Throughout my life, I have been blessed to associate with wonderful people who deposited positively into my life’s account. I have also encountered people in the workplace, in the church and in the wider community who have challenged me to my very core to remain holy.
Often over the years, I have heard the phrase, “The youth are the future.” I have also heard that we must prepare the youth today for tomorrow. I have known of people who have answered this call by starting and completing a post-secondary education. For the past year and a half, I have heard the echo of an educator-turned-politician who frequently talks about moving the education system from “good to great.”
For the purpose of this article, I would like to steal this recognisable phrase from Education and Culture Minister Andrew Fahie and use it for propelling myself and others from “good to great.”
Observation
Over the years, we, the people, have been so busy fighting expatriates who have served this territory well that we do not see that we are undermining the very structure that we are all trying to build. I have listened to many colleagues and friends who were born here say they were pulled down by someone else who was born here — whether the person was a friend, a passerby or someone in authority.
We continue to demoralise and objectify our peers, elders and subordinates. We have all failed to take up the calling of the “Good Book.” The second chapter of Titus encourages older people to teach the younger generation how to live well among others.
Throughout the years, I have listened to many people who have felt unfulfilled, downtrodden and used by the system. Some of these people have a college education but don’t have much experience. Others do not have a college education but have years of experience and service under their belt. The question, then, remains: Do we feel fulfilled and satisfied at the end of each day that what was done mattered and that the time spent was not wasted?
Generation gap
Generational disparity is prevalent throughout the world, and I first realised that in our churches. Some people want more hymns and less choruses; others want five nights of services every week; and others only see a church on Sunday morning. There have always been talks about the old people not understanding the young people.
I, however, have realised that is not really the case. The problem is that we have all forgotten to communicate with each other. We forgot that as parents, managers and leaders, we are there to educate and to motivate those around us. We have all failed to mend the fabric that has been torn through the years due to a generational shift in traditionalism and modernism ideology.
Different generations have been given different names. People born from 1909 to 1945 are often known as “The Greatest Generation;” those born between 1946 and 1964 as “Baby Boomers;” those born between 1965 and 1979 as “Generation X;” and those born from 1980 to 2000 as “Generation Y.” More and more, we are mixed with people who fit into different generations, and if we do not begin to communicate and work together, there are going to be serious ongoing problems.
Workplace disparity
What is it that managers are looking for in an employee? Is it good character, charisma, a high level of commitment, great communication skills, competence and the ability to focus? Maybe employers are looking for someone who is great in problem solving, who is self-disciplined, or who takes initiative and may be teachable? There are more qualities that I can mention, but the reality of the workplace is that it is mixed with a diversity of qualities and skills that need to work in harmony and be managed well.
Many youth today bring vigor to the workplace. Some bring innovation and a relentless “can-do, will-do” attitude that can propel an organisation in a positive direction. Others bring laziness and a lackadaisical spirit. Loyalty to the job goes as far as payday for some people. That type of philosophy is bad and damaging to those who want to get ahead in life.
I often hear people state that their superiors do not understand them and aren’t interested in knowing about them. People often say that my generation, Generation Y, is a generation that wants things like money and success too fast. They say that we are too anxious, that we need to slow down, and that we are too loud, among other things.
Some people in my generation were not taught right and were never pushed towards success. However, the majority of us want to be successful. We hunger to improve standards and situations around us. Our secondary and tertiary educational system has educated us well. Our life experiences have taught us valuable lessons. Having experienced all of this, we desire to push to see things happen in a positive way for ourselves, for the people around us and for the territory at large.
We are not a defiant generation, and we are more ready than people think. Food for thought: How can we learn to lead if we are not placed in a position to lead? How can we learn to do better if failure is not part of the equation? In every generation, in every territory, people are looking for leadership. This is why we go to the election polls every four years. For we have learned throughout time that without a shepherd, sheep will go astray.
I cannot speak to the extent of the battles we are all facing in our lives, but I can encourage us to communicate with each other. I find that many people get frustrated and make thoughtless decisions because they do not have an outlet. Many people take things so personally that we now have to be very careful of what we say and who we say it to. We face troubles at home, in the church, on the job and many other places. We need each other.
My inspiration
To all my people, whether you have a college degree or not, we are students of life. We all face a struggle in some way.
Eugene B. Habecker stated, “The true leader serves. Serves people. Serves their best interest, and in so doing will not always be popular, may not always impress. But because true leaders are motivated by loving concern rather than a desire for personal glory, they are willing to pay the price.”
Woodrow Wilson, an American president, said, “The ear of a leader must ring with the voice of the people.”
John C. Maxwell also gave advice on leadership. “Competence goes beyond words. It’s the leader’s ability to say it, plan it, and do it in such a way that others know that you know how and know that they want to follow you,” he said. “You’ve got to love your people more than your position.”
More and more, we as a territory and as a people are displaying schadenfreude, a German word for pleasure derived from others’ miseries. There is a commonality between all people: We all hurt. Seeking pleasure in someone’s hurt is cold and shows a self-centered mentality that does not go far in life. Our actions today may hurt our children in the future.
I encourage us all to try and work together. Speak well of others and help when people are at their lowest state. Form workable relationships and bring back respect into our lives. I am not perfect, and I too am taking what I am saying to heart.
One of my many aspirations in life is to bring awareness to others about self-empowerment. It does not matter where you are in your life. It does not matter whether you have an academic education, whether you scrub toilets for a living or are the chief executive officer of a company. At some point in our lives, we all need to be empowered for the journey that is before us and to be sure that our acquired skills make us ready for the job.
The following quote has sealed my drive to keep going no matter what comes my way. It is from the Holy Book of Destiny: Maitreya, the Friend of All Souls: “And when they seek to oppress you and when they try to destroy you, rise and rise again and again like the Phoenix from the ashes until the lambs have become lions and the rule of darkness is no more.”