I confess to being more than a bit tentative about the move to Miami Beach on a full-time basis. The last ten years in Boston were rich and rewarding for me, including time spent both as an adult learner and as a university professor. In particular, my graduate studies at Suffolk University, at Boston University and at Harvard were intellectually challenging and stimulating, while teaching philosophy at Boston College was, hands down, the most gratifying professional experience of my adult life. After a quarter century working at two large corporations, I longed for an institutional environment steeped in a tradition of excellence and virtue, and I found it at BC. Leaving there was a sacrifice, of the kind that spouses often make for one another, and which I could only hope would bring alternative compensations and new opportunities.

The initial plan was ambitious enough: to develop the Noble Leisure Project and perhaps write a book about this ancient concept. Aristotle’s noble leisure argues for pursuing what is most worthwhile (the big challenge is defining this in modern terms), when one has the freedom to pursue anything at all. Yet, in fairly short order, it became clear that writing about this would not be sufficient; it was required that I attempt to live the kind of life argued for, one in which I might yet “flourish beyond work” (the stated aim of the Noble Leisure Project). More so, I should share my experiences with others, in hopes that something might resonate and prove useful.

The four pillars of Noble Leisure are: teaching and mentoring; active philanthropy; social contribution, and continued learning and personal development. I have now undertaken new personal projects under each head, some of which you can read about within this website. My intention is to write from time to time about the challenges and satisfactions of these projects, but also, to provide original and curated content on what others are doing with their own resources and time at leisure. The initial stories I have read about and the people I have met are surely inspiring, and testament to the limitless possibilities available to those with the courage, creativity and commitment to find meaning, rather than mere pleasure, in their good fortune.