Today’s Young Generations are the future. We are facing this year, challenges that have not been faced for a hundred years. This generation will be the generation that my grandparent’s generation was to me. They had faced the Spanish Flu, the Depression, WWII, the Korean War, and at my age Vietnam and the unrest of the 60’s. They became tough, frugal, and sacrificing. They were a selfless generation that built America into the greatest nation on earth. They went to the moon and created medical marvels. They understood the cost of Freedom, the cost of a good living, and the cost of having a better future for their families.
I was fortunate to have known some of my Great Grandparents who were born in the 1880s and 1890s. One of my Grandpas was born in 1904 and the other in 1913. My Grandmas were born in 1905 and 1915. I was blessed to not only hear their stories from their own lips, but to see them live lives of honor, faithfulness, and humbleness.
Historically, these times seem to only happen every 4 or 5 generations. They can either make steel or break glass. You either become tougher than your problems or it breaks your life. This generation is the generation to do that.
Where I am going with this is that the millennial generation and younger are facing challenges I never had to face coming up. We had our own challenges, but not like this. This generation is being challenged to either become like my Grandparents and become the next greatest generation or become a bunch of weak-willed people who can’t rise above.
I believe most people in this generation will rise to the challenge and produce the greatest generation America has ever seen. Yes, there are those who are out destroying and burning the very cities they live in. Yet, the majority are doing something that doesn’t make the news very often.
They are quietly building a future. A future that includes prosperity and peace for our nation and their families. They are building a future the solves the challenges they are facing. Social media is a great tool, but it is not the be all end all of life. This generation is showing this by staying connected but also building families which are the bedrock of any society. They are also building true community with their neighbors and friends. I saw this demonstrated on the 4th of July. I think I was the oldest person at a block party with about 40 people and probably 15 were kids under 10 years old.
No matter what people see or hear on social media or the news. The vast majority of this generation are more than capable of rising above the challenges we are facing. This is seen in the lives of the young entrepreneurs that I work with daily. They have a vision and a dream worth pursuing. They are taking risks and building value into their lives and their communities. They are making a difference and the world is better off because of what they are doing.
So, if you are older like me; let’s not tear down this generation by pointing out the bad things we see or hear. Let us build them up by pointing out the good things we see and hear. Encourage each other to succeed and overcome. Encourage each other to love your neighbors and your country.
If you are part of the younger generations, focus on something bigger than you. Focus on building a future that includes a better world for your kids. Focus on peace, prosperity, and the continuance of Freedom in America and the rest of the world. Yes, take care of yourself and your dreams. Just remember that it truly will be up to you to make the world a better place than you found it. I know you can do it and am confident that you will. My generation is here to help. We want you to succeed. We want you to have what we had only better. I hope I live to see what you make of this wonderful country we live. I think it will be marvelous!
By Todd Rausch. He is the SBDC Regional Director at Western Iowa Tech Community College. The SBDC is a Federally and State funded agency that is designed to help entrepreneurs start, grow, and eventually pass on their business. Your success is our mission.
