S9 E3 — What is the good life? Is it a life marked by money and success and achievement? Or a life marked by love? Author and professor Kelly Kapic joins Amy Julia Becker to rethink our obsession with productivity and self-reliance. They explore:

• Why “independence” is not the ideal
• How love—not intelligence or achievement—defines our humanity
• How receiving our limits can lead to rest, belonging, and deeper joy

Subscribe to Amy Julia’s Substack newsletter: amyjuliabecker.com/subscribe/

00:00 Exploring Humanity's Limits and Gifts
04:30 The Distinction Between Limits and Brokenness
09:35 Redefining Human Value Beyond Achievement
12:16 The Role of Love in Defining Humanity
19:45 The Gift of Humble Dependence in Relationships
26:03 Recognizing and Cultivating Gifts
28:21 The Good Life: Beyond Material Success and Happiness
34:33 Embracing Limits within Work, Rest, and Love
39:16 Practices for Accepting Limits and Cultivating Love

__

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Books: You Were Never Meant to Do It All, You're Only Human, and Embodied Hope by Kelly Kapic
• Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
• When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
• Becoming Whole by by Brian Fikkert and Kelly Kapic
• World Happiness Report
• I Corinthians 13

__

WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

_

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Kelly M. Kapic (PhD, King's College, University of London) is professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught since 2001. He is a popular speaker and the award-winning author or editor of more than fifteen books, including the devotional You Were Never Meant to Do It All, The God Who Gives, and the Christianity Today Book Award winners You're Only Human and Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering. Kapic has been featured in Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition and has worked on research teams funded by the John Templeton Foundation. He also contributes to the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care and various other journals. kellykapic.com

___

We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!

Connect with me:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Website

Thanks for listening!

Some people get paid to do what they love, but most don’t. How can we find meaning in everyday work that we don’t always love doing? How can we discover our purpose in life? Author Karen Swallow Prior and Amy Julia Becker explore:

• Why passion is not the same as calling
• How vocation centers on service and relationships, not just career
• Pursuing truth, goodness, and beauty in ordinary life
• How multiple callings unfold across a lifetime
• Wisdom for discerning and living into a deeper purpose

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: amyjuliabecker.com/subscribe

New! Take the Next Step podcast: amyjuliabecker.com/step

00:00 Introduction

02:04 Exploring the Call to Creativity

05:39 The Myths of Passion and Work

08:55 Defining Calling and Vocation

12:32 The Relational Aspect of Calling

15:31 Pursuing Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

22:28 The Intersection of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful

26:04 The Good Life and Purpose

31:46 The Role of Suffering in Calling

36:55 Navigating New Callings and Responsibilities

40:44 Finding Meaning and Calling in Everyday Tasks

__

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful by Karen Swallow Prior

_

WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

_

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Karen Swallow Prior, Ph.D. is the 2025-26 Karlson Scholar at Bethel Seminary. She is a popular writer and speaker, a contributing writer for The Dispatch, and a columnist for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vox, The Washington Post, Christianity Today, and many other places. Her most recent book is You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful (Brazos 2025).

CONNECT with Karen: karenswallowprior.com

• Facebook: Karen Swallow Prior
• Instagram: karenswallowprior
• X: @KSPrior
• Substack: @karenswallowprior
  
  

We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!

Connect with me:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Website

Thanks for listening!

What really makes life worth living? This season on Reimagining the Good Life, Amy Julia Becker dives into the ideas, assumptions, and cultural narratives that shape how we live. Upcoming conversations include:

• Karen Swallow Prior on calling
• Sharon Hodde Miller on self-forgetfulness
• Kelly Kapic on human limitations
• Leah Libresco Sargeant on the dignity of dependence

If you’re curious about culture, disability, family, and faith—and how big ideas can change everyday life—this season is for you.

__

WATCH on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!

Connect with me:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Website

Thanks for listening!