Belle’s World – Age

Original Prompt published on July 15, 2017 on Belle’s World.

Age is something we don’t really talk about. So my question is why?

As our cultural paradigms are shifting, individuals are redefining what age really means. When people tell me, I look young or they mention an age much younger than my age, I used to feel frustrated. Today, I take it as a compliment and very proudly announce I am 40 years old and at the tail end of the X-Generation.

Why is it important for me to let someone know my age? It’s important because if someone assumes I am much younger they are not giving me credit for the experience (professional and life) that I bring to the table. I appreciate the world giving me the compliment of being youthful but I also want to be known for my knowledge and the impact I can make.

Each age brings something to the table and we should appreciate the individual, for their life journey and what they offer rather than having a bias on age. It’s important for us to engage the benefits of being in a certain generation based on age.

Millennials were brought up with technology and are adept at learning to use them and make things efficient or easier through it. They spend much of their time interacting with each other through their devices and have always had information overload since they were children. Millennials worry about the generation coming after them, that have had technology in their hands since they were born. Let’s utilize the Millennials ability to be comfortable with technology to teach other generations especially boomers how to make it useful in their lives. They may not have as much life experience but they are the driving force of how we interact with technology going forward and how most businesses are transforming to engage with them as consumers.

The X – Generation created many of the technologies that were the forefront of our technology acceleration today. They are the conduit between technology and the human element of still interacting with people to build relationships. They have 20 – 30 years of business experience and are able to translate much of the technology paradigm shifts along with cultural paradigm shifts. They are going through an awakening of understanding they have a much longer life span and are still not in the prime of their lives like they expected to be. They are sandwiched between the Millennials and Boomers and are quietly trying to transform how we live, work and play while the media focuses on the outer generations.

Boomers have experience and have built relationships over many years. They also are living longer and healthier lives. Retirement as it once stood has been turned on its head and many boomers are continuing to work because they enjoy it and not necessarily because they need to. They have been doing it for so many years that it’s become a part of who they are and it continues to motivate them to enjoy their life journey. The Boomer generation didn’t grow up with the technology, but many of them are very open to learning it and have adopted it as part of their life. It’s key to remember that adopting technology takes a mental shift and those Boomers who are adapting are critical to our changing lifestyles. If we have an open mind that they are more than just “old” people we could be utilizing their experience and loyalty to help move us forward.

Lastly, the silent generation, who aren’t around much but those that are live their life and are proud of how far they have come and truly appreciate the people in their life. If we all have something to learn, it is to understand what really matters in the long run. The one main idea they all resonate with are the experiences and people in their life matter today. The work, the money, the success are all part of the journey but they are not what brings them to happiness today.

Be proud of your age / generation and what you bring to the table. There are no rules anymore of what you should be doing or how you should look at your age. Own this valuable piece of your life journey and let others know what you can do to make an impact on their organization or in life.

Welcome to Belle’s world. Everything in this world is based on a bell curve. Our media concentrates on giving advice to make everyone be a part of the masses.

This is a weekly series of Urvi’s insights on her perception of the world. They say perception is reality and she lives in her own fantasy world. This allows her to delve into the human element of our lives, helping individuals decipher their own souls, to understand, who they are and what they want, in the journey of life.

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