From a technical standpoint, every person falls into a generational category based on when they were born: The Silent Generation (born 1927-1945), The Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-1980), Millennials (born 1981-2000) and Generation Z (born after 2001). The dates are a little fuzzy depending on the source, but you get the idea.

Since Millennials are now graduating college, becoming adults and having a much greater influence in our society, we hear a lot about them. But what exactly does it mean to be a Millennial?

Older generations will tell you it’s not something to be proud of. That we’re irresponsible and don’t plan. We’re lazy and don’t know the value of hard work. We’re scattered. Unorganized. Materialistic. Blah blah blah blah blah. It’s not news to us; we’re heard it all before.

But I think there’s more to it than just that.

The truth is our generation is just different. The mold society gave us- go to school for a sensible degree, get a job you’ll never leave, get married and have kids- wasn’t working for us. We’re taking gap years, we’re dropping out of school to start our own companies, we‘re traveling, we’re job-hopping until we find what we love. We’re doing things in our own time. And while we may not have our lives completely together yet, we are doing a few things right.

1. We’re living from experience to experience rather than paycheck to paycheck
2. We’re conversing with strangers rather than hating our neighbors
3. We’re getting careers we love rather than jobs that pay well
4. We’re taking a stance rather than avoiding the issues
5. We’re climbing mountains rather than the corporate ladder
6. We’re passionate rather than passive
7. We’re chasing dreams rather than deadlines
8. We’re taking chances rather than taking the easy way
9. We’re working for the week rather than the weekend
10. We’re writing our own story rather than letting someone else write it
11. We’re thinking outside the box rather than staying confined to a cubicle
12. We’re thinking big picture rather than focusing on ourselves
13. We’re creating art rather than gazing at a blank canvas
14. We’re bursting ceilings rather than staring out windows
15. We believe we can make a difference rather than hoping someone else will
16. We’re keeping moments rather than keeping time
17. We’re apartment hopping rather than buying a house we don’t want
18. We’re breaking hearts rather than breaking promises
19. We’re collecting memories rather than collecting dust
20. We’re looking to change pieces of the world rather than complain about them
21. We’re living in the moment rather than regretting the past
22. We’re calling the shots rather that suffering the blows
23. We’re embracing authenticity rather than indulging in acceptance
24. We’re ditching labels rather than living in them
25. We’re doing what we believe is right rather than what we’ve been told is right
26. We’re married to our cause rather than the wrong people
27. We’re living our days rather than waiting for them to end
28. We’re helping the sick rather than pretending to be sick
29. We’re writing our own books rather than looking for book ends
30. We’re creating our own opportunities rather than waiting for them to find us
31. We’re searching for ourselves rather than sticking to the norm
32. We’re dreaming bigger rather than sleeping longer