One MEA student called it the “Mastery Headfake.” She said with an appreciative chuckle, “You lured me down to Baja with the idea that I might mine my mastery, but what I really found was that I needed to rediscover my sense of being new at something.”

The Japanese Zen term shoshin translates as ‘beginner’s mind’ and refers to a paradox: the more you know about a subject, the more likely you are to close your mind to further learning. People who are more intellectually humble actually know more, presumably because they are more receptive to new information. They’re also more fun to be around.

Life grows weary when you’re surrounded by know-it-alls and seen-it-alls. What’s most refreshing is to meet those who are curious and open. As one headhunter said to me (as advice to “modern elders”), “If you show up for a job interview with curiosity and a passionate engagement, people don’t notice your wrinkles, they notice your energy.”

For those of you intrigued by this, we’d love to see you in Baja or, as a precursor, you might enjoy this article on How to Cultivate Shoshin or a Beginners Mind.