.  Most recently, Yo-Yo began Our Common Nature, a cultural journey to celebrate the ways that nature can reunite us in pursuit of a shared future. Our Common Nature follows the Bach Project, a 36-community, six-continent tour of J. S. Bach’s cello suites paired with local cultural programming. Both endeavors reflect Yo-Yo’s lifelong commitment to stretching the boundaries of genre and tradition to understand how music helps us to imagine and build a stronger society.  Yo-Yo Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris, where he began studying the cello with his father at age four. When he was seven, he moved with his family to New York City, where he continued his cello studies before pursuing a liberal arts education.  Yo-Yo has recorded more than 120 albums, is the winner of 19 Grammy Awards, and has performed for nine American presidents, most recently on the occasion of President Biden’s inauguration. He has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of the Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize. He has been a UN Messenger of Peace since 2006, and was recognized as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.  www.yo-yoma.com. 

Nature matters to our ability to connect — with each other and ourselves. In this episode of House Calls, we explore how being in nature – whether it’s your local green space, or a national park, or somewhere in between – can build deep and important connections. Who better to take us on this journey than Baratunde Thurston, host of the PBS series “America Outdoors” and the podcast “How To Citizen.” Baratunde has traveled the United States from the Okefenokee Swamp to Death Valley, meeting people of all types and exploring their habitats with them. Baratunde shares his insights – that we Americans love the world around us and nature makes us feel better, both in body and mind. As we share our natural world with other animals and humans, Baratunde helps us see ourselves as part of something bigger, that we are beings who thrive on relationships, community, and participation with the world.  (02:26)    How did Baratunde’s mother introduce him to nature?  (08:04)    Why nature was a healing force for young Baratunde  (14:42)    What wonders did Baratunde experience creating “America Outdoors?”  (20:41)    How can nature help us reconnect with what’s really important?  (23:27)    How does sharing the outdoors build connections across differences?  (29:24)    How can we get more doses of nature on a daily basis?  (32:43)    How can nature help us when we’re struggling?  (37:50)    Why does Baratunde consider the word “citizen” a verb?  (44:02)    What is the life balance of the individual versus the collective?  (51:46)    What does Baratunde’s journey into the science reveal about nature and our mental health? (54:04)    Where’s the nature in the urban spaces?  (55:33)    What does really knowing, and loving, other people do for us and for community?  (01:00:21)    What gives Baratunde hope?  (01:04:23)    What is Baratunde’s favorite food on the road?  For more conversations, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.  We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas.    Baratunde Thurston, Host, Activist & Comedian  Twitter: @baratunde  Instagram: @baratunde  Facebook: @baratunde    About Baratunde Thurston  Baratunde Thurston tells a better story of us, weaving together threads of race, technology, democracy and climate through his work as an Emmy-nominated host, producer, writer, and public speaker. He is the host and executive producer of the PBS television series “America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston,” creator and host of “How To Citizen” with Baratunde which Apple named one of its favorite podcasts of 2020, and a founding partner of the new media startup Puck. His comedic memoir, “How To Be Black,” is a New York Times best-seller. In 2019, he delivered what MSNBC’s Brian Williams called “one of the greatest TED talks of all time.” Baratunde is unique in his ability to integrate and synthesize different and difficult topics in a style that’s intelligent, compassionate, and humorous. Baratunde serves on the boards of Civics Unplugged and the Brooklyn Public Library and lives in Los Angeles, California.

In this episode of House Calls, the Surgeon General talks with actress and activist Ashley Judd, who brings along three friends she calls sisters in her chosen family. This five-way conversation explores the meaning of friendship, trust, and supporting one another in times of joy and hardship. From experiencing daily life to the devastating death of Ashley’s mother, country singer Naomi Judd, Ashley and her chosen family have been there for one another in ways that demonstrate the power of intentional connection. Listen as Dr. Murthy asks why this group of women hold their chosen family so dear. (02:32)    Who is Ashley Judd’s chosen family? (04:09)    How Ashley and her chosen family met (07:29)    When Ashley’s mother died, how did her chosen family show up? (12:28)    How Ashley & Friends find safety and support in one another (18:08)    How do Ashley & Friends define chosen family? (24:33)    How often are Ashley & Friends in touch? (30:10)    How have Ashley & Friends navigated conflict? (34:15)    How do Ashley & Friends handle friendship despite differing beliefs? (41:01)    How do Ashley & Friends advise others to create a chosen family? (46:42)    What principles have Ashley & Friends established for their chosen family? (51:55)    What gives Ashley hope for the future? For more conversations, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls. Email us at housecalls@hhs.gov.  Ashley Judd  Twitter: @ashleyjudd  Instagram: @ashley_judd  Facebook: @ashleyjuddofficial About Ashley Judd & Friends  Ashley Judd is a Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actress who navigates between indie gems and box office hits. A feminist and social justice humanitarian, she is UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, advocating for sexual and reproductive rights for girls and women worldwide. She has traveled to 23 countries, visiting brothels, refugee camps, and slums, to learn about male sexual violence and gender inequality. Her New York Times bestselling book, “All That Is Bitter & Sweet”, chronicles these journeys. Ashley earned an MPA from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Ashley was Time Magazine’s 2017 Person of the Year as one of the Silence Breakers. She was the first to go on the record about rapist Harvey Weinstein. In 2019, the United Nations honored her as Global Advocate of the Year. A survivor of multi-generational trauma and child rape, Ashley has been in recovery for 17 years. She is an advocate for survivors and those who live with mental illness in their families. Ashley believes trauma we do not transform is trauma we will transfer, and that a life of service begins with taking responsibility for one’s own healing. Logan Raines has found that connection with others takes intention, and lasting friendships are essential to emotional health. Logan wears many hats- wife, mother of 3, and part-time photographer. When her father was diagnosed with dementia, Logan stepped into the role of manager for her parent’s estate. Logan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Belmont University. She lives in Franklin, TN with her husband, Danny, their children, Luke, Lillian, and Drew, and beloved dog Coco. Heather Raymond is a wife, mother of 3, and a full time Realtor. In her first year of being a Realtor she was named Rookie of the Year by Parks Realty in Middle Tennessee. Heather is an endurance athlete who has completed several Ironmans and ultra marathons. Heather and her husband Marc plan to retire in his home county of France and hope Luc (16) Audrey (13) & William (7) will visit frequently when that becomes a reality. Samantha Andros is a career educator who recently finished her master’s degree in social work from Indiana University. Sam has worked for over 30 years as a teacher, mentor, and interventionist, supporting the goals of students facing hardship. Sam has been married for over 30 years to her husband Ed, and has 3 young adult daughters. Sam credits her friends' unwavering encouragement for her ability to maintain a meaningful life.

The end of summer and the arrival of fall marks a time of transition. Vacation time ends and school begins. No matter your age, for many of us, these kinds of transitions mean change, and change can give rise to anxiety. We all have anxiety. It’s part of being human. The question is whether we can transform that uncomfortable feeling of being anxious into a positive? To help us think through, and better manage, our anxiety, House Calls is re-sharing a conversation with Dr. Tracey Dennis-Tiwary.    Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, author of “Future Tense: Why Anxiety is Good For you (Even Though It Feels Bad),” and a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Hunter College, says harnessing our anxiety can help us shape the future, instead of making it something, well…to be anxious about. In this episode of House Calls, the Surgeon General and Dr. Dennis-Tiwary talk about concrete ways many people can get through anxious times with a slower pulse, and calmer mind, and a clearer vision. Dr. Dennis-Tiwary calls it The Three Ls and she says anyone can learn to do it.    (02:50)  What is anxiety and why does it exist?  (04:57)  Stress, anxiety, or fear: What’s the difference?  (06:13)  Anxiety or anxiety disorder?  (07:58)  How does anxiety manifest?  (11:19)  Is mental health the health crisis of our time?  (14:13)  Managing anxiety with the Three L’s.  (18:12)  Why should we befriend our anxiety?  (19:13)  How can we help children with their anxiety?  (31:27)  Can you become an emotional ninja?  (33:13)  What drives our anxiety?  (39:11)  Where do anxiety and social media intersect?  (45:21)  Can we prioritize mental health?     For more conversations, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas.    Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, Professor and Founder and CSO of Wise Therapeutics  Twitter: @tracyadennis  Instagram: @dr.tracyphd  LinkedIn: @tracydennistiwary    About Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary  Tracy A. Dennis-Tiwary, Ph.D. is a professor of psychology and neuroscience, Director of the Emotion Regulation Lab, and Co-Executive Director of the Center for Health Technology at Hunter College, The City University of New York. As Founder and CSO of Wise Therapeutics, she translates neuroscience and cognitive therapy techniques into gamified, clinically validated digital therapeutics for mental health. She has published over 100 scientific articles and delivered over 400 presentations at academic conferences and for corporate clients. She has been featured throughout the media, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, ABC, CBS, CNN, NPR, The Today Show, and Bloomberg Television. 

How can we become healers?   In these times of disconnection, we all search for sources of healing. One powerful, often untapped source is the healing we can provide for each other. For this conversation, I turned to my long-time medical school mentor, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen. Rachel is widely known for launching the course The Healer’s Art, which has been taught to over 30,000 medical students, including me. Now in her 80s, she has been a guiding light for decades.  In this live conversation, we explore deep questions: What is the difference between curing and healing? What is the role of love in doctoring? How is listening a form of healing? Rachel draws from her own life, including the harsh experience of being the only woman in her medical school class and living with chronic illness; while still painful, those experiences helped her understand who she is.  In an increasingly complex world, knowing ourselves and finding ways to express love is what this episode of House Calls is all about.    (03:40)    How Dr. Remen and Dr. Murthy connected through the heart and soul of medicine.  (14:01)    What is the difference between healing and curing?  (16:10)    What is a wounded healer?  (20:51)    What is the role of love in healing?  (23:00)    How does serving others help the heart and soul?  (24:28)    How did Dr. Remen find a place she really belongs, and how can we?  (30:20)    What does it mean to be one of a kind?  (34:30)    Why love is a blessing for a lifetime.  (46:22)    What has Dr. Remen learned from her cancer patients about healing?  (49:25)    How can we be source of healing for others?  (54:09)    What can help us break away from feelings of despair?      For more conversations, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas.    Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Physician & Teacher  Facebook: @rachelnaomiremen    About Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen  Rachel Naomi Remen, MD is Clinical Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine and Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Ohio. In 1991, she founded the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI) a national training institute for physicians, nurses, medical students, nursing students, veterinarians and other health professionals who wish to practice a health care of compassion, meaning, service and community. She is an internationally recognized medical educator whose innovative discovery model course in professionalism, resiliency and relationship-centered care for medical students, The Healer’s Art, is taught at more than 90 American medical schools and schools in seven countries abroad. Her bestselling books “Kitchen Table Wisdom” and “My Grandfather’s Blessings” have been published in 23 languages and have millions of copies in print.  In recognition of her contribution to medicine and medical education, she has received numerous awards including three honorary degrees, the prestigious Bravewell Award as one of the earliest pioneers of Integrative Medicine and Relationship Centered Care. In 2013, she was voted the Gold-Headed Cane award by UCSF School of Medicine for excellence in embodying and teaching the qualities and values of the true physician. Dr. Remen has a 70-year personal history of chronic illness, and her work is a potent blend of the perspectives and wisdom of physician and patient. 

As we enjoy the final swing of summer, we’re sharing one of our most memorable episodes.  What is the feeling you get when a sad, familiar song tugs at you? Or the exquisite pain that comes with the awareness of passing time and loves lost? Best-selling author Susan Cain identifies the simultaneous mixture of joy and sorrow in life as “bittersweetness.” In this conversation with the Surgeon General, we learn about harnessing the forces of sadness and grief as ways of connecting. Light and dark, birth and death, the bitter and sweet are forever paired. Accepting this balance can bring comfort and solace to the experience of loss, which Cain sees as part of life's journey. Join in to understand how we can transform pain into beauty and longing into belonging.   (05:22)  Humans don’t like feeling sad. But joy and sorrow are forever paired.   (11:34)  Compassion is to suffer with someone   (16:21)  How effortless perfection keep us from sharing our struggles   (21:06)  Our need for beauty    (25:40)  Dr. Murthy’s son joins the conversation!   (26:14)  Grief isn’t a detour; it’s part of the main road   (31:56)  Moving On vs Moving Forward   (39:45)  Helping kids with loss & disappointment (with the help of a couple donkeys)   (46:12)  The story of the Shards of Glass   (55:36)  Playlist favorites, laughs, and what gives Susan hope    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas.    Susan Cain, Author and Speaker  Twitter: @susancain  Instagram: @susancainauthor  Facebook: @authorsusancain    About Susan Cain   SUSAN CAIN is the #1 bestselling author of “Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole” and “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” which has been translated into 40 languages, spent eight years on The New York Times best seller list, and was named the #1 best book of the year by Fast Company magazine, which also named Cain one of its Most Creative People in Business.   LinkedIn named her the Top 6th Influencer in the World, just behind Richard Branson and Melinda French Gates. Susan partners with Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant and Dan Pink to curate the Next Big Idea Book Club. They donate all their proceeds to children’s literacy programs.   Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Her TED talks on the power of introverts and the hidden power of sad songs and rainy days have been viewed over 40 million times.   Cain has also spoken at Google, PIXAR, the U.S. Treasury, P&G, Harvard, and West Point. She received Harvard Law School’s Celebration Award for Thought Leadership, the Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award for Communication and Leadership, and was named one of the world’s top 50 Leadership and Management Experts by Inc. Magazine. She is an honors graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School. She lives in the Hudson River Valley with her husband, two sons and golden doodle, Sophie. Visit Susan at susancain.net.