Gen Y Gives Thanks: Freedom to make our own choices

Gen Y'ers like to make their own choices, but are grateful
for the freedom which allows them to do so.
(Photo: Photoxpress.com)

Generation Y takes great pride in thinking for themselves, in making their own choices. Some call it impetuousness and arrogance; Gen Y just sees it as an ability to make choices and learn from them.

Gen Y’ers like Tim Grubbs, 32, a self-employed IT consultant and Web designer in Gainesville, Fla., realizes the ability to make our own choices stems from the freedoms we enjoy, particularly in the United States.

“I am thankful for the freedom to think for myself. I believe this freedom is too often overlooked and underappreciated. Of course, by nature, everyone is free to think for him/herself, but in many cultures, systems of belief are imposed by forms of conscription, coercion or by a simple lack of education. I am thankful to be living in a culture where I am free to learn, think, consider, analyze and come to my own conclusions about any topic, and I am free to take a stand for what I believe.

Whether it be government, religion, art, social mores or just my own personal convictions, the freedom to make my own decisions and take whatever course of action I feel is appropriate is a liberty above and beyond what many in this world are afforded. On the surface, it may just seem I'm thankful for the right to be self-centered and self-serving. However, the kind of freedom I'm talking about is what allows people to grow, evolve and truly make a difference in the world. If there is anything worth being thankful for, I think this kind of freedom is one of those things.”

The freedom to grow and evolve which Grubbs describes is exactly the freedom 23-year-old Grace Boyle utilized to make big decisions in her life in 2009. Boyle now works in business development at the tech startup Lijit Networks, Inc., but her journey there was one filled with tough choices and a lot of personal growth.

“This past year I picked up my life, left my friends, family and a boyfriend to head west to Boulder, Colo. I started a job I still love and have been recreating a new life. Through gain, inevitably comes loss. However, the pain and loss of making new friends, no longer being with that boyfriend, being anonymous in a new town and the initial job search haven't made me bitter, they've made me grateful and appreciative.

I am thankful for my independence and courage. I am thankful for my lifelong friends who stood by me and the new friends I have made in my new home. I am thankful for my family who encouraged this move and great risk. I strive to life a life that is fulfilling and this past year I have done just that. I looked fear in the face and learned to smile and wink right back at it. As gratitude rides through me, I can't help but smile, and feel thanks. Fear, you've got nothing on me.”

Grubbs and Boyle are just two Gen Y'ers using, and appreciating, their freedom to make their own choices.  Read more about their journeys on their blogs:  Grubbs, One Higher Power and Boyle, Small Hands, Big Ideas.

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