The Atlas

My first and most significant "radical reinvention" was my weight loss surgery at the age of 28. But it wasn't in the ways I had expected.

It's now been a month since I got to Medellin. As I expected, I absolutely love the city. The people are hospitable, the climate is fantastic, the city is dog-friendly, clean and easy to navigate via the Metro (supplemented by taxis and Ubers when needed), business and infrastructure are remarkably strong, and while there are some American/European brands here, Colombians are still distinctly their own and global, watered-down monoculture has not taken root here.

As someone whose work centers around major live pivots for people (typically) over the age of 40, it should come as no surprise that I study a lot about the unfortunately-named concept of the "mid-life crisis."

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful.

Instead of feeling guilty for wanting to make a change in your life, start by assessing your strengths objectively and outside the context of your career. Once you can identify them, then you are on your way to building a narrative around your ability to contribute value in a new space.

The treadmill of day-to-day life absolutely begs for auto-pilot. After all, why on earth would you want to be present and attentive if you are spending an hour sitting in traffic or on public transportation to and from work every day? Mentally checking out or finding ways to distract yourself almost becomes self-preservation.

As kids we live in a world that is heavily weighted towards making friends. As adults, our world is very different. Is it really possible to make new friends as we age? And are there options other than work?

One of the things I am most fascinated by is the balance of nurture vs. nature, particularly how our genetics drive our behavior. The fact that science now attributes about half of our behavioral tendencies to biology has enormous implications on how we deal with our own strengths and weaknesses -- as well as other people's.