Kelly Corrigan

She just laid it out for us.

This is how I lived as a child.

This is what happened after I left the village.

You, the listener, have to decide which one was better or what parts we should try to bring with us as we evolve into new ways of living.

He's got fables for everything.

More and more, I think the super skill is noticing, is being observant.

And I, as a longtime writer, am constantly trying to force myself to do the same with my pages, with my manuscripts, show don't tell, let the story be the message.

And I feel like she did that better than almost anyone on stage this year.

It was so interesting to think through Danini's talk with her over the course of a couple different sessions, because in my other life, as a podcast host of Kelly Corrigan Wonders, I'm often talking to people who are espousing and evangelizing these ironclad moves for better mental health.

All of these great psychologists talking to me about being outside more, walking, being in community with others, staying off your phones, making things from scratch.

I mean, this is exactly the lifestyle that Danini comes from.

You live outside.

You walk to a watering hole.

You milk the cows.

You are enmeshed in nature, which is the most neuroaesthetic place there is.

And you are ensconced from sunup to sundown in community.

Everyone,

in your village knows your name.

And of course, mental health in Masai villages is strong because it's doing all the things that research tells us lead to strong mental health, which is quite different than the way we do things here in very modern America.

where giant sections of every bookstore are dedicated to self-help that is promoting these very basic ideas of more movement, more outside time, more time in relationship, more agency, more contribution to a community, all of which takes you to this greater sense of belonging, which is a core human need.