What I've Been Up To

And it's probably not what you would have guessed ...

Hi Friends and Family,

For the past month I’ve been training at the Monastic Academy for the Preservation of Life on Earth (MAPLE). I never thought I’d be telling you that I’ve been living in a monastery, but here we are! And it’s probably not what you think …

MAPLE is a unique modern training center dedicated to creating trustworthy leaders capable of addressing the world’s biggest social and environmental problems. I was drawn to it because I realized that despite my best efforts, I lacked the skills necessary to truly feel, understand and meet the existential threats that we face today (e.g. poor education, climate change, racism, inequality, artificial intelligence, etc). And during my research on exemplary learning environments, monastic communities stood as the most impressive models and containers for human development. Their intentional cultivation of wisdom and compassion, and MAPLE’s complementary focus on leadership and change-making, truly prepares people for a life of service and joy. Through a variety of practices, such as meditation, authentic relating, character development, peer coaching, current events discussions, and more, I’ve been able to deepen these capacities — and I want everyone to be able to do the same!

If you’re interested in learning more and supporting this vital community, please consider reading this article. We’ve created a small donor campaign to prevent our non-profit from going under and we would be most appreciative for your support. I’d also be thrilled to catch up and hear how you’re doing, tell you more this community and the potential to visit, or anything else. Connection is of the utmost importance during this trying time and I’d love to hear from you.

May each of you be healthy, happy, and free from suffering.

With gratitude,

Joe