GenX – the Lost Generation & how to create a life you love You hear the jokes, and you see the Memes… We are Generation X, the ‘Lost Generation.’ The kids that were raised with keys on shoelaces around our neck, who came home to an empty house, who took care of ourselves while our parents worked. We played outside until the street lights came on. We had no cell phones, and we waited for the one night all year when The Wizard of Oz was on TV.
GenX was there when Video Killed the Radio Star and MTV only played music videos. We recorded our favorite songs with a tape recorder held up to the radio during Dick Clark’s Top 50 Countdown.
GenX is the generation caught between the ‘old, fuddy-duddy’ Baby Boomers and the ‘restless and directionless’ Millennial.
Herein lies the issue: We were raised by the Boomers. That means that we were taught that to be a respectable, functioning member of society, you got a job at 16, worked for ‘the man’, vacationed at a lake house every summer with the family, and you retired at 65 with government benefits and a back porch swing.
We were taught that to create a life you love was not the priority.
But we raised the Millennials.
The generation that is not satisfied with cookie-cutter jobs and mediocre benefits just for the sake of a paycheck. The generation that is strong and independent, and speaks their mind about injustices.
Our parents worked for General Mills or General Motors, our kids work for Google or Microsoft.
Our parents worked in cubicles and offices, our children work from home, or in work pods. And we are stuck in the middle, living how we were raised, but craving the new ideas our children are benefitting from.
It never occurred to us that there was more.
What we taught versus what we desire However, now we see that there is, and we are longing to attain it without the skills to get there. There is a growing divide between what we are taught and the life we want to live: Taught: Get a job at 16, work until you are 65, retire and enjoy life. Want: Work at a job we love, enjoy life now, take mini-retirements to reset our soul. Work to live, not live to work. Taught: Work for a big corporation, build their business. It provides stability and benefits. Want: Do something that is fun, fuels our fire, lines our own pockets with money. Taught: Work, then play. Want: Work AND play. Taught: Keep your head down, don’t make waves. Want: Fight for what we want, fight for what is right. Taught: Buy More Stuff. Want: Experience More Stuff. Taught: Have More. Want: Do More. In our 50s, we are facing a whole different mid-life crisis than our parents. We are no longer simply satisfied buying an outlandish sports car and getting a new hairdo. We look to change careers, travel the world, and explore what our souls are craving. How can you create a life you love? How do we find happiness and ‘the good life’ at 50, instead of waiting until we retire? How do we plan our future with the understanding that pensions and social security either don’t exist or will not financially sustain the life we want to live? Financial advisors say we will need $1.2M to retire and live above the poverty level and that half of Americans are set to retire ‘poor.’ But in the age where 50% of all marriages end in divorce, and many of us divide that 401K in half at some point. Or worse, salaries have not kept up with the cost of living, so we can’t even afford to fund a 401K because we are too busy trying to fund life. And how many people are going to burn through their life savings the moment a major health crisis hits home?
What really sets your soul on fire? Think about this question: if you could do anything you wanted and would not fail, what would you do? Is it so outrageous to think that you could be an artist? A poet? A world traveler? What if you could change the world with the power of your voice? If only you would raise it up and share your talents.
Go on a yoga retreat alone in a foreign country (hint, hint, my yoga retreats are a great safe first step into doing something new, different, and life-changing).
The truth is if you go for what you want… if you find your happiness now, the finances will follow.
That goes against everything we are taught. Money will follow you when you follow your dream.
When you create a life you don’t need a vacation from you stop buying material things to fill the void in your soul, and that is already going to save you money.
When you see the world, you see how much you really have and gain an appreciation for life; that is priceless.
When you step out of your comfort zone and are willing to learn and grow, your business and skills will continue to grow, making you more marketable and more valuable in the workforce. I know it’s scary, but I also know what’s on the other side of your comfort zone. If you want to learn more about my journey to greater freedom and fulfillment, read my Origins Story
Create a life you love Invest in the now instead of in the future so that you can enjoy a future worth having. We are just missing the piece where we learn how to face our fears and go for it.
Face the fears that come with going against everything you were taught, figure out who you really are and what you really want, take a deep breath and take the leap to connect and find your soul’s purpose.
Then figure out how to use that purpose to fuel and fund your future. Learn to enjoy your life now; the future is far too uncertain to keep waiting.
Take a chance, create something new, become a better version of yourself, and stop being afraid.
If you need support, if you are ready to try something new and different, let me know. You can reach out to me HERE.
Maybe this is something I can help you with, or maybe even just be a voice of experience and encouragement.
I promise you; your old life will still be attainable should you ever really want it back (and I doubt you will).