I recently watched a video on Facebook about millennials. The speaker in the video talked about the challenges that managers face when working with them. I highly recommend watching it in full below, if you haven't already.

To recap the video, Simon Sinek lists four points that are characteristics affecting the millennial paradox today: parenting, technology, impatience, and environment. He goes into more detail about these characteristics, defining a millennial as anyone born after 1994. Sinek explains that we don't know how to form deep, meaningful relationships, we have low job satisfaction because we feel like we're not making an impact, and we're not finding joy and fulfillment in life. The reason I say "we" is because I'm included in that group. Being born in 1995, I'm right in there at the beginning of the millennial generation. Now, let me tell you why I never really liked being automatically placed in this group.

I'm not your typical millennial; it's just that plain simple. And I'll tell you why. I had this amazing teacher in 5th grade that is still my all-time favorite teacher, someone that made me who I am today. His name is Jerry Myers, Mr. Myers back then. The reason he immensely impacted my life path was because of the things he taught our class about the world. He would spend precious classroom time explaining what the real world was really like. This did not detract from my education, but instead benefited me, shaping me into who I am as a contributor to this world. I remember him talking about his job as a Twinkie truck driver in his younger days, and how hard it was. I remember his unhealthy obsession with coffee and the smell of the classroom as I walked in. I remember the calculations he would do during class about how many hours adults spend on vacation in the real world compared to the hours students are given for breaks between semesters. He scared us into hard work, placing a healthy fear that disciplined us into who we are today.

Ten years later, I'm reminiscing on who his students have become. Just in my class alone, the majority of his students went to college, and they've all figured out this adult-ing thing. I'm sure there are others that appreciate him as well. What if all teachers could be like Mr. Myers? What if teachers were given the freedom to change how millennials behave? I wish that every student could've had a teacher like Mr. Myers. He pounded into our brains what the real world is like and why we need to strive for success. The reason I have a strong work ethic and discipline myself is because of him. I did my best throughout school, making work and school priorities because of him. I worked hard in high school so I could have a high GPA and ACT score to get into a private university. I work hard now because I know I have to pay for my needs and wants. I buy my phones, paid for my laptop, and bought my car. There's pressure on me to break this millennial stereotype placed on me simply because of the year I was born.

I don't remember receiving participation trophies. I remember the moments when my team won the Battle of the Books competition, or my basketball team won our games. I didn't get participation awards for showing up, I received scholarships for tangible proof of my work ethic. Millennials need to stop being snowflakes and grow up. They need to stop being offended and get a job or two. They need to stop asking for safe spaces and start asking for teacher raises. But that's a whole other subject.

Let me leave you with a quote from the video that summarizes the current situation:

"We're putting them [millennials] in these corporate environments that care more about the numbers than they do about the kids. They care more about the short-term gains than the long term life of this young human being. We care more about the year than the lifetime. Right? And so we are putting them in corporate environments that aren't helping them build their confidence, that aren't helping them learn the skills of cooperation, that aren't helping them overcome the challenges of a digital world and finding more balance. That isn't helping them overcome the need to have instant gratification and teach them the joys and impact and the fulfillment you get from working hard over on something for a long time, that cannot be done in a month or even in a year."