This philosophy resonates deeply with me. For those familiar with the Bible, Luke 12:48 echoes a similar sentiment: "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more."

One of my biggest pet peeves is observing successful people who are not giving back. Of course, we all have our definition of "giving back," so I give luminaries a wide berth concerning how they live up to their obligations. It could be tithing in their church, becoming a political activist, or mentoring in their extended family or workplace—anything that takes them out of the ghetto of their ego. 

I've been fortunate to have a successful career in three chapters. While my first chapter as the founder and CEO of one of America's biggest boutique companies focused on creating joy in the world, I still had to be obsessive about our traditional ROI: Return on Investment. Then, I found myself as the "modern elder" of the world's fastest-growing hospitality company, where giving back meant helping inspire the Airbnb founders to grow into great leaders based upon a new form of mentorship ROI: Return on Inspiration. And, finally, in founding MEA, the world's first midlife wisdom school, I'm focused on a new kind of ROI: Ripples of Impact. Echoing the words of developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, I've come to embrace the belief that 'I am what survives me' at this stage in my life.

Being successful comes with its own set of obligations. And no, I'm not talking about playing more rounds of golf, finding sneaky ways to get your kid into a fancy Ivy League school, or even tweaking the tax code to skip out on what you owe. It's bigger than that. Your real obligation is to connect with something larger than just you, your family, or your local community. Think about it: once you've nailed success, your most impactful move could be to become someone's angel. You'll find a sense of freedom and belonging that's hard to beat. Give it a shot – it's more rewarding than you might think.

-Chip