First of all, to all of my Indian friends in the US and around the world, Happy Diwali!!! I was interested to learn that Diwali, a Hindu festival commemorated all over the world, honors “the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness.”  As a celebration of new beginnings, Diwali also calls us “to live the ideal life of righteousness and harmony.”

 

What a wonderful message for all human beings. So, me up!!

 

Second, regardless of your political views, it was wonderful to finally conclude the US midterm elections. For me, I was excited for two major reasons:

1) Since I teach “values-based leadership,” it would be easy to guess how happy I am with the outcome

 

2) The fact that one party can win over another, and do so in a peaceful manner, is a positive sign that our democracy is still alive (thank God for that). We are blessed to be one of the few countries in the world where this is still possible… And we should never take it for granted.

 

OK, so the Democrats were successful in a major way. I believe the key to their success will be to prove they can govern in a positive way and make improvements in the US economy and the current geopolitical uncertainty, rather than spending their time in litigation battles with the Trump administration. 

 

Third, I had a wonderful opportunity to participate in a podcast with Kay McBrearty. Kay is a former Baxter colleague and co-leader of N.E.T. Collective. 

 

We discussed why young people need deep roots (values) before they can grow flexible branches (adaptability) — and how students, career changers, and the people supporting them can navigate an AI-shaped job market. 

 

Here is the link to the podcast, and you can follow NET collective wherever you get your podcasts. 

www.netcollective.org  

 

Here’s wishing everyone a great week!