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I used to hate the word “leisure” . . . and then I learned what it actually meant.

In 2023, the word “Leisure” was added to my job title. The change in title reflected not only my changing scope of responsibilities with Mandarin Oriental, but an evolution in the group overall, from a predominately urban luxury hotel group to a rapidly growing portfolio of world-class resorts and a strong positioning (in all of our hotels) around the importance of leisure experiences for our guests.

Over the years, my job had expanded from Group Director of Spa (Mandarin Oriental being pioneers in putting spa as a core pillar of the brand) to Group Director of Spa & Wellness (thinking about wellness across the guest journey and going beyond the four walls of the spa into rooms, Mindful Meetings, and Colleague Wellness) and finally to Group Director of Leisure, Spa & Wellness (to reflect the increasing prominence of resorts in our portfolio and the increasingly important role of leisure experiences for our guests.)

The only problem was . . . I hated the word “leisure.” To me, (perhaps because of an American cultural bias) leisure had a very passive connotation. When I thought of the word “leisure,” I pictured sitting around on a lounge chair, listlessly flipping through mindless magazines. This idea of leisure did not fit with me personally, as I rarely find myself sitting still, and it did not fit with our vision for leisure experiences within Mandarin Oriental, which was about helping people to convert their free time into meaningful exceptional experiences that leave a lasting impact.

So, when discussing my new job title and increasing focus on resort strategy with James Riley, the CEO at the time, I desperately tried to find a better word.

I begrudgingly came back to “leisure” and did more research on the etymology of the word. “Leisure” traces back to the latin word “licere,” which means “to be free.” Much of our life is consumed with obligations. Obligations to work, obligations to our family, obligations to our country and community, and obligations to attend to our own physiolgical needs for food, rest or safety. The time we have left over after our obligations have been filled is our leisure time. This is the time where we are truly free to choose how we want to spend our time.

In Greek, the word leisure has the same roots as the word for scholar σχολή (scholē) (see Leisure / Scholar – DANTE SISOFO). The highest freedom, according to Greek philosophers, was to be able to extricate yourself from the obligations of life enough that you could dedicate meaningful time to contemplating and studying the meaning of life.

Aristotle, for example, looked at leisure pursuits through a hierarchical lens. At the lowest level of leisure is relaxation or amusement. This was my preconception of leisure as a state of passive recovery. To Aristotle, this almost does not count as true leisure because in many ways, time spent in passive relaxation is actually a byproduct of the time spent on work and obligation. When you come home from work and spend an hour doom scrolling on the internet, you are not following your heart’s true desire for how you wish to spend your free time. You are simply recovering from the obligations of your day.

True leisure experiences begin when you are pursuing the virtuous activities that your heart and soul call you to do. By listening to your heart and following your passion, you are fulfilling your potential as a human being. To Aristotle, leisure is about becoming who you were meant to become by pursuing the activities that you wish to do for their own sake. The soldier in their free time loses themself in practicing combat. The artist loses themself in their art. The dancer loses themself in physical movement. They are not pursuing utilitarian outcomes but seeking the fulfillment and enjoyment in the activities that call to their heart, soul and mind. In this level of leisure expression, we tap into eudaimonic wellbeing, the most meaningful form of happiness.

And to Aristotle, the most powerful form of leisure is about philosophic contemplation. The highest virtue of mankind, what separates us from all other creatures, is our ability to reason and understand the world around us. The noblest form of leisure, and the purest form of happiness comes from using our naturally endowed intellectual gifts to develop a deeper understanding of the world around us and our place within it through the practice of philosophy.

With this new understanding of the meaning of “leisure,” I not only accepted it as a key part of my role in the hospitality industry, but actually as one of the deepest and most important areas of inquiry for our time. How do we protect and expand the free time that we have in our lives to pursue the things that are most meaningful to us? How do we choose the activities we wish to pursue in the free time we have? And as business leaders, how do we help our customers convert their limited free time into fulfilling, meaningful, and even transformational experiences?

I hope you will join me on this journey of dialogue and inquiry into how we use our most precious resource: our free time; and how we fill our lives with the kinds of experiences that make life worth living.

Welcome to Leisure Alchemy.

References and recommended reading:

Burton, Neel (2023). Aristotle on Leisure. Psychology Today.

Goldrick, Leah (2025). Why Did Aristotle View Leisure as a Fundamental Aspect of a Well-Lived Life? Freedom and Flourishing.

Myers, Danielle (~2026). What is Leisure According to Aristotle: A Comprehensive Explanation. Deep Thinkers: The Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Reed, Ross Channing (2026). Why Leisure Matters for a Good Life According to Aristotle. The Conversation.

Sisofo, Dante (~2026). Leisure / Scholar. dantesisofo.com.