A Moment of Reflection with Hana.

Hana is now 5 months old. Spending time with her has been a holistic experience and thought provoking. First, it has been helping me develop a better worldview and second, build a stronger bonding - not only with Hana, but also with Bahar, my wife and partner. Bahar has become the best version of herself. And seeing that has been the biggest joy for me.?

I want to know what the world looks like today and what my little buddy needs to learn to build a purposeful life tomorrow. A life that embraces exploration, learning and empowerment. We need some fundamental ingredients to build a purposeful life. Here I want to share some reflections on these ingredients from my perspective:

• Understanding the signs of a healthy society.
• Recognizing the progress we have made toward improving lives globally.
• Developing a big-picture perspective of the world.

I want to know what the world looks like today and what Hana needs to learn to build a purposeful life tomorrow. A life that embraces exploration, learning and empowerment.

Signs of a Healthy Society

Accessible education, healthcare that leaves no one behind, inclusion and cultural diversity are all signs of a healthy society. But I found a hidden sign, too! Hidden to many of us. I came to realize that paid maternity/parental leave is a sign of a healthy society - a society that values families and empowers both men and women. In some countries, there are incentives for fathers to stay home and take care of their new born. This is an impactful step forward. Melinda Gates explains the positive impact of parental leave in her book "The Moment of Lift":

“Paid parental leave is associated with higher rates of breastfeeding, less postpartum depression and more hands-in role for new fathers. Mothers are much more likely to start in workforce and earn higher wages if they can take parental leave when they have a baby. And when men take leave, the redistribution of household labor and care taking lasts after they return to work.”?- Melinda Gates

I have been lucky and privileged. The opportunity of staying home a couple of months before and after Hana’s birth strengthened our bonding as a family. We grew together and made our own story. The road was bumpy sometimes, but unique and joyful with an ever lasting impact that is not quantifiable.?

Paid maternity/parental leave is a sign of a healthy society - a society that values families and empowers both men and women.

The Progress We Have Made

Every time we take Hana for vaccination I think about the worldwide progress we as societies have made. Look how we have eradicated polio in most parts of the globe. Healthcare innovations and medical technologies are closing the gaps between lifespan and health span. And it’s not just about healthcare, but almost any other area we can think of. Access to education, clean energy and instant communications has been significantly improved all around the world within the last decade. On a global scale, we are richer and healthier today.?

There is a way to go and there are still risks - climate change, war, financial collapse ..... We still need to fight Alzheimer’s and find cure for cancer. There are still societies suffering from child marriage, poverty and injustice.

But the world today is more inclusive, more diverse, healthier and wealthier on the global scale. That’s a fact. Let me quote Hans Rosling here:?

"As a possibilist, I see all this progress, and it fills me with conviction and hope that further progress is possible. This is not optimistic. It is having a clear and reasonable idea about how things are. It is having a worldview that is constructive and useful." - Hans Rosling

We have broken, to a relatively large extent, hierarchies, patriarchy and male-dominated belief systems. We are beginning to defeat ageism. We never retire and instead we want to pursue a purposeful life and be authentic regardless of our age. We are questioning our behaviour with aboriginals, with forests and with animals. And we are taking actions to go to Mars. We are beginning to reject our education system which has crystallized over time. Technology has been a catalyst of change, more accessible and easier to create. Kids build robots and smart home hubs using open source tools. School kids walk out demanding to stop climate change. We are all becoming makers, advocates and concerned citizens.?

And that’s the progress we have made.

The world today is more inclusive, more diverse, healthier and wealthier on the global scale.

We have come a long way. No matter how slow, but the way we see things, our values and our metrics have changed. With all these changes and the progress we have made maybe we all need to pause and revisit Clayton Christensen’s question: “How will you measure your life?”. And we shall find the answer before sailing off with no purpose.?Developing a worldview can help.

Developing a Worldview

What does Hana need to learn in order to make an impact in the world? I believe it all starts by developing a worldview.?

Our worldview allows us to see the areas of greatest needs and leverage points where a small change can make a large impact.

Such a worldview is a big picture of the progress we have made as individuals, societies and globally. It helps us answer some key questions. Where do we stand in terms of global health, economics, technology, climate change, education and human rights? What are the challenges? Where are the opportunities??How do we see the world as a whole?

These set of questions act as a guide, allowing us to filter out negativity and see opportunities at every level. We will then see the areas of greatest needs and the leverage points where a small change can make a large impact. One thing that I have realized along the path of building a worldview is that the combination of empowerment, equity and empathy is the glue that holds us together. It brings us hopes and dreams.

The combination of empowerment, equity and empathy is the glue that holds us together. It brings us hopes and dreams.

How would Hana see the world?