In fact, let me link you to my Google search just to show you allllllllllllll the results: https://www.google.com/search?site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1517&bih=666&q=you're+not+special&oq=you're+not+special&gs_l=img.3..0l4j0i5j0i24l5.1596.4076.0.4255.26.19.3.2.2.1.120.1624.14j5.19.0....0...1ac.1.26.img..3.23.1570.6AeHStEAeW0.
Deflating, but haven't we all heard this before? I know I have. I know I've derided the utility of a liberal arts degree in front of a hundred people before when arguing that federal student loans should be targeted more towards areas of study with significant labor demand, such as engineering or science. I myself have told several friends that they need to stop acting like the world revolves around them when they don't get what they want. It's a common cynical response, many times exacerbated by the fact that the alleged cynic isn't too happy with their lives, either. Was I happy with my own life at the time? Probably not; in fact, I probably wasn't in a good mood to begin with, and I really just wanted my counterpart to shut up because I didn't want to hear what seemed like a totally trivial problem compared to mine.
I think that the author made several points that can't be reinforced enough. Our parents had very different outlooks on self-fulfillment when they were our age, and it in turn created a chain effect in which self-fulfilled parents told their kids that they could be anything that they wanted to be. I won't speak directly for my parents, but they displayed an encouraging attitude towards my brothers and me alike when we were little, and they told us that we could be anything that we wanted to be, so long as we worked hard enough at it. Do well in school, take every little opportunity that life affords you, and don't overestimate the value of small victories. Don't feel entitled towards anyone.
The author also states bluntly that careers take years to build. We must embrace patience as a virtue if we wish to be self-fulfilled one day; sure, you might be a cellar-dweller research associate today, and you might be for the next five years. What will you be, though, after seven to ten years of diligent work and a pleasant working relationship with your superiors? Economically speaking, given the technology that exists today and flexible labor markets, companies know that they can't just keep professional employees without building in incentives or advancement over time. Employees can go anywhere else at the drop of a hat (or, as a common courtesy, two weeks' notice), once they've secured better employment, provided that you haven't been contracted to work x amount of years. Either you're getting a promotion or better benefits after a few years, or you're not giving your employer a strong enough sign that your talents could be better invested elsewhere.
That being said, I found the tone of the article cynical and deflating, and ultimately unhelpful to anyone seeking self-fulfillment. I'm in the business of becoming a "better man," and cynicism is one of those boring iceberg lettuce salads that sets out to help you embrace reality (i.e. eating pizza and drinking beer every day is going to kill me), but doesn't really incentivize you to better yourself over time. A cynic is not wise: he/she is just really good at pointing out flaws in other people and things, then leaves you at square one trying to figure out what to do, all over again.
Let me add, perhaps, a dissent to the author's article and suggest the following: you can do whatever you want in life, so long as you work hard at it and embrace the "baby steps." We've all heard the term "baby steps:" you know, where you embrace progress little by little. Embrace the small opportunities now, as they open the door to better ones in the future. Did you get an extra $20 in tips today at the restaurant? Save it, don't celebrate with it. Did you sell a few extra products today at the vitamin store? Do it again tomorrow, and for the next week. Someone's gonna notice if you reinvent the threshold of achievement for the local business. The little victories in life ("baby steps") are gifts for the moment, but chances to earn bigger gifts later. Will you be President of the United States one day? Probably not. We only get a new one of those every four or eight years, but you might work for him or her some day. Will you land your "dream job?" Everyone's dreams are different, which brings me to my next point.
Today's inspiration for the day, ultimately, is to sit and evaluate your dreams. Are they attainable? Could you realistically design a road map to get to that goal? Even if circumstances change almost every day, sit back and take a look at how close you are to achieving your goals. You don't have to go my route and dedicate a blog to realizing your dreams, but at least find a simple way to figure out where you are in life. In my undergraduate career, we were expected every semester to develop three SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely; credit Brother Chris Gassman) for our own development. Details for creating these types of goals are found here.
Finally, I think Jack Canfield is on to something with embracing "baby steps." I'm going to close with a video that I want you guys to see. Use daily, if not hourly, reminders to remind you of where you're going. Maybe we Generation Y-types can find a way to assert our uniqueness and special nature if we can do a better job of keeping our eyes on the proverbial ball and seek to attain our goals. Have a good day tomorrow!
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