The world we live in today is getting increasingly chaotic. Economies are tumbling in countries long held as emblems of prosperity and longevity. Political upheavals are evolving new societies. The effects of climate abuse have begun to form a very grave picture for the entire planet.
And fascinatingly, these events; which are the fallout of our greed since the past many centuries, are helping societies and individuals to raise some basic questions about how they have lived and how they should instead be living. For instance, affluent societies are increasingly seeing a sense of disillusionment in consumerism. Developed societies are becoming more conscious of harmonizing with nature in the way they consume and live. Wealth as a measure of human prosperity is a concept now open to empirical debate. Horrifying calamities across the globe have exposed the vulnerability and oneness of our race irrespective of the diversity of its belief, culture and thought. The meaning of life itself is being explored beyond the ideals cherished for long.
I came across an interesting article written for the Harvard Business Review by Clayton M. Christensen called How Will You Measure Your Life? that explores a similar theme. The Editor’s note in the beginning says that by the time Harvard’s Class of 2010 was about to graduate, the economic situation was completely transformed from when they had begun. Events around them led them to a process of recalibrating their world view. This article is a synopsis of what Professor Christensen tried to teach them as a strategy to reading the new picture around them.
The crux of Professor Christensen’s article; which is replete with examples of his interactions with business leaders and from his life, is that life is not made meaningful by the amount of money you make but the contribution you bring to the lives of others. It is about having a sense of humility and integrity in your transactions with the rest of the world. He says it’s crucial to invest your time, energy and talent where it matters most… and it matters a lot for your spouse and family. He believes that it’s especially important for us to build a culture of our values for our family because that is the building block of the society.
It is in fact heartening to see that our race has finally started asking the right questions from its own self. Leadership journals, business researches and institutions are now analyzing concepts previously considered vague territories and subjective grey areas. There is increasing interest in what generates our happiness, what makes us similar as humans rather than distinct, and what is the common good for everyone.
Perhaps we are beginning to see the emergence of a new epoch where old world values might find a place again. An epoch where humans shall aspire to benefit others rather than themselves and discover that it benefits them as well. The sooner individuals, organisations and societies transit this shift of aspiration, the more chances we have of surviving as a species!
Image: Spiral Dive by Rod Davis