A FIVE-DAY RETREAT · SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO · IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MEA
Build a life that means more
Open sky, real conversation, and room for the questions that matter. Work through the meaning of your life alongside a small group exploring the same questions, guided by faculty trained by Arthur and his team.
FOR STRIVERS AND SEEKERS
Five deliberate days, grounded in decades of research, to find even deeper wells of happiness and meaning.
You bring intention and effort to the things that matter: your work, your relationships, the person you're still becoming. You've built a good life, and have never been one for coasting. That's why you reach for the hard book and ask the real questions. You’d rather be challenged than reassured.
By now you know happiness and meaning don't take care of themselves. They're built.
This retreat is where you do that work. It's about what comes next for someone wired to keep growing: a chapter that's less about achieving and more about understanding what it's all for. A thoughtful next step for the curious and the driven, set in the high desert outside Santa Fe.
This retreat is for you if...
You made it—
now what?
You hit every goal, but you sense there's something more.
You want depth, not repair
It’s not about being fixed. It’s about going deeper.
You’re tired of trophies
You sense the next achievement won't bring lasting satisfaction.
You’re standing at a threshold
A transition or milestone has you asking bigger questions.
Analysis hit
its limit
You've thought this through for years—pure analysis wasn't enough.
You’re ready for real progress
You'll want to spend a week on honest, unhurried inner work.
The method comes from Arthur Brooks, professor, social scientist, and bestselling author.
Arthur C. Brooks has spent a decade studying why so many successful people carry a quiet emptiness — and what actually resolves it. What came out of that research is a framework taught at Harvard and grounded in evidence, not affirmations.
But a framework you can grasp in an afternoon takes far longer to live. That's why this is a retreat and not a lecture — and why it's led by MEA facilitators Arthur personally trained, rather than by Arthur himself.
Five days at Rising Circle Ranch — guided by people trained in the science.
MEA MASTER FACILITATOR
Jill Nykoliation
Jill spent thirty years in the business of understanding why people do what they do. As founder and CEO of Juniper Park\TBWA, she shaped brand strategy for some of the world's most recognized companies – work that was always, at its core, about human motivation and meaning.
She has since turned that same depth of attention toward individuals. As a personal coach, she works with successful people navigating pivotal moments – midlife transitions, new careers, fading careers, and family changes.
Jill worked directly with Arthur Brooks to learn his Meaning of Your Life framework from the inside – not just the concepts, but how to help someone actually move through them. She is the facilitator Arthur trained and trusted to lead this work in the room.
MEA MASTER FACILITATOR
Kari Cardinale
Kari Cardinale has spent nearly thirty years figuring out how ideas become experiences – how insight that lives on a page or in a lecture can be translated into something a person actually carries home.
As MEA's Chief Content Officer, she has built programs that have reached thousands of people navigating the second half of life. She has collaborated with hundreds of thought leaders in the longevity space and produced global summits on aging and human flourishing.
For this retreat, Kari worked in close collaboration with Arthur Brooks and his team to develop the curriculum – translating the framework from his book into a live, structured, multi-day experience.
MEA Lead Facilitator in Santa Fe
Mary Hofstedt
As our Santa Fe Program Director & Facilitator Lead, Mary’s an experienced leader of mission-driven organizations and initiatives that benefit individuals and communities and strive to advance a more hopeful, caring, and connected world.
As a facilitator and strategic advisor, she’s coached teams and facilitated multi-year projects to transform communities, created and led training and dialogues across the country, and worked for 15+ years with research-practice bridging organizations including Challenge Success and the John W. Gardner Center, both Stanford University-affiliated research organizations.
Before joining MEA in 2024, Mary took a mid-career sabbatical to reflect on purpose, study Spanish, travel, and volunteer with whale shark research and conservation. She also serves as a Senior Advisor with Heartwise Learning, and works with both corporate and educational clients in strategic planning and values alignment.
Chris & Chris
“So many great insights… This is a special place.”
Jeff & Danielle
“Amazing take-home value… just absolutely phenomenal.”
Stephanie & David
“It really exceeded our expectations, because it gave us really actionable stuff.”
Jackie + Adam
“It’s awesome… we couldn't have picked a more beautiful place to be.”
Maryanne
“This is magic… it just makes your heart and your soul sing.”
Amy
“Completely surpassed my expectations in every possible way.”
Where it happens
You'll be on a 2,600-acre regenerative ranch in the high desert outside Santa Fe: open sky, rugged landscapes, and top-notch amenities. The setting, praised by thousands of visitors, marshals your focus and delivers serenity before the first session even starts.
Your facilitators are MEA faculty, personally trained by Arthur in the method. Groups stay small — 20 to 30 people — so your experience stays personal.
"It gave me the space to create new ideas and a vision for my next chapter — and new friends who get it. The pace was perfect: small-group discussion, larger conversation, and quiet time alone."
Catherine Gallagher
Meaning has three parts.
Over five days, you’ll work through all three
Coherence
Why is my life unfolding the way it is? You'll trace the through-line of your own story — the one you've been too busy to make sense of.
Purpose
Where am I actually going? You'll get clear on why you are moving in your current direction, and how you can change course for the better.
Significance
Why does my life matter? You'll reconnect with the people and the work that make your life count — the rich soil of meaning itself.
Leave with an understanding of the science and a plan to build deeper meaning in your life
BASED ON FRAMEWORKS IN THE BOOK
The Meaning of Your Life
If you struggle to discern life’s meaning, you’re not alone. Millions today describe a growing sense of emptiness, a lack of purpose and significance. And there’s a reason: Rapid cultural, economic, and technological changes have rewired our brains, reducing their ability to perceive depth and purpose.
In The Meaning of Your Life, social scientist and happiness expert Arthur C. Brooks shows you how to push back against these changes and find the meaning you need to live a happy, fulfilling life.
Choose Your retreat
The Meaning of Your Life Retreat
October 15-20, 2026 · 5 days
Early Enrollment Rate
$4,500
$4,050
$4,500 shared room | $5,700 private room
Limited spots available
The Meaning of Your Life Retreat
December 7-12, 2026 · 5 days
Early Enrollment Rate
$4,500
$4,050
$4,500 shared room | $5,700 private room
Limited spots available