Why do I admire this man, who passed away at age 95 back in 2005? The answer is simple: Peter Drucker epitomized the ultimate “modern elder,” someone as curious as he was wise.

I was incredibly fortunate to attend the fourth official cohort at the Modern Elder Academy back in December of 2018. It was a magical time and the letter I wrote home to myself has propelled me in so many scary, exciting, challenging, and rewarding ways.

When the student is ready, the teacher appears. My clients have repeatedly called me “courageous.” But I never really understood what that meant. I made my career as a storyteller — in broadcast advertising and branding, presenting on TED and TEDx stages, and creating content that has garnered thousands of views.

MEA alum Myra Lavenue's guest post yesterday about finding a new best friend in her fifties reminded me of a term I once used to describe how I felt when I'd met someone who instantly inspired me by their radiance. I called it "Spontaneous Admiration."

I wasn’t looking for a best friend. I’m 56, I’ve been with my beautiful wife Elizabeth for 24 years now, and have a large network of friends and former colleagues. Still, a part of me felt closed off due to the losses I’ve had in my life.

I’d never heard of the Harvard-founded concept of "Deep Smarts" until last month, or the book title by the same name.

Since returning from my MEA workshop in early December, I’ve focused on my daily journaling practice which begins with writing down The 8 Practices of Modern Elderhood: Noticing, Editing, Mastering, Purposing, Catalyzing, Connecting, Serving, and Presencing. I don’t journal about each practice each day, but I journal on one or more of them as they emerge in some important form during my day.

After two years of being cooped-up, it’s time to fly. We hope you’ll consider joining us in Baja for an MEA workshop this spring.

“It seems to me that the basic facts of the psyche undergo a very marked alteration in the course of life, so much so that we could almost speak of a psychology of life’s morning and a psychology of its afternoon."