I am so frikkin proud of my generation. We are ambitious. We are ballsy. We are open minded. We are fun. We are kind. We are educated. We are inspired. We are connected. We are … the tits.
I have so much faith in our future because of the inspiring, enlightened and progressive conversations that I have had with the 20-30 demographic (lets be honest – it’s the best box to tick in a survey) in the past few months. I truly believe that we are, as a greater collective, becoming more aware and more ‘awakened’ to the prominent and important issues of our society and our world.
Take something as simple (ha!) as spirituality. A few years ago – if you alluded to having any sort of faith or belief in anything beyond the physical world – you would have been immediately deemed a ‘mung bean chomping hippie’ and disregarded. Now? I don’t know if it’s just the kind of person I attract but I feel like I can drop a ‘meditation’, ‘manifesting’, ‘universal guidance’ or a ‘chakra’ reference without my conversational partner even batting an eyelid! They just roll with it and share with me their favourite crystal for centring their energies. Yes, that happened. Many spiritual teachers and healers believe that this shift in collective consciousness is happening for a reason … that the spiritual veil is being lifted and we are all being called to (re)connect with these unseen, universal, divine forces.
In terms of environment and the physical state of our planet … well we are improving. I believe we are. I think our generation are a little more aware and conscientious of the impacts of man on our world. We tend to opt for cleaner energy, we dabble in buying//supporting local farmers and businesses, we pick up our litter, we respect Mother Nature and enjoy her bounty (think surf culture, outdoor exercisers, camping enthusiasts). But, as there always is, there are many ways that we can improve our habits and create more earth friendly practices.
Today I wanted to share with you the best ways to boost your ‘give a shit factor’ over three hot topics – Equality and Human Rights; Environment and Spirituality.
// EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS //
+ Support same sex marriage – My heart is never more full or more proud than when in the ‘same sex marriage’ debate with 20-30 year olds. I am yet to meet someone who is opposed. Seriously. But the older brackets (40+) – I have met so many who believe that this isn’t the way to go. Well, guess what, gen Y have a rather ragey voice and we can use it however we wish. So let’s put our passion to good use and fight for one of the most important and deserving of all human rights – equality.
+ Use technology for good and join Amnesty’s incredible mission to rally for all human rights and welfare opportunities by clicking on the Take Action Online tab and pen your name on a cause close to your heart. It takes 5 minutes and supports the amazing efforts of this world-changing organisation.
// ENVIRONMENT //
+ Always reuse. How about, for just one week, committing to saying no to all single use items. Pack a fork from home, keep your reusable coffee cup in the car, keep a refillable water bottle handy. You can do it – and the environment will thank you for it.
+ Be aware and support political parties who are aligned with your views//beliefs//hopes for our future. “We only have one planet, and we need to leave it a better place than we found it. But, one thing we should never do is clobber our economy to protect our environment” – these deliciously stupid words were spoken recently by our current PM. Is this really who we want to be making the big decisions? Hrmph.
+ Acknowledge our role in the earth’s demise (and//or rebuilding – depending on whether you’re a glass half full or empty kind of kid) and do your part, where you can. It starts with one, and these individual actions will culminate into something spectacular. Put your own trash in the bin; educate yourself with sites such as 1millionwomen and Upworthy; reduce, reuse, recycle in your own home!
// SPIRITUALITY //
+ Dip your toe in the meditation pool. Refreshing ain’t it? Start with some guided meditations – try these gems – or simply set your timer for 5 minutes and just observe your breath. Magic. Fun fact – It’s a very popularly held belief that if we teach meditation to 8 year old children, we would eliminate violence in just one generation.
+ Read something different; learn something new. Why not try out a text such as one written by Steve Ross; Wayne Dyer; Louise Hay or Gabrielle Bernstein (my personal faves). By opening our eyes to alternate perspectives – we open up worlds that would have otherwise not existed.
+ Practice the art of Mindfulness. Take ten minutes, unplug and just be. Sit in the present (delicious, rich, full, exciting) moment. Connect to your truth and find your inner stillness to bask in. You will soon become addicted to applying these principles of mindfulness within all areas of life.
Blessings and poop loads of gen Y love x
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