Wisdom grows on trees in the Bay Area. Everywhere you turn, you notice something, hear something, and learn something. Often, it comes from a voice who’s really lived life —-navigating ups and downs, often trekking through heaven and hell. I relate to these type of folks.

Business executive and Zen practitioner Marc Lesser is one of those voices. Forty-niner football great Ronnie Lott with his life adage, “exhaust life” is another Bay Area voice. Formal mentoring becomes a necessity in most places, but not in a place where wisdom grows on trees.

Lighting a fire towards personal growth is possible anywhere. I’ve found that these accelerants seem to thrive in the air itself in the Bay Area. I try to model my approach to life in Austin based on the wisdom gained from Northern California. Japan is a close second for its ‘wisdom’ density.

I’ve attended Marc’s executive retreats in Mill Valley and follow his substack. This post is timely given the transitional state of the world we live in.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-151637709

Just when all hell seems to be breaking lose, Marc suggests that the safest path forward is to go straight ahead (and ignore the noise outside). Keep doing what you are doing.

(self-reminder)