Youth Rock My World!

I am super fortunate to be surrounded by some pretty amazing youth. I am pretty biased I must admit when it comes to talking about my two kick ass kiddos - but they truly are very interesting people outside being my kids! I also have the privilege to know their equally interesting and energetic friends and partners, nieces and nephews who are all in their 20s now and an extended group of younger people that I get to interact with in my community, online and beyond.

I still think of myself os young even though I am deep into mid age but perhaps that is part of the secret sauce to remaining viable, youthful, interesting, energetic, engaged, connected - that and of course keeping connected to the youth in your universal sphere and walking…walking works wonders for the brain and bones.

I admire the attitude, engagement, resilience, huzzah, chilled vibe, leadership, multi-faceted creative attitude and the core belief that they will leave this world in a better place. The photo btw is of myself and my wonderfully talented and engaged, multifaceted, creative, passionate niece Kira who we dropped in on at one of her many cool jobs this weekend! She is all of the above and more - she is a kick ass role model to her cousins and to myself. Love you doll!

So here are 3 things that rock my world when I think of all the youth that surround me:

1. Multi-faceted people

   • Young people today are not fixated on desk jobs as the only avenue to career success or financial freedom - they have a wonderful mindset that allows a creative lens to shine on their paths, opening doors of opportunity like gigs or several interesting pt jobs that offer them the flexibility to have fun and work

   • Young people are not consumed with the idea of work - they are interested in making a difference in the world and their own lives but do not feel like they are being forced down one path - they have ample opportunity to explore and allow themselves the time to explore/travel - the sky will not fall if they are not in a secure job 2-4 years after high school graduation

   • Young people understand that in their lives, work is only one aspect of it - they have so many interests outside of work that this very balance allows them the freedom to dream longer than in my generation. In my generation and my parents it was all very buttoned down on finding a career and sticking with it. I pushed the boundary of job stability/trajectory in my career that made my parents pretty uncomfortable but I had a great life and I paid my bills and made a difference in the world. I would argue that more and more youth today see this as the norm now and not an exception like it was with me

   • Young people also believe in retiring earlier and what that may look like - they are creating plans for their future that allows them to live full creative lives while still contributing to their family and their interests with a balance that is breath taking - of course there is a layer of lost youth but there is always layers of the lost in every getneration

2. Natural Leaders

   • Leadership comes in many forms but here are a few that I see the youth I am surrounded by exhibit:

     • Social Minded - issues like climate change and Black Lives Matter are part of the everyday fabric of their lives (sadly). They live and breath this naturally and with it comes the ability to help our world in ways that speed up healing, learning, change and atttitudes

     • Risk Takers/Disruptors - following their core values like integrity, inclusion, empathy, innovation, teamwork, ethics etc - the Youth of today live and lead by example

     • Communication - all across the world on a daily basis you can read about or watch Reels about how Youth stand up and express themselves. They are not fearful they are coherent and on point with issues that they are passionate about

     • Self-Development - this goes hand in hand with being a change maker - a creative in a technologically changing world. Youth today continually shift and work on themselves in all areas of their lives, not just as it pertains to career. If the path they took becomes stagnant or is no longer aligned with their values, they have no compunction to shift gears and get back in their lane

3. World Passion

   • Youth today are taking a front seat to global change - all issues that effect all people are openly discussed and connected closer to home, to direct impact

   • Youth strongly take stands for what they believe in and voice their opinions widely - inclusion, diversity, rights for free speech, climate change, persecution, war, politics - it is all on the table and widely discussed

   • Of course every generation has taken a stand for injustices but the Youth of today appear to be in larger numbers aligned together, with a larger voice for change and the world is listening and some things are slowly changing

Hanging out with all the amazing young people in my life offers me so many opportunities to continue to grow and push myself, learn new cultural ideas that I may not be exposed to in my day to day living and most of all remind me that being middle aged is an opportunity to continue to kick ass and remain youthful.

I am so thankful for all the young people of the world as they inspire the hell out of me! They keep me young. They teach me. They open me up to new ideas and thoughts. They keep me current. They show me the art of fashion. They introduce new foods. They have fresh takes on old ideologies and religion. They love widely and are not afraid to love the individual not the sexual identity. They laugh. They sing. They create. They transform.

Cheers to the Youth!

#youth #resilient #changemaker #leadership #passion