The Human League: A Letter to my Daughter

My daughter turned eleven months old last week. She doesn't know about college rankings or standardized test scores. She doesn't worry about her GPA or whether she's impressive enough for the world's approval.

She simply is.

She explores with wonder. She reaches for things that catch her eye. She laughs at peek-a-boo games and claps when she's proud of herself. She cries when she needs something and smiles when she feels safe. She lives entirely in the present moment, measuring her days not by achievements but by connection, curiosity, and joy.

This is exactly the world I want her to inherit. And it's exactly why we're launching The Human League.

The Human League is our storytelling arm of Forget the Rankings—a space dedicated to sharing real, reflective conversations about identity, purpose, and growth during life's transitions. But it's more than that. It's a movement toward honoring what truly matters: the quiet growth that doesn't show up on resumes, the kindness that can't be measured, and the resilience no transcript can capture.

As I watch my daughter navigate her small world with such authentic curiosity, I'm reminded that somewhere along the way, many of us learned to perform our lives instead of living them. We learned to chase external validation instead of internal truth. We learned to measure our worth by institutions and rankings rather than by the relationships we build and the lives we touch.

The Human League exists to change that narrative.

Every parent wants their child to be happy, healthy, and connected to what matters most. Not successful by someone else's definition—but fulfilled by their own. Not impressive to strangers—but true to themselves. Not perfect on paper—but present in their own life.

This isn't just about college, though that's where the pressure often becomes most intense. This is about how we live, grow, and show up in the world from our earliest days through every transition that follows.

Because here's what I want my daughter to know, and what I believe every young person deserves to hear: Your worth isn't defined by institutions or outside validation. Your journey matters exactly as it is. The relationships you build and the lives you impact speak louder than any name-brand label ever could.

When my daughter eventually faces her own transitions—choosing schools, careers, relationships, life directions—I want her to approach these moments not with fear of judgment but with excitement for discovery. I want her to ask not "What will make me look good?" but "What will help me grow?" Not "What will impress others?" but "What feels true to who I am?"

The Human League is building toward that world. A world where young people make decisions from a place of self-knowledge rather than self-doubt. Where families have honest conversations about values rather than just outcomes. Where we celebrate the courage to choose authentically over the safety of choosing what's expected.

To every young person reading this, to every parent wrestling with these questions, to everyone feeling the weight of external expectations: You don't need to prove your worth. You already have it. You had it when you were eleven months old, exploring with wonder and measuring your days by connection and joy. You still have it now.

The Human League is here to remind us of that truth and to create space for the stories that honor it. Because in a world obsessed with rankings, we're choosing to celebrate what makes us human.