Are you a parent, or are you planning on being one? This week’s episode of The World According To Craig should be at the top of your listen list. 

Growing up is hard to do. You have to leave your old self behind, give up on dreams, and discover new ones — who knows where you might end up. In the end, we’re each on a journey that is pretty unique and awesome. You can meet your other half, fall in love, and end up a proud dad to two amazing children. You don’t need to be a superhero to have a lesson or a life we’d all love to hear about. Join Craig this week as Hadi Khatib, VP of Organizational Strategy & Reinvention and Strategic Initiatives Lead at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), talks about his own journey from a religious Muslim Arab upbringing to father of two and Renaissance man, in a raw, honest conversation we can all relate to.

“One of the critiques of parenthood you’ll see is that it’s selfish, and there’s some truth to that, but it’s also about completely letting go of yourself,” reflects Hadi in the candid interview. 

Part of growing up is letting go of what you think you want, or who you think you want to be, and embracing the life that you’re loving and enjoying. Who you grew up being, and how you grew up, should only be part of your story. But the question is not just how you rebel and react against that, but what new information you take in, and what you do with it. 

It’s ok for life to be messy and hard as you grow up, it’s what you do with those lessons that matter. Having kids is the perfect encapsulation of all of that growth and transition, and the epitome of what it means to put growth and other people first. 

How would you handle it? How do others? Tune in for some great insight. 

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.