Matters of Meaning

“Give a smile to someone who needs it.” Can a single, repeated sentence change how you move through the world? To wrap up Series 2 of Matters of Meaning , host Olivia Hicks is joined by a very special guest: their father, Aldous Hicks. For years, this simple phrase was the final thing Olivia heard every morning before school. It was a small daily ritual, but as it turns out, its impact was anythin...

If happiness isn’t the goal, what practices actually make life meaningful? In Part 2 of my conversation with philosopher Jeffrey Hanson, we move beyond definitions to explore how meaning is actually cultivated in the messy reality of daily life. We discuss why a meaningful life is often the opposite of a purely productive one, and why “getting more done” is rarely the answer to feeling fulfilled....

Is meaning a mystery — or something we can actually measure? In Part One of this special series on Matters of Meaning , Olivia Hicks is joined by philosopher Jeffrey Hanson , Senior Fellow at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program , for a deeply human and surprisingly practical conversation about what really makes life meaningful. We often talk about “finding meaning” as if it were a lucky accident...

When was the last time you created something just for yourself — without the pressure of a deadline, a grade, or an audience? In this episode of Matters of Meaning , host Olivia Hicks sits down with sustainable business strategist and artist Camille Sharara. Together, they dismantle the myth that creativity is reserved for “professional artists” and explore it as a vital human process for healing,...

What if happiness isn’t enough… and morality isn’t either? Philosopher Susan Wolf argues that a meaningful life can’t be reduced to feeling good or being “good.” So what actually is meaning, and why do we need it? Welcome back to Matters of Meaning . I’m Olivia Hicks, and today I’m joined by one of the most influential philosophers of our time: Susan Wolf . A Professor at UNC–Chapel Hill and autho...

Have you cultivated a rich garden of meaning, or are you caught tending to noise instead? Modern life leaves many of us feeling unanchored – busy but empty, connected yet somehow disconnected from purpose. Viktor Frankl called this the existential vacuum , a state where meaning is limited and the gap is filled by distractions like attempts to maximise power or pleasure.  In this second half of my...

What really drives us — power, pleasure, or meaning? We chase happiness, convinced fulfilment sits one step away. But the harder we chase it, the faster it slips through our fingers. Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl thought we were asking the wrong question. In Man’s Search for Meaning , he flipped it from “What do I expect from life?” to “What does life expect from me?” — a shift...

Do you ever feel like your talent , time , or resources aren’t being used in ways that really matter? If so, you’re not alone – research suggests a quarter of the modern workforce feels their jobs are socially meaningless. That same restlessness is what led me, your host Olivia Hicks, to make a major career shift and join the School for Moral Ambition. To launch Series Two, today’s guest is the pe...

How much would you pay to save a life? In this episode, I’m joined by Sjir Hoeijmakers, CEO of Giving What We Can — the non-profit behind the 10% Pledge, a growing global movement to help people give more effectively. We explore how thoughtful giving can enrich your life, deepen relationships, and empower you to make a real difference. Sjir shares practical tips for making giving easier and more i...

Is our obsession with chasing pleasure putting our well-being — and our chance to live meaningfully — at risk? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Bhuvan Awasthi, a cognitive neuroscientist and global leader in the science-policy-diplomacy space. Currently a Senior Behavioural Scientist with the Canadian Government, Bhuvan’s work draws on insights from neuroscience, emotion, and decision-making rese...

In this episode, I’m joined by the wonderful David Bradbury, a seasoned chaplain who has spent decades walking alongside people — through everyday struggles at work and life’s big, existential questions around purpose, faith, and meaning. Together, we explore the essence of spirituality beyond religion — and why so many of us in the West feel spiritually hungry, yearning for deeper connection in a...

Should we bring intergenerational living back? In this episode, I'm joined by two remarkable Indigenous Australians, Paul Ah Chee and Jessica Johannsen — custodians of the world's oldest continuous culture, with more than 65,000 years of caring for country. Paul is a singer-songwriter and respected community leader whose career spans sport, arts, tourism, and business. His daughter, Jessica — a gr...

In this episode, I sit down with Margaret Hamley to explore the power of storytelling in shaping who we are and how we make sense of the world — not just as a tool for reflection, but as a way to understand and reshape how we see ourselves and others.  We delve into narrative therapy, which centres people as the experts in their own lives, and explores how the stories we tell ourselves — and the o...

In our very first episode, I’m delighted to be joined by Isabel Doraisamy to explore the idea of social health — how our relationships shape our wellbeing and sense of meaning. We dive into the power of meaningful connections, the importance of community, the experience of loneliness, and the complexity of our social identities. Isabel shares thoughtful insights on navigating conflict, nurturing r...

Start here to discover what Matters of Meaning is all about. In this short teaser, host Olivia Hicks introduces Matters of Meaning — a podcast that explores the big, bold questions: What makes life meaningful? And why does that matter? Each episode features conversations with people who are rethinking what truly matters — through their work, creativity, or the way they live. This isn’t about perfe...