It’s also all the knowledge we’ve gathered, our roles and titles at work, as well as our successes and failures, regrets, challenges, and missed opportunities. The stories we’ve lived and the stories we’ve told ourselves. It can be exhausting. And a heavy weight to bear. Try dragging it along with you on this marathon, and you’re likely to be worn out by your 50th birthday.

The compadres who show up to MEA with the greatest sense of need are those who realize it is time for their “Great Midlife Edit.” They’re sorting through what no longer serves them, discovering what (and who) they can finally shed. For some, it’s coming face-to-face with the fact that you’ve been living someone else’s idea of your life, all while David Byrne’s voice rings in your head: “And you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?”

The first half of life is often defined by the question, "What does the world expect of me?" It is the pursuit of happiness, often with the operating system being one’s ego. After a week in Baja, the question I hear many of our alums asking is, "How can I serve the world while also seeking contentment?" It is a question that speaks to the promise of the second half of life—contentment that is guided by our heart and soul.

What are you ready to let go of in pursuit of a better second half of life?