Chip Conley

Not sure if you saw this recent piece of news out of Australia, but it sounds a lot like a Thelma and Louise love story.

In Germany, they call it a smorgasbord. In Hawaii, it’s a pu pu platter. In your career, it’s a portfolio life. If you believe “variety is the spice of life,” then this may be how you design your work life after age 50. It works like this:

No, this is not about your waistline. MEA is not WeightWatchers for Elders. Instead, this is about your soul-line, lineage, and legacy.

When I was growing up, my grandmother instructed me that I should welcome Porpoises (Purpose) in my life and be cautious of Dolphins (Doctrines).

Deborah Szekely was born to Jewish immigrants 100 years ago today (May 3, 1922). I was lucky enough to meet her at the Esalen Institute, where I was a Board member for a decade. I could immediately tell that she epitomized the French expression “joie de vivre.”

For those of you who missed my animated interview with Arthur Brooks upon the launch of his #1 New York Times bestselling book “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life,” here’s the video.

I said to friends long ago, "I know I'm on the right track with a new boutique hotel concept when the New York Times Travel section features an idea that's been locked in my head. Additionally, I know a wild business concept of mine is going mainstream when the Harvard Business Review (HBR) covers it."

One of my first Wisdom Well posts from two and a half years ago was called “WeWork, Uber, and Theranos.” The post touched a nerve and went crazy viral in the social media world.

You can’t have the noun if you don’t do the verb. In modern times, purpose has almost become a possession. We’ve all heard people say, “I can’t find my purpose,” as if it’s a handbag they left in the bathroom of a roadside gas station. We feel a bit naked if we don’t have a purpose, as if we’re the only ones without the “big P.”

I had the good fortune to travel to Konya, Turkey for the Mevlana Whirling Dervish Festival nearly a decade ago. This celebration of the poet/philosopher Rumi’s life had a profound impact on my appreciation for Sufism and the mentor relationship Rumi had with Shams, his wild-eyed muse.