Someone needs to tell Gen Z this ASAP!

I saw this picture online today.

I loved the photo, but I didn’t like the message.

I disagreed with it so much that I stopped scrolling and immediately wrote down my issue.

We have a weird belief in our culture that says 3 unhelpful things:

1. “Do it while you’re young! It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity!”
2. “Don’t grow up, it’s a trap,” as if when you hit your 30s the fun parts of life are over.
3. You must choose between joy or responsibility. It’s either make money or make memories, but you certainly can’t do both at the same time.

Those are all busted ideas in their own ways, but together they put tremendous pressure on people in their 20s. I remember being 25, standing in a Blockbuster video on a Saturday night and thinking, “I must be doing it wrong. I was told my 20s would be the ‘time of my life’ but they’re kind of lonely and confusing. Is everyone else having an amazing time, but me?”

This simple social media post probably hit me so hard because my daughters are 20 and 18. They’re about to head into the “dream decade” and I’m not a huge fan of what the world is telling them right now.

I’m 48 years old and I have some good news for you:

1.?The Grand Tetons are still open in your 30s and 40s.

I have a sneaking suspicion they let you visit them when you’re in your 50s too. Same goes for Europe. If you didn’t get to take a semester abroad when you were 21, they still let you visit.

2. Traveling with your own kids is awesome, too.

Your joy is multiplied by the unabashed enthusiasm of a 6-year-old who is seeing their first mountain. You think seeing a moose is an exciting experience at 27? Try seeing one with your son or daughter.

3. I like my 40s better than my 30s.

It’s true. I also liked my 30s better than my 20s. I think my 50s are going to be awesome, too. Don’t even get me started on how dope my 60s are going to be. If you pursue wisdom, the older you get the better you know yourself and enjoy yourself. One of my random beliefs is that you should take your honeymoon a year after you get married not 10 minutes after you get married. You don’t even know how to vacation together yet. Why take the most luxurious vacation you’ll go on for a decade when you don’t really even know how to be a married couple yet? With a year under your belt, you’d love that trip infinitely more.

4. Anyone who tells you being an adult is boring is doing it wrong.

Never take advice from unhappy adults. Being an adult is a blast! Also, side note, don’t wear shirts that say, “I can’t adult today” like adult is a bad word. It’s the best word if you do it right.

5. You don’t have to choose between joy and responsibility.

It’s not easy to pull off both, but when has excellence ever been easy? When you accomplish this rare feat of building your life AND enjoying your life at the same exact time, your life is magical.

Send this email to a Gen Z you know.

They’re not going to read it because they don’t do email, so maybe show them how old you really are and print it out. On paper, that doesn’t expand or scroll. With a staple. Made of metal.

Enjoy your 20s.

Enjoy your 80s.

Enjoy every decade in between.

If you want a guide to do that, read this .

Jon

(I wrote this for my free newsletter, the “Try This!” Sign up today to get ideas just like this, twice a month. www.Acuff.me/newsletter )