Generation Y is the generation of people born between 1983 and 2000. Or somewhere around there - watch the video, Eunice mentions the timeframe. generation Y has been labelled as the worst generation ever, labelled as being lazy and entitled. This means that Gen Y peeps generally believe themselves to deserve whatever they want, without them having to lift a finger to obtain it. Obviously this is a generalisation - there will be exceptions. This also only applies to people living in certain countries or people within a specific income bracket. Imagine seeing a starving Ethiopian person who was born in the "Gen Y" time frame - do you imagine them to have this same frame of mind? No. This mentality is created by the examples set by parents and by society - if those examples are not there then the result will not be a "Gen Y individual".
So it has been hypothesized that the ideal of "following your dream/passion" has been a big influence on creating Gen Y. As Eunice shows in her Talk, the use of that particular phrase increased exponentially during the Gen Y time frame. In her Talk, Eunice is exploring the different ways we can live this phrase without becoming a lazy and entitled individual. She essentially is exploring the concept that you can change what something means - just because society has created and developed an idea like "follow your passion" in such a way that it leads to people believing that they are entitled doesn't mean that you have to actually live it that way. You can change how you live it.
Add a few principles to the "Follow your passion" ideal and you have an entirely different outcome:
- Put in the work to achieve something - this means developing your self discipline and a sense of responsibility - this will allow you to develop your initiative and not simply do the bare minimum. You can develop yourself to be aware and adaptable to change so that when you see that something can be changed, improved or added to improve your project (whether it is your passion, your home life, your inner experience or work) you do it - you don't put it off or shrug it off. Your goal is to do and be the best you can be, so you make sure that you do everything you can.
- Let go of the idea that you have to be passionate about your career - you can develop your passion outside of your work. There are so many different ways that technology and the internet facilitates the expression and development of so many different passions. Sometimes it is actually easier to separate your work and your passion so that your work creates the financial stability in order for you to follow your passion.
- If you don't know what your passion is then don't be afraid to explore and experiment - try different things until you find something you enjoy. Sometimes there are many potential things you see yourself doing - sometimes the best thing to do is consider what you are already good at (if applicable) and other times you just have to pick something and commit to it - don't allow yourself to look back and doubt your choice! Remember that many things take lots of practice - don't get stuck in the idea of failure!
- Passion is a privilege - not everyone has the opportunity to follow their passion - which brings me to what I see as being the most important point:
- "It doesn't mean anything to follow your passion if it isn't in the service of others" - Spend just as much time discovering your passion as understanding the needs and problems in your community and the world as a whole. Combine your passion with improving your community - don't limit yourself! Imagine creating a world in which everyone has the opportunity to develop their passion.
The world is changing - be part of the change and put your heart and soul into making the world a better place.
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