They say our family affects our choices and opinions, our beliefs and truths, our red flags and green flags. In everything in our life, we are guided by the virtues and values of the family that we grew up in. We form everything around the norms that we grew up in. This is why some kids grow up to be passionate people and some grow up to be lost souls.
Our beliefs in life are molded by the things that we were told when we were young. Eventually, we form our own truths and beliefs. We realize what we were believing wrong and we do our best to grow apart from them.
But if you are anything like me, you would probably have adopted the advocacy of your parents. In my experience, I had gained the same beliefs, passions, and advocacy as my mother. It was through my mother that I had learned about the environment’s rapid decline. As we may all know, our natural resources are getting less and less every day. We are draining our resources at a very alarming rate and if we do not do something about it now, we will suffer the consequences later on.
My mother has always taught me to be passionate about the things that matter and that usually means that it may not be the popular opinion and you might be alone in that fight but if it is a cause worth fighting for then you have to make sure that you stand your ground. After everything, we get to choose the things we believe in and the things we choose to fight against.
Another thing that my mother has taught me is that when you find that one thing you are passionate about, you also have to be prepared for the time when you finally move on to other things. There will come a time when the thing you advocated for as a young person does not hold the same weight as when you grow older because as you grow older, your views may change. I used to believe in this one political leader in our city and I was following him so blindly that I had been defending him to everyone. Eventually, I had a major change in my perspective when I had grown older and when I had a new life. So many external factors can affect your decisions and your beliefs which is why we can never really say that one thing will forever stick with us.
Change is inevitable in our lives. This is a given for everyone but when we are passionate about something it is always best that we never lose that fire in us. This is what will keep us going. Be an advocate for something that is closest to your heart. It does not have to be a single thing. Believing in a cause does not have to be limited. Allow yourself to stand for the things that are most important – equality, environmental safety, children’s rights, human rights, stricter gun laws. Be an advocate of the things that make this world a better place to live in.
This is our chance to rewrite history and to change what the older generations have cemented in our society. We have to stand for our own lives because we cannot allow the older generations to be in control after everything that has happened. This is the time to overcome the stigmas and stereotypes. Listen to your heart but fight with your mind. We are young but we are not stupid. Choose to be different and choose to alter the future.
If older generations had been scared to do much of anything then it must be upon the youth to make the necessary change in order for the future generations to live in a world where love is love and violence is not the solution. Be the change.
We should never disrespect our elders but it is never disrespectful to have your own stand on things. So, if you want to be an advocate, then be an advocate. You can start with the little things like being an advocate of mental health awareness or self-love. No matter where you start, the end goal is to always make the world we live in a better place.
Remember, the older generations have made their decisions and we are now faced with our own. Choose to be a voice of reason and to be a voice for the voiceless. This is a time to make a change and change is a must if we want our children to be in a world where they are never scared of brutality or judgment.
At the end of the day, I am glad my mother had taught me to be the strong woman I am today because I am here today telling other young adults to buckle up and choose to fight for a better society.