Overall, 2016 wasn't ideal for many of us. From a disappointing election to countless celebrity deaths, there are a lot of things we can't change at this point. However, keeping hope and altering the way we think can change how we move forward in 2017. Here are some mindsets that are too outdated to help us progress in this upcoming year.
1. Denying climate change.
As a society, we're an irresponsible doctor who refuses to tell their patient that they have terminal cancer. Pretending the problem doesn't exist is only making it worse. Now the problem is so much more than switching over to LED bulbs and driving hybrids. As a nation, something needs to change on a broader scale.
2. Thinking you need $200 worth of make-up on your face to be beautiful.
Beauty gurus are paid to advertise certain products on YouTube. No one really needs a $50 Urban Decay eye-shadow pallet despite how many times they say, "I know it's a bit expensive, but I wear it every day and it's SO worth it."
It's not. You're paying to smear goop on your eyelid.
3. Ranting about how millennials are lazy.
When newspapers began distributing in 1690, older people thought the younger generation was lazy for not getting their information through conversations. The reaction was the same with the birth of radio, television and now with the internet and smartphones. This isn't a unique phenomenon with millennials.
Think millennials don't read as much as people did 50 years ago? Turns out people read 30 percent more than they did in 1952, according to The Atlantic. Millennials also volunteer more than senior citizens, are more likely to attend college than ever before, and they are less likely to drink excessively or use drugs compared to past generations, according to The New York Times.
Don't be so quick to judge millennials just because how we interact nowadays has changed drastically over the last decade.
4. Being passionate about politics... And then not voting.
This is for all of you Bernie Sanders fans who didn't vote in the caucus and then complained about Hillary being the democratic nominee. It doesn't matter how many bumper stickers you have, or how many political articles you share on social media, if you don't vote.
I know it's hard to feel like your vote serves any significance when you're voting in such a huge election, but keep in mind that voting in your local county elections are just as (if not more) important. Don't be that person who talks big and doesn't actually take action when it counts.
