I love this recent Huffington Post article about Megan Vered who wrote to a wide circle of friends that she’d like to celebrate her 70th birthday doing 70 really interesting things with friends during the year. It starts this way:
“A decade ago, when I hit 60, I began to see that birthday gifts were overrated, that what I needed were shared experiences. As my 70th approached, I felt motivated to do something meaningful. Something personal. I asked myself, what can I do to fill my memory bank? Swim 70 laps? Make 70 charity donations? String a necklace with 70 heirloom beads? More than anything, I wanted to spend cherished time with loved ones. And I was not alone. According to research, people derive more happiness from experiences. Spending quality time with friends and family fosters satisfaction and enduring memories become embedded in the brain.”
Can you relate? This past fall as I was turning 64, I threw two parties near my birthday: one for 16 high school friends of mine (some of whom I hadn’t seen in forty years) and one for a few dozen current-day friends. For both parties, we met at our MEA Santa Fe campus and experienced the deep, playful, inquisitive, soulful experience of going through an MEA private retreat together. It was such a transformative and enriching experience. So, I definitely relate to Megan’s desire to celebrate birthdays at this age in a new way. Here’s another passage from her article:
“Having crossed the threshold to 70, I feel full, not in a cake-and-ice-cream way, but filled with memories of a year well spent. My birthday project confirmed for me that artistic inhibition is a state of mind; rivalry over a hot boy ain’t worth it; what matters is the thrill of my own inner experience; and though the eras pass us by, the voices of the past live on. My year of fun helped me see that though I may slow down as I age, neither my dazzle nor my friendships have dimmed. I won’t stop dancing until the floor drops out from under me.
Many people, upon hearing my plan, told me they were going to follow in my footsteps on their next big birthday. Should you decide to do the same, the process is a breeze: 1) count the number of years you’ve been on the planet; 2) compose an email, setting an intention that expands your comfort zone, even if only a wee bit; and 3) send it to your people. I trust they will respond. If you prefer a DIY approach, set your bar to match your milestone and let the fun begin: create a certain number of ethnic meals, learn songs in other languages, recite poems by your favorite poet, or crest never-hiked mountains. Use your birthday to browse through the continuing education catalog of life.”
What a call-to-action! How might you celebrate your next birthday a little differently? If you have a birthday this summer, you might check out our Baja Summer Immersion Series, an inexpensive way to tap into MEA’s curriculum with friends, whether they’re interested in health & fitness, writing workshops, or learning Spanish. This is the most affordable way to experience the upscale fun and depth of MEA.
-Chip