Guest Post

Is it possible to guide a life with a six-word mantra?

“Leisure is only possible when we are at one with ourselves. We tend to overwork as a means of self-escape, as a way of trying to justify our existence.” ― Josef Pieper, Leisure: The Basis of Culture

I recently brought together seventy family members and close friends for a Celebration of Life to remember my mom. We honored her with a decadent buffet, fun activities, a musical performance by Ron Bohmer and Sandra Joseph (dear friends and former stars of Phantom of the Opera), and many heart opening and funny tributes.

Why is it so hard to change? Is it simply a lack of desire or willpower? According to science, the answer is no. The reason we don’t change is because most of us are missing one crucial ingredient: self-compassion.

It's interesting how coincidences show up when you're thinking about something. Mine occurred on the evening of the day I attended Chip and Michael Hebb’s workshop, their first Death Over Dinner (DOD) virtual collaboration. Michael, the founder, shared his personal story and how DOD evolved into a global phenomenon.

One of our co-founders, Skylar, recently made an insightful comment during one of our team meetings. He said something to the effect of, “I am no longer hopeful that the world is going to turn around anytime soon.”

In the spring of 2021, Molly and I enjoyed a three-week Sabbatical Session on the MEA campus in Baja along with our golden retriever. All three of us, including Jack, were fundamentally changed by the experience.

Philosopher Albert Borgmann talks about the experience of being fully alive in the world as moments when: (1) There is no place I would rather be. (2) There is no one I would rather be with. (3) There is nothing I would rather be doing. (4) And this I will remember well

As the executive director of Wallis Annenberg GenSpace – a new community space for older adults in Los Angeles – I have the great privilege of interacting with older adults who are at different phases in their work lives.

The Siletz river banks are high from yesterday’s Tsunami, created by an underground volcano off the island of Tonga. NASA said the resulting blast was hundreds of times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb.