Ahhh… the good ol’ days

I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve praised the way things used to be. Ahhh…. yearning for the good ol’ days.

Going barefoot outside in the summer.

Being home on your bike by dark.

Hanging up if you got a busy signal.

And actually walking across the room to change the channel.

Just last week, I was telling my daughter Whitney not to worry so much about germs. Jeez, sometimes her kids are waay too concerned at the ages of 8 and 5, and if they’re not, mama and dad are teaching them to be.

Relax my dear millennials. Play in the dirt and drink water from the spigot.

After all, how many summers did we baby-boomers drink out of garden hoses, eat snow in the winter, and live to tell the tale?

But this is where I flip the coin. And it’s only been the past couple years when I’ve actually seen what’s on the other side.

Millennials think Differently

In ‘my day’ we were taught to celebrate longevity and loyalty to a boss in the world of work. Remember when you got the gold watch for staying with the same company for 50 years? We didn’t ask questions, played by the rules, and were grateful for every morsel handed to us from ‘the boss’.

The world has come a long way. A lot of good, and some not-so-good.

Too many of us in both generations struggle on that teeter-totter of corporate life to maintain a chosen lifestyle while battling stress.

But what’s so admirable, exciting, and inspiring about our millennials is their drive to make choices we wouldn’t have dared to make. I was just coming into that age when daughters were being encouraged to be doctors & lawyers, and it was the talk of the neighborhood if you were one of them.

But now look at what our ‘kids’ are doing! Anything they believe they can achieve, and even some of what they might not. (that’s called a ‘risk’). And so many of them are challenging the ‘old traditional way’ and stepping into entrepreneurial lives.

Taking chances and risks we baby-boomers would never have considered, much less thought of.

Yes, a lot of it is a function of having grown up in an ever-evolving digital world where everything is instant. (That’s another post for another time.) Availability of information, education, and inspiration, is out there just waiting to be harvested.

Develop some Millennial Attitude

We should take notice of what these millennials are doing with their lives! They lack the fear of risk we older folks have, they tend to shed the self doubt, and they’re willing to set aside things we always thought we had to secure, in order to live life ‘the right way’.

I grew up ‘playing it safe’ for the most part, not taking any chances and playing by the rules. One of my guiding mantra’s was “But what if I make a mistake?…”

But now, at the age of 65, I’m applauding these millennial marvels, and attempting to learn from them, borrowing and stealing ideas, using them as role models, and encouraging them to stick with it, to be the best they can be in whatever lane they’re driving.

The way I see it, it’s a bit (if not totally) UNcomfortable for many of us Baby Boomers, to the point where we rebel. “I don’t want to learn Instagram or Facebook! We were doing just fine without it.” That’s probably what my ancestors said when they finally traded in their horse for a Ford.

But if we’re willing to open our minds, open our hearts, and see the possibilities of new ‘stuff’ in our world, I guarantee new joys we’ve not experienced.

Self Doubt stops us in our tracks

I used to think I was incapable of embracing what our millennials live by on a daily basis, due to my own self doubt, while being content to let it all pass me by. But after just a short while listening to millennial thinking, watching them step out of the boxes we’ve tried to keep a lid on, and my dabbling in learning new things, I’m convinced we can find inspiration from a generation that has rocked the boat and shaken things up a bit.

I challenge you to do the same, be the best version of yourself, and will help in whatever way I can, even at our age.

Let me re-phrase that……. Especially at our age!!

Yes, I truly believe we BB’s have wisdom they don’t have, and can’t buy. And if we couple that with some new skills, new ideas, and new enthusiasm in being brave, the world can be our oyster. We can have it all! (except skin with no wrinkles)

For absolutely sure, UNcomfort zones are a love/hate relationship. Thanks for stopping by! ~ Carol ♥

Disclaimer: Please remember, the only thing that absolutely, positively, and 100% always applies to all of us is birth and death.

Click here to read an interesting article about millennials.