American anthropologist Clifford Geertz writes in The Interpretation of Cultures that humans are “suspended in webs of significance” which we ourselves have spun. Some of these webs have served us well, giving meaning and order to our lives, while others have resulted in systems of oppression and alienation from one another, and even from ourselves and our own embodied experiences.

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

Parents breathe a sigh of relief and rejoice at their newborns’ first cry. Those silent few seconds after birth are the quintessential liminal experience. The cry marks the start of an independent life and is celebrated like no other birthday. Seldom again does crying bring sheer delight.

One of my most profound lessons from our five years of running MEA (3,000 alums and counting) is that many of us in midlife have an outdated idea of who we are or want to be. Our identities—and our mindsets around those identities—are like a straitjacket confining us to being exclusively the hero, the joker, the caregiver, or the underdog (go ahead and fill in your own blank). While these archetypes may have served us at one time, there is a good chance they’ve also limited us.

Yesterday, after a surf session, I paused to admire the beautiful head-high waves rolling in. It was a peaceful moment on this fall day during yet another surreal election season.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what qualities define a wise leader in the 21st century. Before I share my list, let’s define some terms. I believe wisdom is “metabolized experience that leads to distilled compassion.” It’s not just learning from your mistakes; it’s assuring your mistakes (which lead to your wisdom) serve a social good.

As we age, many of us become more discerning. We believe our metabolized experience has built an unfailing intuition that serves as a wise editor.

It’s breathtaking to witness the purity of emotions of a four-year-old. One moment, they’re bawling their eyes out, and the next, they’re giggling with their puppy.