Do we have a voice for our generation? It’s a question that has an insane amount of responses and a whole boat-load of controversy. I mean, come on… it’s difficult to pin-point it since our pop-culture is overwhelmed with a number of celebrities being caught in too many dirty situations. Who wants to see another celeb divorce, eating disorder or drug scandal. With that being said, who even qualifies to be THE voice of our youth and why does it even matter?
My opinion? There shouldn’t be one single voice because we are not a whole, like-minded entity. We are feminists, environmentalists, intellectuals, ski-bums, teachers, followers, leaders, beauty gurus, minimalists, and so much more. We, as a whole, are the voice. Each personality is a color apart of a Monet painting, and when we take a few steps back from ourselves and like-minds, it’s a beautiful thing.
But to be honest, we all need a reminder sometimes that we have the power to make a voice on our own. We’re practically at the half-way mark to the semester and that’s A LOT of time to start kicking yourself back into gear. Make the most of your time. Work hard first, then play hard. Tell a friend how beautiful they look today. Tell yourself how beautiful you look today. Go volunteer anywhere. Take nervous energy and put it into improving yourself. Say hello to your professor outside of class (as painful as it can be). Smile at the cutie you pass on the way to class. You can do whatever you want.
And to help make your roar a little louder each day, I’ve compiled a list of motivational quotes from a few of our favorites. So go ahead! Read. Get Inspired. Go Inspire. Repeat.
“Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.” -Beyonce
“Knowing yourself and coming to trust your feelings and your intuition will open up your life to greater possibilities and keep you moving toward your goals. One thing I have learned is that I should trust my ‘gut’ instincts. Ultimately, only we know what is best for us.” -Miranda Kerr
“Don’t persuade, defend or interrupt. Be curious, be conversational, be real. And listen.”-Elizabeth Lesser
“Learn to say ‘no’ — to yourself. Don’t keep wearing high heels if you hate them; don’t keep smoking if you’re disgusted by the way you smell the morning after; stop wasting entire days on your couch if you’re going to complain about missing the sun.” – Stephanie Georgopulos
“We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, ‘You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise you will threaten the man.’ Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage. I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that marriage is the most important. Now marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support. But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage and we don’t teach boys the same?” -Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“So please ask yourself: What would I do if I weren’t afraid? And then go do it.” -Sheryl Sandberg
“If anybody even tries to whisper the word ‘diet,’ I’m like, ‘You can go (expletive) yourself.” -Jennifer Lawrence
“Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.”-Marvin J. Ashton
“Remind yourself. Nobody built like you, you design yourself.” -Jay-Z