MEA

Last century, we had the tyranny of the three-stage life: learn till you're 20-25, earn till you're 60-65, and adjourn till you die. Your "earn" period was defined by Milton Bradley's The Game of Life, complete with tokens earned for the typical life achievements—spouse, kids, career, homeowner, savings, and all of the other responsible decisions along this linear path.

Fresh off a Modern Elder Academy workshop entitled “The Power of Purpose”, I find myself reflecting on my experience there. And, whereas the place and the program certainly exceeded expectations, the people were clearly the most memorable and remarkable ingredient.

We have so much fresh goodness coming your way next year with new thought leaders like Esther Perel, Dan Buettner, Kathy Smith, Dr. Richard Schwartz, Russ Hudson, Light Watkins, Marc Freedman, and Lynne Twist (none of whom were on our 2022 workshop calendar). Of course, we also have many of your favorite regular MEA faculty. You can check out our full 2023 workshop calendar at this link.

As I learned at Airbnb at age 52, where I was twice the average employee's age, you can become an elder at virtually any age. A pro athlete, a software engineer, a digital marketing whiz kid, and a fashion model all might be an elder in their 30s. Of course, a "modern elder" is a special kind of elder who is as curious as they are wise, and requires a whole new range of skillsets.

Even after six years of leading Awe Writing Workshops, my step lightens, my chest expands, and I feel more connected to humanity each time I wrap one up. I love hearing pens race across paper and seeing faces filled with determination as writers put ineffable experiences into words.

That’s the question I asked myself after being bowled over by MEA VP of Admissions Christa “Cricket” King’s enthusiasm for her newfound sport.

He was a wealthy, retired investment banker in his mid-40s who had a lot of money but little purpose. She was a wise social worker in her early-60s who was filled with purpose but had little money.

My favorite time of year in Baja is the fall. The late summer monsoon rains create a lush green desert and hot tub-worthy ocean temperatures. Everything feels fresh, including this fall’s workshop calendar. Here are our 10 workshops this fall:

What makes the Sabbatical Sessions so supportive for sabbatical-takers? As I wrote in my recent previous post, it comes down to four ingredients—structure, space, community, and distance. Before I get to SabSesh’s secret sauce, let me take a step back and tell you how I got here to Baja:

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” - Albert Schweitzer