A Millennial Disruption

Fellow pilgrims,

I have been thinking a lot about how we are inundated with generational language and conversation. Just yesterday, I overheard a conversation at work between a 75-year-old and a (presumably) 40-something. The older of the two was asking what generation the younger one was a part of. It isn’t lost on me how important these conversations are in the workforce – generational differences are great predictors of what may or may not occur in a workplace setting.

As a Millennial, it seems these conversations are limitless. My social media feeds are chockful of them, including but not limited to LinkedIn. I am apt to believe that Millennials are unafraid of entering these waters, and it’s mostly due to the overwhelming understanding that we are Cycle Breakers.

To say that Millennials believe in the power of disruption is both a sweeping generalization and a truth. I am not here to claim the years during which Millennials were born since studies vary, but I can say this: we were born in a time and place where disruption reigned supreme. The Gulf War welcomed us on the other side of our mother’s womb; 9/11 confused us in middle school or early high school; the 2008 stock market crash interrupted the start of collegiate dreams, and in the same breath, college and university tuition ballooned, with which we received zero guidance on how to proceed, leaving us with a chasm of debt too large to cross.

At so many pivotal moments, our lives felt a shift of disruption.

So it comes as no surprise that we feel both stunted and empowered. One of my favorite ways of looking at this is through the lens of Disney movies. If we go back to 2013, Frozen is released. Its protagonist is a young girl with powers that, per her parents, have to be stifled and quieted because her emotions make it difficult for her to control them. She escapes, finds her way and voice, and figures out how to use them for good. In 2014, we were brought Inside Out. A young girl moves across the country and her parents celebrate her stoicness, only for it to be eating her up on the inside. It is a movie on the importance of acknowledging both Sadness and Joy and, really, all of our feelings. And then there’s Moana in 2016 and her rebellion against her parents’ wishes to listen to herself and bring healing to her people. Lastly, a personal favorite is Turning Red in 2022.

Mei Lee lives a compartmentalized life to maintain a sense of peace for herself. Until she starts her period and turns into a red panda – as one does. Turns out, some familial curse haunts the women in her family. Essentially, your new hormones surging through your body make you feel out of control and, in turn, poofing you into a giant red panda. What follows is Mei finding her voice, her comfort, and her love for this furry thing. She feels seen and known. And ultimately, she rejects separating herself from the panda (AKA feelings) just because her ancestors have. Even deeper, we see Mei meet her mom as a little girl. Her mom is in the woods, sad and lonely, scared of imperfection (due to her own upbringing). Mei comforts her and walks her forward to freedom. It’s incredibly moving. Did I mention this movie was written by a Millennial?

And a perfect example of the cycle-breaking disruption journey most of us are on.

We Millennials are unafraid of protesting the unjust. We do this both in physical protest form and in psychological and physiological form by weighing the costs of what has been handed to us. We are asking ourselves if something is harmful to keep for ourselves and maybe even in our lineage. We set the bar high for what is acceptable because we have come to recognize the outcome on this side.

All of this is necessary and I am all the more grateful for it.

What about you? Are you a disruptive Millennial? Or maybe even Gen Zer riding this same wave?

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Namaste & Healthy Steps Forward

xo b