Friends of Dave #283: weirdly hip record collection
Members of the Class of 2022....
NOTE: Long time FoDs might remember that I wrote one of these back in 2018. With a son graduating this year, I felt compelled to do it again. Look at this as a bit of a refresh on the previous one.
Congratulations members of the Class of 2022 -- you did it! Your reward for completing maybe the weirdest four year educational experience in history? No it isn't a cool commencement speaker like Taylor Swift or Dr. Fauci or Judge Judy. Today you get to hear some random Gen-X dad share a bunch things YOU PROBABLY SHOULD be hearing but likely won't....
What is that you say? Don't know who Generation X is? Never heard of it? We are the older people you like to confuse as Baby Boomers but the biggest difference is we know how to use smartphones, we brought you all of the 80s and 90s music you love and we won't be getting Social Security......so as a result we are basically 65 million people walking the planet quietly judging everyone and thinking you are all a**holes....
This actually leads to the first lesson I'd like to share with you: life is not fair. I know, I know.....this might be making some of you feel a little anxious right now. This is normal....put the cell phone down and just breathe through your nose and out through your mouth for a few seconds....no really, put the phone down and breathe....okay hold your phone if you must, but breathe....
The idea of life not being fair and equitable should not be a COMPLETELY new concept -- I mean we all just literally lived through a pandemic for the last 2 years. COVID was something most people never expected to happen and it had a devastating effect on society all over the world.
It certainly messed up your school experience and you missed out on experiences and events and parties that most people before you were able to have -- and that sucks and that is unfair. Think of the millions of people who had loved ones get sick and were unable to see them one last time to hold their hands, kiss their foreheads tell them how much they loved them. Now, THAT is REALLY unfair, isn't it?
Right now, maybe thinking about this gets you frustrated, mad and anxious. But as you get older you start to understand that unfair sh*t happens all of the time. You learn that the universe OWES you nothing.
Yes, we can and should do everything we can to make things fair and equitable where ever we can -- and you with your idealism and strong opinions on what is "right and just" WILL help change a great deal of the many unfair things that happen in the world.
But you will not be able to change them all.
This leads to my next lesson, Class of 2022: learn to be resilient. The moment you left your mother's womb, you became uncomfortable for the first time. And you cried. From that moment forward, you learned to cope and deal with discomfort -- because the world can be an uncomfortable place.
Now we, as your parents, have been conditioned by society and our own impulses to do everything we can to try to soothe you and make you feel better when you are uncomfortable. Sometimes we may have thought that the right thing to do as parents was to eliminate discomfort altogether.
But as you take this next step in life, you begin to see that your parents can't make everything better for you. You will be uncomfortable and the only person that can do something about it is you. Again, the world owes you nothing -- not a weighted blanket or a therapy dog or a safe room.
Canceling all of the things that make you uncomfortable is not the answer because it is simply not feasible. So take steps to learn to be patient, tolerant and, most importantly, resilient. Physically, emotionally, and financially. Things that are resilient last forever.
Lastly, here is something I would bet no one in your life up to this point has told you to your face: to the world you may be unique, but you are NOT special. Your friends, family, loved ones and Instagram followers might think otherwise, but that is because they love you.
But outside of that very small bubble, YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL. Odds are, you will NEVER BE SPECIAL. You are just another person with your own unique set of talents and experiences. There will always be someone that is better than you at something or have something more than you. More money. More friends. More followers.
I know this sounds harsh -- especially for a commencement address. But really it is not: it's meant to be a challenge to you. Resist the urge to chase an ideal that is really unattainable. Be happy that you are special in your small bubble and instead simply find ways to maximize all that makes you unique everyday. Pursue the things that bring you joy and about which you are passionate every day. Stay open minded, learn and improve your craft (whatever that may be) with humility. Success will come. Over your lifetime you will gain many admirers (and maybe, if you are lucky, some more followers). Your bubble will grow and yes, you will likely become special to more people.
It is an exciting time for you, Class of 2022. You are poised to do great things in this world and we are all excited to see what the future brings for you. On behalf of Gen-X, I'd like to be the first to shout an enthusiastic "give them hell!" -- and when it comes to your interactions with those pesky Millennial and Boomer managers that may be standing in the way of your greatness.....do us a favor and give them EXTRA hell!
XOXO
Dave
Think on This...
How to revive your sense of wonder
That childhood urge to ask ‘how’ and ‘why’ usually fades. But we can all learn to rediscover the joys of wide-eyed discovery. Props to FoD Sean Carney for sharing earlier this week.
For Your Day Job...
Nine Tips for Giving Better Feedback at Work
Receiving feedback (positive and negative) helps Your us feel engaged, connected, and satisfied at work.
Data and the Relationship Between Business and Customer What do we need our data to do for us?
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
Mapped: Solar and Wind Power by Country — www.visualcapitalist.com Wind and solar make up 10% of the world’s electricity. Combined, they are the fourth-largest source of electricity after coal, gas, and hydro.
The Untold Story of the White House’s Weirdly Hip Record Collection Jimmy Carter’s grandson, John Chuldenko, is unlocking White House mysteries. The record collection is an archive of the nation's music taste back in the 70's.
Limb Lengthening Surgery Is Becoming More Popular Originally designed to correct mismatched length in legs, limb-lengthening surgery has become more popular for men looking to permanently increase their height.
And The Last Word....
Taylor Swift’s NYU Commencement Speech: Read The Full Transcript — www.billboard.com
All jokes aside, this was an excellent commencement speech that young people needed to hear.
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