Boston: For Harvard professor Dr. Sanjep Chopra, one of the most powerful lessons he teaches students and audiences worldwide comes from a simple but profound metaphor — “parachute packing.”

The concept, as he explains, is about acknowledging the unseen mentors, supporters, and guides who prepare us for life’s toughest jumps. “I’ve lived a good life and I’ve helped other people. I’ve inspired other people. And I was very, very fortunate to have the greatest mentors in my academic profession. They packed my parachute,” he said in a recent conversation.

The imagery of parachute packing comes from a story he often shares: a soldier whose life was saved in combat because his parachute had been meticulously packed by someone he had never personally thanked. For Dr. Chopra, this story captures

See Full Page