The Huffington Post article, entitled "Why Generation Y Yuppies are Unhappy", which is certainly worth a read, irked me in a way that took a couple of days to figure out. If you haven't read it, do so now, because there is a ton of food-for-thought within. It has done the rounds, and seems to have grabbed the attention of us Generation Y'ers.
The article paints the picture of a disillusioned Generation Y Lucy, who has, essentially due to the environment she grew up in, developed an unjustified sense of self-importance and uniqueness, and has expectations for her life that are beyond reasonable. This is, on the whole, a fair concept and most likely applies to a large enough portion of Gen-Y to warrant an article like this.
Two things, in particular, struck me from this article - firstly, it served as a reminder that 90% of Gen-Y are concerned with their own 'unicorn-on-top-of-the-lush-grass', and that their sense of self-worth and success are dependent on outward (predominantly materialistic) success... but that is another blog post in the making. I'd rather discuss the second highlight - that we aren't as unique as we think we are. In this, I fully agree with HuffPost.
Until we actually take the steps to separate ourselves from the pack, we are merely another head in the herd, moving in the general direction that our path takes us. In our quest for Mindfulness, we are quite literally trying to be instruments of a better world. Catalysts for positive change. Is anything achieved by saying this? Of course not - it only applies when we take these philosophies into the real world, practice them daily, perfect them. We speak of being more absorbent of negativity, more resilient, more focused and simply more present in each aspect of our lives. Unlike our outward circumstance, occupation, family and so on, these are things that we can actually control to a large extent. While all of life is dependent on many factors, the way we conduct ourselves is by far our greatest sphere of influence.
Being the best version of ourselves is what we owe to ourselves, whether that be in a Steve Jobs-like CEO position, fireman, teacher, student or advocate. I believe that we all have the power to be completely special, unique and dynamic within any role in society, not just as the world-beaters that the HuffPost assumes Gen-Y'ers are constantly aiming to be, yet failing to become. Simple choices,enabling us to be more mindful of our desires and actions, can make us twice the person with twice the impact we usually have. The HuffPost article speaks of expectations and happiness, and they really have something there.
The article paints the picture of a disillusioned Generation Y Lucy, who has, essentially due to the environment she grew up in, developed an unjustified sense of self-importance and uniqueness, and has expectations for her life that are beyond reasonable. This is, on the whole, a fair concept and most likely applies to a large enough portion of Gen-Y to warrant an article like this.
Two things, in particular, struck me from this article - firstly, it served as a reminder that 90% of Gen-Y are concerned with their own 'unicorn-on-top-of-the-lush-grass', and that their sense of self-worth and success are dependent on outward (predominantly materialistic) success... but that is another blog post in the making. I'd rather discuss the second highlight - that we aren't as unique as we think we are. In this, I fully agree with HuffPost.
Until we actually take the steps to separate ourselves from the pack, we are merely another head in the herd, moving in the general direction that our path takes us. In our quest for Mindfulness, we are quite literally trying to be instruments of a better world. Catalysts for positive change. Is anything achieved by saying this? Of course not - it only applies when we take these philosophies into the real world, practice them daily, perfect them. We speak of being more absorbent of negativity, more resilient, more focused and simply more present in each aspect of our lives. Unlike our outward circumstance, occupation, family and so on, these are things that we can actually control to a large extent. While all of life is dependent on many factors, the way we conduct ourselves is by far our greatest sphere of influence.
Being the best version of ourselves is what we owe to ourselves, whether that be in a Steve Jobs-like CEO position, fireman, teacher, student or advocate. I believe that we all have the power to be completely special, unique and dynamic within any role in society, not just as the world-beaters that the HuffPost assumes Gen-Y'ers are constantly aiming to be, yet failing to become. Simple choices,enabling us to be more mindful of our desires and actions, can make us twice the person with twice the impact we usually have. The HuffPost article speaks of expectations and happiness, and they really have something there.
Expectations and comparisons are always tearing us from the present moment - stripping us of the joy that we could be experiencing, blinding us to the opportunities that present themselves and stealing our energy that should be used in present moment tasks. This applies not only to moment-to-moment interactions, but also to the general life feeling that we carry around with us day to day. Too much attention on our future, or our past, and we are unhappy either way - always hoping for something more or wishing something had been different.
Personally, I believe a life lived only to lay in lush grass with flowers and unicorns is missing an element of human compassion and understanding. I think that this expectation is flawed form the start, as Gen-Y'ers have no excuse for ignorance, no let-off for extravagance. Moving through this world mindfully means acknowledging the pain and suffering of those around you, and acknowledging where you tend to brush it aside. Many of the articles on success and 'bettering oneself' appear to merely be focused on the garnering of material comfort, and not necessarily on the impact one might have on society.
This is by no means a memo against ambition - merely a reminder that happiness should come from more than just your surroundings and situations. It should come from a sense of purpose and strength that you carry with you, inside of you. We can all plan and aim for great things - indeed, things greater than the world has yet known - but to really enjoy the benefits of the life that we currently lead, we need to set our eyes on the now and put our hearts into what we do. Doing one or two things for the benefit of others alone wouldn't hurt either!
Mindful practice of positive characteristics, in each and every circumstance, is the key to present-moment happiness and is a sure-fire way to separate yourself from the pack. While the rest will be eyeballing each-other's Facebook profiles, comparing lives and living in a faint shadow of their expectations, you will be content in your reality, building the path forward piece by piece while being a light of compassion and joy for all those around you.
Plan for the future, live in the now and separate yourself from the norm in all that you do. You'll feel as unique and special as you are meant to feel in no time! And it will be because of YOU, not what happens around you.
Much love
Dean
Personally, I believe a life lived only to lay in lush grass with flowers and unicorns is missing an element of human compassion and understanding. I think that this expectation is flawed form the start, as Gen-Y'ers have no excuse for ignorance, no let-off for extravagance. Moving through this world mindfully means acknowledging the pain and suffering of those around you, and acknowledging where you tend to brush it aside. Many of the articles on success and 'bettering oneself' appear to merely be focused on the garnering of material comfort, and not necessarily on the impact one might have on society.
This is by no means a memo against ambition - merely a reminder that happiness should come from more than just your surroundings and situations. It should come from a sense of purpose and strength that you carry with you, inside of you. We can all plan and aim for great things - indeed, things greater than the world has yet known - but to really enjoy the benefits of the life that we currently lead, we need to set our eyes on the now and put our hearts into what we do. Doing one or two things for the benefit of others alone wouldn't hurt either!
Mindful practice of positive characteristics, in each and every circumstance, is the key to present-moment happiness and is a sure-fire way to separate yourself from the pack. While the rest will be eyeballing each-other's Facebook profiles, comparing lives and living in a faint shadow of their expectations, you will be content in your reality, building the path forward piece by piece while being a light of compassion and joy for all those around you.
Plan for the future, live in the now and separate yourself from the norm in all that you do. You'll feel as unique and special as you are meant to feel in no time! And it will be because of YOU, not what happens around you.
Much love
Dean
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