The Grand Design Show

In the first of the series of episodes, Ellen Taussig shares with the audience her thoughts and perspectives on what constitutes a compelling and yet effective educational experience could/should be. My conversation with Ellen was extraordinary and I left the conversation better informed and wiser. Central to our conversation was the importance of school culture and leadership. This first series introduces these topics and in the series to follow we will have opportunities for further exploration. 

In my first interview for The Grand Design Show, I was honored to have Adamseged Abebe, a University of Pennsylvania graduate, a Rhodes Scholar and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Oxford. We sought, in our conversation to ascertain the extent to which individuals can inform and shape their lives in the context of challenging social constructs. The answer to the question of who owns or who can be assigned the responsibility for our success or failure is not a precise one. Are we the product of the construct of our social system or are we capable of writing the narratives of lives independently of our environment? This is a question that could be debated for eternity. I am of the view that the degree to which we can inform and shape our lives independent of our social construct will depend on the strength of our inherent resolve and grits. While our ecosystem will have a lot to say on the trajectory of our lives, each and every one of us can stake a significant claim on the depth and breadth what our lives could mean. In my view, social constructs are a reflection of how far humanity has come but individually we can assert a narrative of where that construct ought to be. In finding our own inherent design and in living to our aspirations, we will not only liberate and humanize our lived experience but also reshape and reassert a better narrative of our human journey. Being a human is not just a privilege but also a responsibility to find meaning and purpose in ourselves, in our relationship with all the species, in our planet, and in the hidden and manifest universe. Humanity is not just endowed with the potential for greatness but also with the task of navigating the treacherous journey of actualization. Yes, it will be great to have our communities reflect our individual aspirations for expressions but we must not succumb to the resistance and the zealous addiction to the status quo, and abdicate our responsibility. 

The Grand Design Show

What are the design and the meaning of our life?

The Grand Design Show is a podcast dedicated to exploring humanity, its meaning, and purpose. Humanity has many facets and layers. There are unique and shared inherent qualities in each and every one of us. You can be mechanical or intellectual or spiritual about what that means. We could also be bogged down on the theoretical underpinnings of what humanity means and represents. I am of the view that the answer is best left for our human journey. This show rather assumes and presumes there are yet many unanswered and vastly disputed and contentious elements about the meaning, essence, and significance of being human. However, it not merely an academic exercise in of itself we are keen on getting on here but rather use the objectivity, the rigors and the intensity of the interrogation of the subject to ascertain or arrive at or promote a practical path for uncovering the extraordinary potential and possibilities that reside in each of us. So we will explore the questions often not yet fully answered (unanswered). In that exploration, we will seek to unearth and chart the blueprint, if there is any, of our shared and unique grand design. Here we will interrogate the practical, intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional and metaphysical nature of our human design and cut through all the noise to get to the fundamentals of being a human. There are no straight answers nor are there plainly laid out roadmaps. Our design is complex with infinitely vast pathways and potential outcomes. The grand design show is a platform for helping catalyze an authentic fulfillment of our potential for good in a world painfully determined to ensure otherwise. We will give voice to the fundamental individual and shared design. This space will be dedicated to venturing into the unexplored and undiscovered with a dogged commitment to the manifestation of our design. We will be seeking to chart our roadmap towards the expression of our true architecture. We will interrogate and challenge long-held beliefs and assumptions in search of an enlightened and elevated understanding of our place in this infinitely vast and complex universe. We will dive fearlessly into the ordinary and the extraordinary and will explore the breadth and depth of our planet in search of stories of human ingenuity, enterprise, resilience, and perseverance.
Our Goals are

• To explore humanity,
• To discover its meaning and purpose, 
• To appreciate the impact and implications of being a fully expressed human being
• To give voice to that expression

Simple things that go very far in the enrichment of learning experience for schools in the 21st Century.