Learning

“Wholly unprepared, they embark upon the second half of life. Or are there perhaps colleges for forty-year-olds which prepare them for their coming life and its demands as the ordinary colleges introduce our young generations to a knowledge of a world and of life? No, there are none. [...] that is not quite true. Our religions were always such schools in the past, but how many people regard them as such today? How many of us older persons have really been brought up in such a school and prepared for the second half of life, for old age, death, and eternity?”

Chip: We all deserve to become beginners again in midlife as MEA alum Tom Cosgrove suggests here.

We are a culture of knowledge hoarders. What are we supposed to do with all this knowledge? No more SATs for me. Philosopher Lao Tzu long ago suggested, “To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day.” I cited this quote when I joined Airbnb and asked the founders and leadership team if they were open to evolving their 30 strategic initiatives into just 4.

I loved my co-founder Jeff Hamaoui’s blog post a couple of years ago about how the impostor’s syndrome can be remade into an explorer’s mindset (https://bit.ly/3GlvafJ). What an empowering idea.

If Dick can pluck some strings pushing 100 (sharing a video on Instagram (tinyurl.com/dvd-ukulele), no less), you can become a beginner at something as well. My favorite cocktail party question to someone I've never met is, "In what part of your life are you a beginner these days?"

To Indigenous cultures in both Baja and Santa Fe, the hummingbird (“colibri”) is a messenger of joy. It stands for intelligence, beauty, devotion, and love.

One early morning, while at MEA in Baja (a beloved sanctuary), I jogged to Playa Cerritos and went in the ocean. I did this by myself, which, in retrospect, was not a good idea. The ocean—a dear childhood friend—was calling me. I didn’t realize how strongly.

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” - Futurist Alvin Toffler (more than 50 years ago)

I loved stumbling upon this article that distinguishes between expiring skills and permanent skills. Here’s an excerpt:

What is the purpose of college? The dictionary suggests "an educational institution or establishment, in particular one providing higher education or specialized professional or vocational training." Not surprisingly, the definition says nothing about being purely for those who have just entered adulthood.