The Millennial Makeover

Chapter 1
Everyone has their own story

Millennials get a bad rap. Have you noticed? It’s hard to pursue a career we really desire or make the money we deserve because many business owners think we don’t want to work or don’t have enough life experience, and some even think we are doing nothing with our lives. One major stereotype I frequently encounter is that we “get everything from our parents” and “don’t want to work for anything.” Go on any business site—Forbes, entrepreneur, Inc., etc.—and search Millennial blogs. You will see the stereotypes exploding with a lot of different opinions and lessons that the Millennial generation should know. That is fine. People are free to write what they want and think what they want. My mission is to break those stereotypes down and really get into the core truth of who we are. I am not trying to bash any other generation. I am teaching how we can cultivate success in our own lives so that we can live by pure example, so that we don’t feel like we have to prove ourselves to anyone anymore.

Let me give you an example. A recent statistic shows that “66 percent of hiring managers said they don't think recent college graduates are prepared for the workplace. And 58 percent of hiring managers said they're not planning to hire entry-level college graduates this year.” This rubbed me the wrong way because it insinuates that Millennials don’t have what it takes to be hired. Granted, I know that being hired is more difficult because of our poor economy and because of the way businesses are structured now, but we are the ones that are being heavily affected because we are beginning to have fewer opportunities, a TON of student debt and no idea where to go so that we can be responsible adults and pay our debt down. Yet we still are optimistic about our future, and we still value meaningful relationships and care about our lives. We just need a little knowledge about how to thrive in today’s time and push through what others may say about our generation as a whole.

Some of our parents are pushing us to go to college even if we don’t think it is necessary at this time. Being a Millennial can be challenging sometimes. I mean, come on. We are just like everyone else, and we deserve to be treated as such. I like the name Millennials; it reminds me of all the millions of dollars we are going to make ☺. Anyways, back to my point: our lifestyle consists of everyone telling us what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, i.e., Be professional, get good grades, don’t say this, act this way, be home at this time, don’t wear that, go to college, land that great job out of school, go into debt, I could go on and on. But then, sometimes it can be a blast: great opportunities, parties, prom, eating junk food and never gaining a pound, listening to loud music, laughing with your friends, sport games, tailgating, college graduation, marriage, starting families, etc. Sometimes it’s so confusing being a Millennial and not knowing how to act, who you are, what you want, and if you should think this way or think that way. People put demands on our life as if they have a say! Maybe the people you trust and respect have a say, but what about the rest of the world that wants us to “fit in” or to be a certain way. What about all those people that want us to do what they want? If people only knew the daily trials we have to face. This is not a “poor me” mindset. It is simply an awareness as to what are minds are thinking at times.

Many stereotypes swarm us as a generation. We constantly feel as if we have to prove ourselves in the workplace because we are younger. Before we are even out of college, we need to have a significant amount of experience before business owners even give us a shot. And what about the Millennials that want to be successful? - Those of us who are driven and focused, who really have a heart to do something great in our world, and are criticized and hindered because of their age?

Although there are exceptions to every rule, this seems to be our reality. And how we can start to change it, is to first start believing ourselves that we are more than just a generation. We are more than just people who don’t want to work, and that we are more than what our resumes say. What other generations don’t know about us is that we have many tools and the resources to help them out. We know how to use technology to its greatest capacity; our youth is a major advantage, not a crutch. You might be thinking, “No, that’s not true, or I haven’t experienced that yet in my life.” I would still strongly urge you to keep on reading because there are some indispensable techniques and topics that I explore on how you can catapult yourself to even a higher level than where you are already.

In order to do that, it is very important to understand where we come from and to examine our stories to figure out how our origins have played a role in the lives we live today. You have a different story than I have and come from a different family, but it is just as important that you identify with your past and first go back to your story. Our stories are a really big part of who we are today.

Some of us have families that are there through everything: moms and dads who have given us everything, love us unconditionally, taught us how to make smart and healthy decisions, guided us the right direction, and just all around supported us in life. Then on the other hand, some of us come from families that treated us poorly, looked down on us, discouraged us, pointed out every single thing we did wrong, never helped us, and consistently told us that we couldn’t do what we wanted to do or what you should have done. “If I were you I would….” “Well I’m not ____, so let me be me….” No wonder we feel so confused. There’s the friends, the teachers, the parents, our bosses, and everyone else telling you what to do besides YOU! Oh, and let’s not forget the magazines and the movies we go and watch with our friends that are full of what our society forces us to be. There are so many hidden expectations today in the media that unconsciously make us feel like we have to live up to them. And some of us have had families that just weren’t around. You didn’t see your parent that much. They worked a lot, didn’t have much to say, and rarely asked what you were feeling.

Whatever our upbringing, whether as children or in our current living situations, we can all learn, we can all grow, and we can all be successful leaders in the years to come if we just make the decision to do so. We have to start by looking at the stories of how we were raised and where we came from so that we can accept it, heal from it (if we have to), and move on to our exciting future ahead. As I share my story with you, start thinking about your story and how it might have affected who you are today. What kinds of hurts are you holding onto that keep you from being you? How do you think your story has impacted your life? Think deeply. Start to open your mind to the creation of your dreams.

I’ll go first.