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PAUSE – 16.29 – Can You See Yourself As A Perennial?

generation-diffs-wReflection: Traditionalists, Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, and Millenials are all labels assigned to groups of people of a certain age.

In a world where we look for easy answers and ready-made explanations, this pigeonholing has gained a lot of traction. However, oversimplifying can build barriers instead of connections.

Each group is portrayed as having predictable motivations, values and behaviours. Those characterizations are not always accurate. For each generalization, most of us could cite an exception to the rule.

In truth, many of us share common values and aspirations despite the fact that we were born and raised in different times.

For these reasons, I was intrigued to read a recent article by Gina Pell, who notes that there are individuals of every age who live in the present, connect to world developments, and relate to others of varied ages. They stay curious and relevant, keep learning and growing, and consistently try new things.

Her tag for these folks? Perennials. I love this moniker. And I love the idea that, just like perennial plants, people of any and every age come into flower, fade, rest, regroup to gather energy, and then bloom again.

 

Action: From my experience as a gardener I’ve learned that perennials that don’t receive regular nourishment and positive growing conditions can wither away.

Sometimes they need to be lifted up, divided or cut back in order to continue to thrive.

And sometimes, when the conditions in which they once flourished have changed, perennials need to pick up their roots and move to an entirely new location.

The age of a perennial alone rarely determines its beauty and longevity. Rather, it’s the care and cultivation it receives along the way.

For plants, that means good soil, moisture and sunshine or shade. For people, that means opportunity, experimentation, and respect.

Let’s stay open to the possibility that any person of any age can bring great value to our lives and our world.

 

Quotes Of The Week: Age ain’t nothin’ but a number. – Gina Pell

Relevance belongs to every age not only during the period of a generation’s ascension to power. – Gina Pell

 

Resource Of The Week: Click here to read Pell’s full article, Meet The Perennials.

 

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Category:
Appreciation, Life Balance, Life in General, Spark/Malaise, Wellness

2 Responses to “PAUSE – 16.29 – Can You See Yourself As A Perennial?”

  1. Eileen mcdargh

    Love this idea “perennials ” so many more options when not typecast by a cohort

  2. Pat Katz

    It is quite a uniting concept, isn’t it? In contrast to some of the divisiveness of the ‘your generation’ – ‘my generation’ tug and pull.

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