Young, wild, and free.
This is the motto of our generation. Millennials were born into a new century with seemingly unlimited possibilities. In the technology revolution, we've gone from missing calls on flip phones to butt-dialing on smart phones. We've gone from the idea of a comfortable career path to exciting entrepreneurial endeavors. In our personal lives, many of us act more risky, fleeting, and bold. This is how we're known, and many of us believe it as absolute truth.
In a society where we're told to get outside our comfort zones, challenge ourselves, and put everything familiar to the wayside, many of us struggle to find our identity in all the chaos. We're lost in a sea of people posting their lives to social media, having superficial conversations, and giving side-eye as they walk by. It's a weird time to grow up, but we have to face it head-on and call it what it is.
I definitely think that we should challenge ourselves, try new things and grow from new experiences. But I can't help but notice that there's one person we're all uncomfortable with: our own self. When we've been trying so hard to be different, to stand out, and to keep changing things up, how many of us have lost our sense of identity along the way?
Where is the balance? How can we grow while keeping a grip on who we are?
We have to be intentional about learning from new experiences. There is something beautifully transformative about taking lessons to heart and developing our character. If you're doing new things and meeting new people just for the sake of looking fresh and exciting, then you're skating on the surface level. You'll end up spinning your wheels, always looking for fulfillment but coming up empty. Living an adventurous life is fun, but it becomes adventurously fulfilling when we cultivate a mindset of intentional learning in our everyday lives.
We also have to realize where our personal boundaries are. There are some things that we won't, and shouldn't, compromise or throw out altogether. Our integrity, our character, our dignity, our respect, our kindness, our compassion, our manners, and our beliefs may grow, but they should never be set aside. If a new experience, friendship or relationship requires you to compromise your favorite parts about yourself, then it's time to walk away. What makes you you? What do you hold to when life gets crazy and things fall to pieces? Don't ever give into pressure to give these up. Don't compromise for the crowd or for the changing culture. One of the biggest ways to know who you are is to know what you will and will not compromise.
These mindsets don't just happen overnight. They will take a while to incorporate, and that's okay. One day, you'll look back and realize how far you've come. One of the most adventurous things you'll do is learn something new about yourself every day. You'll love the unique person that you are and block out the people who don't love the most wonderful parts of you.
You will be free to be yourself.
