Papa taught me many important life skills, most of them were instilled in me at a young age, and I continue to use them even today.

Most evenings, after Papa returned from work — or on Sundays, when I joined him on his morning walk — we would have long conversations. Even when I was barely five, he treated me as an equal.

One of his most powerful lessons was about “perception versus reality,” and how often our perception becomes the only reality we acknowledge. This can be a serious shortcoming as you grow older — you may stop looking at the bigger picture, or ignore other valid viewpoints.

As I grew, Papa explained that your viewpoint, shaped by your perception, isn’t always the only truth.

Sometimes there can be an opposite viewpoint that is equally valid. His example has stayed with me: the number 9 looks like a 6 when viewed from the other side.

Another approach that left a deep impression on me was his “dark circle” experiment.

Papa asked me to get a sheet of paper and a black crayon. He told me to draw a big circle in the centre and fill it completely. Then he asked me to hold the paper as close as possible to my face. “What do you see?” he asked. “Only blackness,” I replied. He then told me to move the paper away. “And now?” I could suddenly see the cheerful room around me — and the fact that the paper had just one dark circle on it.

It was a true “Eureka” moment. I realised how easy it is to get overwhelmed by the darkness of problems, but how quickly your perspective shifts once you step back and look at the bigger picture.