Brad Meltzer, one of the most widely read authors in America, joins Reshma for a candid conversation about midlife, legacy, and learning how to be gentler with yourself. He reflects on breaking up with achievement, reexamining his relationship with his parents, and the teacher who changed his life by simply saying, “you can write.”

They also talk about empathy, self forgiveness, and the ideas behind his viral talks Make Magic and How to Write Your Own Obituary, which explore how we shape the lives we are remembered for. The conversation also touches on the inspiration for his new thriller, The Viper, but at its core, this episode is about accepting the early lines, the mistakes, and the parts of ourselves that make the masterpiece possible.

Follow Brad Meltzer on Instagram at @bradmeltzer.

You can follow our host Reshma Saujanion Instagram at @reshmasaujani and on Substack. 

Stay up to date with Moms First (www.momsfirst.us) on Instagram at @momsfirstus and with Lemonada at  @LemonadaMedia. 

Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven’t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You’ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe. 

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors

Check out theWhat Should I Do With My Money? podcast.

To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.

<a href="http://bradmeltzer.com">Brad Meltzer</a>, one of the most widely read authors in America, joins Reshma for a candid conversation about midlife, legacy, and learning how to be gentler with yourself. He reflects on breaking up with achievement, reexamining his relationship with his parents, and the teacher who changed his life by simply saying, &ldquo;you can write.&rdquo;
They also talk about empathy, self forgiveness, and the ideas behind his viral talks Make Magic and How to Write Your Own Obituary, which explore how we shape the lives we are remembered for. The conversation also touches on the inspiration for his new thriller, The Viper, but at its core, this episode is about accepting the early lines, the mistakes, and the parts of ourselves that make the masterpiece possible.
Follow Brad Meltzer on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/equimundo_org/?hl=en">@bradmeltzer</a>.
You can follow our host Reshma Saujani<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reshmasaujani/?hl=en"> </a>on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reshmasaujani/?hl=en">@reshmasaujani</a> and on <a href="http://reshmasaujani.substack.com">Substack.</a>&nbsp;
Stay up to date with Moms First (<a href="http://www.momsfirst.us">www.momsfirst.us</a>) on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/momsfirstus/?hl=en">@momsfirstus</a> and with Lemonada at&nbsp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lemonadamedia/?hl=en">@LemonadaMedia</a>.&nbsp;
Thanks so much for listening to My So-Called Midlife. If you haven&rsquo;t yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You&rsquo;ll get ad-free episodes and bonus content like me and Emily Oster talking about her thoughts on how often you should have sex. Just hit the 'subscribe' button on Apple Podcasts, or, for all other podcast apps head to<a href="http://lemonadapremium.com/"> lemonadapremium.com</a> to subscribe.&nbsp;
Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows:<a href="http://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors"> lemonadamedia.com/sponsors</a>
Check out the<a href="https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/what-should-I-do-with-my-money-podcast"> What Should I Do With My Money?</a> podcast.
To follow along with a transcript, go to<a href="http://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/"> lemonadamedia.com/show/</a> shortly after the air date.

…Is this it? That’s the question our host Reshma Saujani asks herself daily. She’s the founder of two successful nonprofits, she’s married to a great guy, and she’s raising two beautiful children. She’s gotten everything she’s ever wanted, so why does she feel so unsatisfied? Is this a woman’s version of a midlife crisis? She’s determined to figure it out, and with the strength of her group chat behind her, she’s calling in reinforcements. From Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to Emily Oster and Cheryl Strayed, to experts, friends, authors and more, Reshma’s going to help us all figure out how we stop trying to just get through this time of life… and actually start living it.

…Is this it? That’s the question our host Reshma Saujani asks herself daily. She’s the founder of two successful nonprofits, she’s married to a great guy, and she’s raising two beautiful children. She’s gotten everything she’s ever wanted, so why does she feel so unsatisfied? Is this a woman’s version of a midlife crisis? She’s determined to figure it out, and with the strength of her group chat behind her, she’s calling in reinforcements. From Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to Emily Oster and Cheryl Strayed, to experts, friends, authors and more, Reshma’s going to help us all figure out how we stop trying to just get through this time of life… and actually start living it.