First of all, a huge birthday hug to MEA alum Jim Flaherty who turns 90 today and is such an inspiration for how life gets better with age.  Words shape

September 22, 2025

This next step in the journey invites us to soften our gaze and expand our awareness. What if trees, rivers, and even stones are active participants in a greater alchemy

September 21, 2025

This is the first of a two-part exploration of consciousness. What it is, what we’ve lost in how we define it, and how we might reclaim a more expansive, life-honoring

September 20, 2025

I’m a Halloween baby and will have a 65th b’day retirement party for my first hotel, The Phoenix, on that night in San Francisco (you’re welcome to RSVP). But, that’s

September 19, 2025

When I was creating boutique hotels, one of my lessons was that people in the 1980s were moving into an era that could be defined as “You are where you

September 18, 2025

Those experiences shaped me, taught me that growth often comes not from comfort, but from the radical generosity of listening to those whose journeys look nothing like ours. At MEA,

September 17, 2025

He has a new book out, The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. He believes that as we age, we’re led to what the Chinese call “the fifth

September 16, 2025

Researchers call this time affluence: the sense that you have enough time, not just money, to savor your life. And here’s the kicker—as we age, time becomes our most precious

September 15, 2025

At age 80, I still ask myself “Who do I want to be when I grow old?” I have enjoyed many roles: author, entrepreneur, corporate executive, global speaker, father, spouse,

September 14, 2025

Thirteen years ago, our daughter Mary was visiting from France, where she lives with her young family. One evening, she asked about our retirement plans. We didn’t have a clear

September 13, 2025

As I wrote in my post last week about the MEA Film Fest, I haven’t been so excited about a new project in years. With 60 films being screened in

September 12, 2025

That in-between stage has been nicknamed “the rumble.” Brené Brown uses that phrase to describe the messy, uncomfortable work of facing hard truths and rewriting our stories. And honestly, doesn’t

September 11, 2025