Will Life Break You Open or Close You Off? | Elizabeth Lesser

After everything you’ve been through, keeping your heart open can feel like a lot to ask. But there’s still room for connection, beauty, and a life that feels more like you. Author and Omega Institute cofounder **Elizabeth Lesser** joins **Chip Conley** to explore how divorce, loss, and aging can deepen our lives without hardening our hearts. Drawing on her books *Broken Open* and the forthcoming Stay Open, she shares insights on how to: - Find new possibilities when your old life falls apart. - Question the stories that keep you apart from people you love. - Make room for joy and grief at the same time. - Meet your aging body with kindness and care. - Stay open while holding healthy boundaries. Join Chip and Elizabeth for a heartfelt conversation about what it takes to stay soft, stay curious, and keep growing through life’s changes. **Timestamps:** (02:37) What Is the Soul? (05:47) Let Your Soul Lead in Midlife (08:45) When Life Breaks You Open (11:54) The Stories That Keep Us Apart (13:40) How to Have Difficult Conversations (18:00) How to Stay Open When Life Is Hard (24:03) Finding Beauty Alongside the Pain (26:20) Growing Older, Becoming More Whole (28:47) What Gets Better With Age (32:59) How Omega Institute Began (38:13) Behind the Scenes of a Retreat Center (42:30) Do No Harm, but Take No Shit **Learn more about MEA** at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/ **Check out Chip's Celebrating Life's Wisdom Oct 25-29 2026 workshop:** https://www.meawisdom.com/celebrate #ElizabethLesser #ChipConley #MidlifeChrysalis #BrokenOpen #StayOpen #OmegaInstitute #MidlifeTransformation #HealthyAging #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalHealing #SpiritualGrowth #Relationships #GriefAndLoss #SelfCompassion #Boundaries