The Mel Robbins Podcast - This One Study Will Change How You Think About Your Entire Life: The Cornell Legacy Project

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

Duration: 1h 34m
Broadcast on: 20 Nov 2025
Audio Format: other

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:

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Hey, it's Renmell and welcome to the Mel Robbins Podcast. If you could go back in time and spend just a few minutes with your younger self, let's say you're 15-year-old, you're 20, you're 30-year-old self, I bet you would know exactly what you'd say because you have important advice to give. You have some valuable lessons that you would share. You would say, "Look, here's exactly what you should do right now. But hear me out. Hear me out." Wouldn't it be amazing if every once in a while you could time travel forward to the future and get advice from the older, wiser version of you? Wouldn't you love to find out what changes you could make in your life right now while you still have the chance? Oops. I got a little secret for you. You can. Because today, you and I are hopping in a time machine and going to the future to hear the life lessons that every single 90-year-old wishes they knew when they were your age. That's what we're doing. See, I have this amazing guest here in our Boston studios and he is the perfect person to share these life lessons with you. If you've ever wondered, what is the secret to living a happy life? What are the biggest regrets that people have at the end of their life? And at the end, what really matters and what doesn't? Well, you're about to find out. And once you hear these life lessons from 80, 90, and 100-year-olds, you will never be the same again. If car shopping feels like a whole thing, buying your car online on auto trader makes it way easier, really. Shop tons of cars online, compare prices, check financing and trade-in options from wherever you are. Start online, test drive at the dealer, and finish wherever works for you. Your info stays with you, so there's no starting over. Plus, you're working with local dealers with real people there to help. Buy your car online on auto trader, really. The Mel Robbins podcast is brought to you by Expedia. I love Expedia because I love traveling, and here's the thing. You may be holding off on booking a trip right now because you think you need the whole plan to come together. But guess what? You don't. With Expedia's bundle and save, the more you book, the more you can save. Get up to 30% off every time you add something, and then you add more later. Expedia, the one place you go to go places. Turn in to save on select bookings. The Mel Robbins podcast is proudly sponsored by Amika Insurance, our exclusive insurance partner. Now, maybe you're like me. Loyalty means something. At Amika, they believe lasting relationships are built the same way, with loyalty, showing up for people again and again when they need you most.

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