8 Things Baby Boomers can do for Generations X, Y and Z

05/13/2014

A woman named Aleta recently commented on my blog: I believe that every generation is responsible for the evolution of consciousness and love. Your generation is one of the first to have the potential to evolve to a cosmo-centric consciousness. My generation has a contract with your generation to support that evolution. What are the interior, exterior, individual and cultural contexts that will enhance that evolution?”

This advice isn’t meant as what you should do, but to provide some ideas as to how you can help if you seek to. Some of it is written to the baby boomers with money, so if you are not one of those, please focus on the other parts.

  1. Listen to us. A lot of us are desperate to be heard and listened to. Our parents were busy. When our family and friends were around, they were watching TV, surfing the net, playing video games or otherwise ignoring us. But we have lots of feelings to express and really good ideas. You might even be entertained. You might even renew your hope in our generations if you set judgment aside, turn off technology (which SHOULD be easier for you than it is for us) and listen to us when we start to share with you. I have a few older friends who listen to me really well and it makes my world. I feel so honored when they do. David Shakun of WisdomNet is one…and I sense that listening to me is healing for him too.
  2. Love us. Your generation is great at loving. You came of age in the 60’s, the free love era. This doesn’t just mean free sex, it means you learned how to love everyone and love big. So just hug us and  love us. We really need it. Our peers are all starving for love and attention. You probably have more to give us, so whenever the urge strikes you, dish it out. But respect our boundaries. Don’t try to have sex with us unless we are definitely mutually interested-and don’t assume we are if we accept your love and listening. If you have other intentions, be honest with yourself. Our trust has been broken already, we’ve been violated by our elders too many times to count. Don’t give us reason not to trust you or to retreat back into fear and disconnection. Be an example of someone we can trust. Love us. That’s it.
  3. Give with no strings attached. Give when it feels good to you; don’t give because you want something in return. We’ve been manipulated enough. We grew up with advertisements for unhealthy crap everywhere we turned and empty promises from people who wanted our money (or our parents money, more likely). Yes, your money, but through us via our vulnerable and impressionable young psyches. We need to learn how to trust people again, and if we don’t, then No, we won’t look up from our phones. In order to trust, we need to know that you are giving to us because it feels right to you, because you want to, because you care and believe in us. We may not be able to “pay you back” in money or attention and that shouldn’t be the point. You may have learned not to give your time or money away for free, but those of you with a lot might as well. What else are you going to do with it all at this point? Again, only if it feels right. Don’t give more than you want to, but if you feel called to give freely, don’t second guess yourself. It’s okay to give. It’s great!
  4. Money. Once again ONLY if there are no strings attached. We were taught that money=manipulation in most cases, so give your money to our causes and projects you believe in, but never ever do it to hold onto us, control us or for any other indirect reason. If you have a lot, and it feels right, give a lot now so you can see the results of your work before you die. Waiting to die and leave it for your kids might be waiting too long. The world is desperate now. Many people with the best skills and ideas don’t have the funding to make them happen. Find those people and use your extra savings for good (if you have it of course).
  5. Housing. Do you live in a huge house by yourself? Do you have extra bedrooms that aren’t being used? Consider housing younger people you love in exchange for work, companionship, or just because you care. Many young people are in a housing crisis right now and many older people are in a crisis of overconsumption of space and stuff, yet seek more meaning and connection.
  6. Take good care of yourself too. Work through your own addictions. Eat healthy, exercise, use non-toxic medicine as much as possible. If you are on 12 pharmaceuticals, you won’t exactly have the attention to listen to us. Your generation was taught to trust Western medicine above all else, and now most of you are dependent on pain killers, benzos and other drugs. Help us create healthy medicine. Use your resources to keep yourself healthy. A healthy body and mind is the most supportive thing you can offer us. If you’re addicted to pharmaceuticals or other drugs or take medications that make you unbalanced, seek help; find alternatives so you can keep yourself strong.
  7. Be humble. Acknowledge when you’re being a know it all. None of us can KNOW much of anything anymore-the world is changing too fast for that. Whenever you hear yourself say or think, “That’s just the way things are,” stop and ask yourself if you know that is still true. Technology and consciousness are evolving fast. None of us can keep up all the time. Listen to and read ideas that are different, resist the impulse to keep things the same or to know everything. Let someone younger than you be your teacher and even role model. This is how the mentorship will go both ways. If you are cynical, we won’t open up and you’ll miss what’s new and present in the world. Combine your well earned wisdom with openness, curiosity and humility.
  8. Don’t criticize us. If you think you know better than we do about a decision we’ve made or are about to make, tell us gently, or let us make a mistake. Tell us once. We don’t need to be bashed over the head. We actually listen to you better when you are gentle and non-attached. If we sense you are dismissing us or being harsh and overly critical, we won’t listen. Believe it or not we do listen and take you seriously when you give good advice with kindness and simplicity, accepting us and respecting our judgment too. My mistakes haven’t harmed me anywhere near as much as my fear has.

 

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