Learning

Young people are smarter, more creative, and more successful as entrepreneurs, right?

I had the great honor of working with a group of whip-smart Millennials during the last decade. One of the key things that was extraordinary about this team is that they could learn anything fast – any topic, any industry – in about 12 weeks.

Surfing in Baja is a highly encouraged MEA rite of passage. You get up, you fall down. You get up, you fall down. You get up, you fall down. The metaphor is profound. Midlife and beyond, modern elders are learning to crawl again as we strive to stand on our boards.

Every industry devoted to personal growth defines January as “New Year, New You.” I understand the sentiment. It’s the time of year when we try to pay off our New Year’s resolutions. It’s also a natural time for ritual, given the new year.

"50% of the 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. will be bankrupt in 10 to 15 years." - Clayton Christensen (2013)

The man ascended a steep mountain, his long white beard flying in the wind. As he arrived at the top, he paused, took a flute from his sash, and started playing. The melody bounced off the surrounding hills, filled the valley below and made the tree branches dance.

MEA alum Ruben Arquilevich sent me this link to the New York Times story of his father-in-law, who, at 86, has recently become famous as possibly the world’s oldest water polo player. I’d sent my 85-year-old dad, a former water polo player (as am I), the story before receiving the email from Ruben.

So happy to be back in Baja for a few days. I started spending lots of time in Mexico a dozen years ago but only learned Spanish in the past few years. One of the first pieces of advice I received from the gringos who relocated to Baja was, “when in doubt, say Que Bueno!” Or, in other words, “How Great!”

When I was in San Francisco for our recent MEA alum reunion, I recalled a college memory of me trying to drive a stick shift on Russian Hill with my freaked-out girlfriend by my side. We had come up from Palo Alto for a weekend and borrowed a friend's car—manual transmission and all.

Packing for a 5 day retreat at the Modern Elder Academy, I have a good idea on how to get started.