Coming out of hibernation

In 2018, I wrote a book called Born to Connect. In the years since, I’ve been living a quieter chapter here in Bali.

Some of you know a different version of me. New York, London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro. Moving through the world, meeting people, bringing ideas to life. There were stretches when I was taking one or two international flights a week. My life was full of movement and possibility.

That part of me has been in hibernation for a while.

Here in Bali, much of my attention has turned inward. I’ve been listening, exploring my relationship with myself, and making room to feel more of life. Connection has remained at the center of it all, even as the way I experience it has changed.

And now I feel something stirring. I’m ready to come back out into the world and see what we can create together.

When I look around, I see so many people trying to make sense of a world that feels increasingly difficult to live in. There’s a lot to absorb. A lot to carry. We can be surrounded by people and still feel deeply alone. We can spend an entire day communicating and finish it wondering whether anyone really saw us.

I feel that ache. I also feel how much life is still here, waiting for our attention.

I keep thinking about emergency and emergence. About what might become possible when the strain we’re feeling moves us to reach for one another. What could emerge if we gave our longing for connection somewhere to go?

This life is brief. We know that, and then we forget. We get caught up in managing it, explaining it, trying to get somewhere, and whole seasons pass. I find myself asking what I want to do with the time I have. I want to feel it. To let myself be moved. To experience the beauty and the grief, and to have people beside me with whom I can share it.

That desire runs through Born to Connect: a deeper relationship with ourselves, with one another, and with life itself.

One of the experiences I write about is being in New York after September 11. Amid the shock and grief, I witnessed strangers caring for one another in ways that stayed with me. People spoke openly about how they felt. The distance between us seemed to soften. That kindness became part of what inspired my vision of a world without strangers. I want to help make room for that kind of care in our ordinary lives, too.

For a long time, I’ve been wondering how to bring the book into the world. A book tour came to mind. Then I started imagining what it would feel like if we gathered around the ideas and experienced them together.

I love stories because of what happens when we share them. Someone says something honest. Someone else recognizes a part of themselves in it. A conversation opens, and suddenly we feel a little closer.

There’s so much available to read, watch, and listen to. We can ask AI for a summary and move straight to the next thing. I’m interested in making room to linger. To sit with a story. To listen to the person beside us and discover where the conversation goes.

So here is the possibility I’d like to explore with you: a Born to Connect world tour, shaped by the people who want to bring it to life.

I’m imagining public gatherings in cities, shared experiences in nature, and smaller, intimate spaces where we can slow down and meet one another. A gathering could begin with a walk, a story, or a question someone has wanted to ask for years. There could be room for play, for creativity, and for the unexpected connections that happen when people feel welcome.

Members would propose gatherings and help shape what happens in their own communities. The route could grow through those invitations. Perhaps there’s something you’ve wanted to bring to your city. Perhaps you know a place where people would love to come together. I’d love to hear about it.

Through Pure Project, I’m inviting 100 founding members to help co-create the foundation of Born to Connect. I think of these people as architects of culture: people whose care and participation help shape how we welcome each other, what we make space for, and what we create together.

You might bring an idea for a gathering, introduce people who would love to meet, or help something take root where you live. You might begin by showing up with curiosity and a willingness to take part.

And if you have an audience, host a podcast, or bring a community together, I’d love to explore this with you. Let’s have a conversation and share it with your people. Let’s imagine a gathering in your city. If becoming a founding member feels right, come help shape the foundation with us. Your community could become part of how this grows.

If this resonates, visit pureproject.org and explore becoming a founding member. If you have questions or an idea, reach out to me personally. My contact details are on the website.

I’m coming out of hibernation with a story to share and a desire to hear yours.

Let’s see what we can create together. A world without strangers begins with how we meet.