In the very first episode of Wisdom Wednesdays, Chip Conley and Derek Gayle sit down for a thoughtful, honest conversation about what wisdom really means in midlife. Chip shares the down-to-earth definition that guides his life and talks about the small, consistent practices that help him turn everyday experiences into something meaningful.

If you’re ready for conversations that spark growth, clarity, and courage…

▶️ Start with Episode 1 and begin your wisdom journey with us.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:22 Welcome to Wisdom Wednesdays

01:37 What is wisdom and why it matters

02:55 Life lessons as raw material

03:32 Mindfully sharing wisdom

05:28 Can wisdom be cultivated

08:06 The problem with AI wisdom

08:51 The chef metaphor

10:52 Wisdom during cancer treatment

12:51 Chip’s wisdom bumper sticker

14:12 How to start your wisdom practice

15:54 Final reflection

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#WisdomWednesdays #ChipConley #MidlifeChrysalis #MidlifeWisdom #PersonalGrowthJourney #ModernElder #LifeLessons #MidlifeTransformation #EmotionalWellbeing #MindfulLiving #SelfAwareness #MidlifePurpose #JournalingPractice #InnerGrowth #ThrivingInMidlife

Midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s your greatest awakening.

In this inspiring episode, gerontologist and coach Barbara Waxman redefines aging through the lens of “Middleessence,” a stage of growth, purpose, and renewal. She reveals how to reclaim energy with her Energy Audit, why mindset matters more than genetics for longevity, and how lifestyle medicine helps you live undiminished at every age.

✨ Learn how to flourish, not fade, in your next chapter.

▶️ Watch now on YouTube or listen on Apple Podcasts.

Timestamps:

00:00 Meet gerontologist Barbara Waxman

00:28 How she became a gerontologist

02:56 What is “middle essence”

07:18 Adolescence vs. middle essence

13:37 Why happiness rises after 50

16:42 Debunking the midlife crisis myth

18:53 Redefining legacy and purpose

20:19 Barbara’s own midlife awakening

23:03 What is the Energy Audit

24:36 What lifestyle medicine really means

28:55 The 7 lifestyle levers for thriving

30:42 Mindset’s power in longevity

32:41 Mindset studies that changed lives

35:18 Well-being burnout explained

36:23 Self-care vs. self-indulgence

38:10 Solitude, introverts, and renewal

40:09 Unlocking longevity and the third span

45:46 Living undiminished and flourishing

46:49 Wisdom bumper sticker

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#MidlifeChrysalis #BarbaraWaxman #MidlifeTransformation #MiddleEssence #LongevityMindset #HealthyAging #LifestyleMedicine #WomenOver40 #LifeTransitions #PersonalGrowth #MindsetShift #AgingWell #HumanFlourishing #EnergyAudit #PurposefulLiving

What if aging isn’t about decline, but about becoming more alive than ever?

The bestselling author and spiritual teacher Mark Nepo opens up about how surviving cancer reshaped his entire understanding of life, creativity, and purpose. He reveals the wisdom behind The Fifth Season, a time in life when the inner world begins to shine brighter than the outer one, and shares how to live and create with authenticity in midlife and beyond.

Mark’s reflections will move you, ground you, and remind you what it truly means to be present, wholehearted, and free.

🎧 Watch now and rediscover how beauty, suffering, and friendship all become part of life’s greatest art: your own becoming.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:23 The Fifth Season: Creativity in midlife

04:10 What the “Fifth Season” really means

05:28 How cancer changed Mark’s life

09:58 Facing death and finding purpose

12:00 What cancer taught him about life

13:18 Chip’s own cancer story

17:10 Realizing he was a poet

22:14 How Oprah discovered his book

24:47 Success, humility, and staying grounded

29:59 Mark’s Pirouettes poem

34:32 Creativity as a spiritual act

42:17 Aging and letting go of old identities

43:26 The tea ceremony and making lists

46:30 The poetry of friendship

51:14 Teaching at MEA

55:12 Free Fall poem

56:03 Wisdom bumper sticker

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

#MarkNepo #TheBookOfAwakening #TheFifthSeason #MidlifeChrysalis #ChipConley #MidlifeWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #MidlifeCreativity #PersonalTransformation #CancerSurvivor #MindfulnessJourney #AgingGracefully #PurposeInMidlife #SpiritualAwakening #PoetryOfLife #OprahBookClub #SoulWork #LivingFully #EmotionalHealing #AuthenticLiving