And from how he’s translated Maslow’s hierarchy of needs into a hierarchy of hospitality, to his deep understanding of Joseph Campbell’s revolutionary approach to storytelling, I knew his knowledge would be invaluable.

It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment; in these qualities old age is usually not only not poorer, but it is even richer.’

—Cicero (106–43 BC)

I was no longer the ‘sage on the stage’ but was instead transitioning into the ‘guide on the side.’ More than anything, in those first few months, I just listened and watched intently with as little judgment or ego as possible.

...he’s tapping into his ability to provide wise counsel to inspire others as they scale new peaks and remake themselves. He summarizes his approach to change in this simple phrase (inspired by Aristotle’s “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”): ‘We are what we practice and we’re always practicing something. Thus, to make changes we need to practice something new and different.

And, more important, he’s starting to think that it’s not about finding the perfect job, it’s about making the job he has “perfect.