My father once told me that becoming a great person isn’t about being the best at something, rather overcoming difficult circumstances despite overwhelming hardships. My dad’s statement became a foundational part of my life and a system under which I operated. As I began to think about what it means to me to be a millennial, I asked myself what does my generation have in common with other generations. I realized that my dad’s advice to me has been the foundational words for every generation – to overcome and conquer against all that life could throw your way.
When I decided that I wanted to write an article about my generation, I thought one of the best ways to illustrate what a millennial is, was to get various perspectives from my peers. What I heard most was that the millennials feel as if we are looked down upon and are entitled to whatever we want. Secondly, I heard that we regularly feel empowered to speak our mind and work hard through change. Furthermore, characteristics that came up repeatedly of my generation were resourceful, innovative, empathetic, compassionate, and sometimes individualistic. Some words that caught my attention were that millennials (and all generations for that matter) are a product of how we were raised, nurtured, and taught by the generation before us and our environment while growing up.
If someone asked me what it means to be a millennial I would say that although we often seek the betterment of ourselves, we consistently speak out for others. One aspect that I want to make clear is that while I am a millennial, I have the choice to pursue my own characteristics and values, rather than fall into the category that society has placed for people my age. Older people often tell me that millennials are entitled and lazy, then encourage me saying that I’m a genuine, hardworking person. This creates conflict within me because many of my friends and peers often model the same to me, so how can that be true? From what source does this belief stem from? Do much of what people believe about my generation come from the media? I encourage everyone to evaluate their beliefs about millennials and instead of making general statements about this generation, seek to see and understand the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, and nature of individuals.
I believe in this present time our generation sees now the task we have before us. One day my generation will be this nation’s leaders, doctors, engineers, and great thinkers. Just like my father said, overcoming one’s obstacles makes a person great. I want to add to that by saying, overcoming this generation’s problems will make this generation admirable, and ultimately powerful. No one generation is the ‘best’ however; each generation fixes their problems before them in a different way. If we are to become a generation that overcomes and works toward a feasible, accomplishable objective, we need to come together and pursue values that are relative towards our own goal, and identify ways in which our generation can impact our society, community, and nation for the improvement of all people.
